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Dole-outs are palliatives
WE RECOGNIZE that dole-outs are needed to alleviate the pain of those who are already at the end of the road. But this should not be the be-all and end-all of how we will approach our agricultural productivity and food insufficiency concerns.
The President must focus more on how to achieve greater productivity for the poor, especially in the countryside, rather than merely list dole-out programs, when he delivers his State of the Nation Address on Monday where he is expected to bare his agenda for the next 12 months – and even beyond – including most likely his social welfare programs.
More than a litany of dole-outs, the President should focus on increasing the productivity and incomes of the poor, especially our farmers and others in the agriculture sector who are now harvesting less and earning less due to the high cost of farm inputs like fertilizer.
A recent survey showed several millions of Filipinos complained they have felt hunger. This is bound to get worse if not addressed. Congress must urgently enact tools to fight hunger, but it can only do so if this is considered as the top priority by the administration.
Long-range planning is what is needed to, among others, achieve immediate rice sufficiency and long-term food security, and to jumpstart an agriculture renaissance in the country.
Dole-outs are palliatives. They do not answer the root causes of the economic woes of the public. At best, they can tide hunger for just a day.
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