Posted on May 9, 2013
by vamirene-ag
MANILA, May 9 (PNA) – A 2013 party list contender set in its target legislative agenda several measures for further helping the country’s agriculture and agrarian reform (agri-agra) sector which includes small farmers who are among the most impoverished nationwide.
Alyansang Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka, Manggagawang Bukid at Mangisngisda (ABA) party list’s target agri-agra agenda includes agrarian reform extension, use of the coco levy funds as well as farmers’ social protection and security, believing these measures are vital in helping promote poverty alleviation and rural development nationwide.
“We must have balanced development,” ABA first nominee and ex-agriculture chief Leonardo Montemayor said at State-run PTV 4′s ‘Hatol ng Bayan’ program for the 2013 mid-term polls.
He noted government must achieve such balance to prevent the countryside from being a perpetual development laggard.
Concentrating development efforts in urban areas will force marginalized agri-agra and other rural folk to migrate and seek greener pastures there, exacerbating problems in those locations, he also said.
National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) data demonstrate urgency for helping the agri-agra sector.
The data show 2009 poverty incidence in the country’s nine basic sectors was highest among farmers (36.7 percent) and fisherfolk (41.4 percent).
Such rates even exceed the 26.5 percent poverty incidence NSCB reported for the entire Philippine population that year.
NSCB data likewise show poverty incidence was highest among farmers and fisherfolk in 2006 and 2003.
For both reference years, NSCB reported corresponding incidence rates of 37.2 percent and 37 percent among farmers as well as 41.4 percent and 35 percent among fisherfolk.
Government enacted RA 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988) to promote social justice as well as sound rural development and industrialization through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
CARP also aims to establish owner-cultivatorship of economic-sized farms as the basis of Philippine agriculture.
In 2009, government enacted RA 9700 extending CARP for five years until 2014.
Montemayor noted such extension aims giving government time to acquire and distribute, to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries, the country’s estimated one million hectares of remaining CARPable land.
“If ABA wins in the elections, however, we plan filing a bill extending the program for another five years,” he said.
He said such extension is needed since government was able to acquire and distribute only about half of the remaining CARP land RA 9700 targeted for disposal.
“I think there’s not enough time to distribute balance of the CARP land but that should be doable in another five years,” he said.
Last month, reports surfaced work already commenced on drafting the executive order covering mechanics for using the coco levy funds comprising payment government collected from Philippine coconut farmers during the martial law years.
The funds are public money for developing the Philippine coconut industry and benefiting small coconut farmers nationwide.
If elected to Congress, ABA will work on legislating guidelines covering use of such funds.
“About P70 billion in coco levy funds is with government already but it can’t use the money since there are no implementing rules and regulations covering the matter,” Montemayor said.
He noted government must establish the guidelines as soon as possible particularly as about a fifth of the country’s nearly 100 million-strong population depend on the coconut industry for their livelihood.
To further help the agri-agra sector, ABA also wants comprehensive social protection for farmers.
“It’s not enough to give them crop insurance- they themselves must have health insurance as well,” Montemayor said.
Farmers must have social security also to help them especially during their retirement years, he continued.
“Money for the purpose can be sourced from the coco levy funds,” he said.
Montemayor noted such measures to support the sector will help encourage the youth to increasingly go into agriculture.
“Our farmers must be protected or there’ll be none to eventually replace them,” he warned.
He noted 58 years is already the average age of Philippine farmers at present. (Catherine J Teves/Lily O Ramos/Media Ng Bayan)
(HnB): Child welfare is core of group’s target agenda
MANILA, May 9 (PNA) – Akap Bata Sectoral Organization for Children, Inc. (Akap) party list group will pursue children’s welfare-promoting legislation if elected to Congress this year.
Akap first nominee Arlene Brosas said education, shelter and nutrition are among this party list group’s major concerns as these are vital to well-being of children 17 years old and younger who comprise some 42 percent of the country’s population.
“It’s time for children to be represented in Congress so their voices can be heard,” she said at State-run PTV 4′s ‘Hatol ng Bayan’ program for the 2013 mid-term polls.
She pointed out Akap is the sole party list group running in this year’s elections to represent children.
Corporal punishment and child labor are other concerns Akap will pursue in Congress if this group wins in the elections, she continued.
Akap’s hoping for poll victory in 2013 after its 2010 election defeat, noting latest available data show government was able to enact in the past 18 years only nine laws concerning children’s rights and welfare.
“As long as children aren’t represented in Congress, legislators won’t prioritize their needs,” Brosas said.
One proposal Akap continues backing is enactment of the magna carta for day care workers.
Brosas said Akap is supporting such proposal since day care workers are among pillars of children’s development.
“If we don’t help such workers, their level of assistance to children won’t be much,” she noted.
South Cotabato Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. earlier filed in the 15th Congress HB 00040 granting the magna carta for cay care workers.
HB 00040 aims to enhance the workers’ right to better employment.
The House reported as of May 15 last year, HB 00040′s under study by the technical working group on children.
During the 14th Congress, Sen. Manny Villar also filed SB 2306 to help enhance, protect and improve day care workers’ socio-economic well-being.
Earlier, Akap urged national and local candidates to explain their respective platforms for children.
Akap also challenged the candidates to address the six-point ‘Filipino Children’s Agenda for the 2013 Elections.’
Such agenda covers children’s education, poverty, hunger and malnutrition, decent and secured shelter, exploitation and rights. (Catherine J Teves/Lily O Ramos/Media Ng Bayan)
