Our country is, undoubtedly, rich in natural resources. Despite these God-bestowed gifts, however, we’ve remained poor. Truth to tell, of the country’s population, save for a handful of middle class and a pinch of those whom we call the elite, 90% of the rest maybe considered as the socialites among mendicants. The remaining 10% of the unfortunates are simply referred to as “beggars”, “mendicants” or “panhandlers”.Consequently, when crisis looms, we are severely hit. Crushed and mangled, all accusing fingers are pointed to one direction – poverty. Making matters worst is our propensity to focus on poverty at face value not its roots. Naturally, whatever initiatives we try to implement could not even put a tiny dent in its surface. Sarcastically, in our solitude, we can even wonder if all these acts are deliberate and are just orchestrated. The possibility that our government leaders are not seriously considering any solution to free them (the poor) from bondage would, in fact, even be a big truth. After all, having poverty makes it handy for politicians to have a platform in every election – poverty alleviation.
Today, the issue on poverty is again brought to fore as the Supreme Court awarded Hacienda Luisita farmers the more than 4,000 hectares they’ve all wanted for. It should not have been news in the first place because the country’s land reform program has been here for decades and thousands upon thousands of hectares have already been distributed. What makes it a headline issue though is the fact that President Noynoy Aquino’s (PNoy) clan owned the property and the decision to hand it over to the farmers has been done by the same Supreme Court headed by a person he publicly denounced and disliked. Whether this decision is a consequence of their ongoing animosities, we certainly do not know. What is crystal-clear is the fact that PNoy’s clan accepted the decision.
With the PNoy clan’s acceptance, the partitioning and turnover of this humongous property to the beneficiaries are well settled. What is unsettling though is the diversity and to some extent, stupidity, of the latest pronouncements of the beneficiaries. Foolishly, some of them have unequivocally declared that they shall put their lots on lease. Are they not supposed to own and till their lands as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) wills it?
These farmers’ attitudes though are not surprising. Soon, most of these lands/farms will totally miss their stewards’ presence. Recent reports revealed that even agriculture graduates disdain farming. A Filipino sociologist has observed that “Most agriculture graduates do everything but farm; they take government jobs, teach, do research, etc. They don’t want to touch the soil.” Worst, agricultural workers are dwindling every year as most of them, as surveyed by the Food and Agricultural Organization, migrate to urban areas seeking for better paying jobs. Some, in fact, are working as mere household helpers because, to most of them, these jobs have given them better rewards than that of the farms.
Lest we must forget, one of the more popular programs of all governments-that is from Ramon Magsaysay to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo- has been the land for the landless program. While these governments had termed it differently in their stay, the ultimate objective is the same. Supposedly, in trying to empower them by owning the lands they till, they will not only free themselves out of poverty, they shall be able help this country attain food-sufficiency. On the contrary, however, instead of helping this country be self-sufficient, we are continuing to subsidize this program. All these years, the beneficiaries have continued to behave like slaves when in fact, money-wise, this government had already spent a lot to free them. Worst, they’ve started to act like mendicants by raking in over P4.0 billion in annual subsidy.
With all these annual budgets for many years now, what has so far been achieved? Nothing much. Except for a few, some lands are abandoned. Others groups of beneficiaries who organized themselves into cooperatives are not cultivating them. Ironically, some of these beneficiaries are leasing out their lands and content themselves by simply earning rental.
A typical example of how unsuccessful this program is can be seen when one visits Manjuyod, Negros Oriental. The once mighty SyCip Plantation Inc. is not even a shadow of its old stature after being covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Then, the beneficiaries organized themselves into a cooperative and managed the affairs of the entire hacienda. Unfortunately, the cooperative was unable to run it profitably. Consequently, Landbank reportedly foreclosed this huge property.
Now, some portions are cultivated. Sarcastically, however, non-beneficiaries of CARP maintain these. These non-beneficiaries are mostly entrepreneurs and are profitably cultivating the same land where the beneficiaries failed.This scenario though isn’t difficult to comprehend. It simply means that the beneficiaries have not so far abandoned the mentality of slaves and haven’t buried their mendicant attitudes. They are now free and are supposed to till the land they own and be successful entrepreneurs (or as the new coined term aptly labeled it, agripreneurs).
It is not yet late though for these beneficiaries to realize. Set aside the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) failure in alleviating the plight of the CARP beneficiaries. This DAR is run by ideologues who have been, as track record will attest, proven failures. Therefore, they can’t help our beneficiaries that much. What is imperative now is to vigorously pursue the already in place alliances of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA). To recall, early this year, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have forged an alliance to help farmers and fishermen develop their businesses. As DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo led the opening of the Agribusiness Center with DA Secretary Proceso Alcala in Diliman recently to coincide with the 113th anniversary of the DA, the two agencies committed (through this Agribusiness Center) to help farmers and fishermen in business licensing, trade facilitation and export market exposure.
Among others, this P12-million project “houses an information center, export showroom, an activity center and a café, where the public can sample native delicacies and recipes from chefs demonstrating their cooking skills and culinary expertise”. Moreover, this center will serve as a “one-stop shop” to deliver business services closer to the farmers and fishermen like business name registration, certifications, permits and licensing.
With this recent establishment of the Agribusiness Center, these farmers will now finally see the light of day. From this development, what is imperative now is for this government to support this program continuously. Through this Agribusiness Center, other line agencies should get involve and help equip these beneficiaries with sound entrepreneurial skills by taking a more holistic and comprehensive approach. We should develop successful new farmers by providing them experience-based production and sound business-management training. Such training must include among others, concerns in production, business, ecology and environment. Training on production should include planting, harvesting, irrigation system, livestock, etc. Business trainings must include marketing, finances, budgeting, etc. To ensure success, this government must also provide the necessary infrastructure, such as, irrigation, storage facilities, transport equipment, packing and processing facilities. Done well, only then will we be able to let them till their lands profitably.
Yes, without a doubt, the biggest hurdle that this government should overcome is to prevent these beneficiaries from leaving their lands by helping them till these profitably. After all, despite all the support, their presence is still paramount and necessary.
As an old farmer’s wisdom lays it, “the farm’s best fertilizer is the owner’s footprint”. It isn’t urea, phosphorous or potassium. Simply put, even if one uses for his farm the most complete and expensive fertilizers and plant nutrients, these will all be for naught without the farm owner’s presence, footprints and hands on it.
Email: foabalos@yahoo.com.