Chiz: PH Needs a New Generation of Agriculture Workers
The government will have to invest more substantially in the agriculture sector if it wants to attract a new generation of farmers and ensure food security for the country, Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero said.
Citing data from the World Bank, Escudero said agriculture workers accounted for only 22.86% of the Philippine labor force in 2019, compared with 37.11% in 2000, which means more and more Filipinos are abandoning farms and farm work.
“Ang average na edad ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda ay 58 years old. In two years’ time, senior citizen na sila. Walang bagong henerasyon ng magsasaka at mangingisda na pumapalit sa kanila. Dahil sino mang magsasaka, mangingisda, magniniyog o nagtatanim ng gulay, ang pangarap para sa anak nila ay maging teacher, pulis, sundalo, abogado, nurse, doctor. Walang nangangarap na sumunod sa yapak nila sa hirap ng buhay,” said Escudero, the only incumbent governor who is running for senator.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), poverty incidence is highest among agriculture workers, with 31.6% of farmers and 26.2% of fisherfolk living in poverty as of 2018. They were even worse off in 2015, when 40.8% of farmers and 36.9% of fisherfolk were poor.
“Sa ibang bansa, hindi mahirap ang magsasaka, hindi pobre ang mangingisda. Ito’ý dahil sa subsidiya na binibigay sa kanila ng pamahalaan. Samantalang ang pinakamahihirap sa Pilipinas, nasa sektor ng agrikultura,” Escudero pointed out.
“Panahon na para patunayan nating pwedeng magkaroon ng sapat na kita ang magasasaka at mangingisda para mapalitan na sila ng mas batang Pilipino na maglalagay pa rin ng pagkain sa ating mga lamesa. Kung hindi, mauubos na lang ang pera ng Pilipino kakaangkat dahil wala nang nagtatanim, wala nang nangingisda sa ating bansa,” he said.
The veteran legislator, who is seeking a Senate comeback, said government neglect of agriculture has made the Philippines increasingly reliant on imports, particularly from Vietnam and Thailand. The Philippines is among the top rice importers in the world.
“Sa mahabang panahon, hindi natin binigyan ng sapat na budget ang agrikultura. Kaya huwag na po tayong magtaka kung bakit ang Pilipinas ang isa sa pinakamalaking importer ng bigas sa buong mundo. Hindi natin nalagyan ng sapat na pondo ang agrikultura,” Escudero said.
The governor is challenging the next president to commit P400 billion to agriculture from the national budget, increasing over the next six years.
“Kung gusto natin bumangon sila mula sa pandemya at sa kahirapan, kailangan bigyan sila ng buong suporta ng pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng pondo,” he said. #
