But the Levees are Dry!

I don’t want to appear a Kontrabida but “Rice self suffeciency by 2010”, appears to be grandiose projection if not wishful thinking. State can only try. I think the projection is divorced of realism. Even if State pours all available resources towards that goal, the earliest that rice self sufficiency can be attained in this country is probably decades away.

Miracle rice was developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna in the time of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It’s been all IR-Series Miracles since then. The Thais learned about rice in Laguna, Philippines. I agree, maybe we have not seen the mother of all Miracles by IRRI yet.

Meanwhile, with our rain forests gone we are experiencing water shortages. What good are levees that are dry? In most part of the country, mechanized irrigation has to be employed by the time of the second cropping. We have that situation in most part of Negros Island. And I saw the same situation in Palawan as early as the mid 1990s. With rain forests gone and many rivers and or tributaries dry in summer, third cropping has become impossible in those places. In places where there is no assurance of a successful second cropping, farmers are prompted to plant corn or others, after the first crop. The situations could be nationwide.

[Well, if you have read the report on the Billion-peso dam and irrigation system built in Bohol where there is no adequate river system. This reminds me of the old joke about a politician who swore that he will have a bridge built in place if elected. His aide whispered to him "Boss, there is no river in this Barangay." "In that case let's promise to build them a river first later", said the politician. This billion peso dam that started as a P300 Mn public work contract, which cannot be filled with water, is not really funny!]

The press release by DENR Secretary Lito Atienza that central Luzon’s Rice lands won’t have water problem this year sounds very warm optimistic. But as we all know, Angat dam has got its perennial problem of critical low water level so that rationing between agricultural and other uses has been usual, and so that farmers have ceased to air their dissatisfactions.

The State has been a dismay in protecting our rain forests. Rain forest takes time to re-develop even if something is done to regenerate them. With big corporations backed by Malacañang eying our denuded forestlands for Cassava and Jatropha Curcas, re-forestation now appears to be remote if not a forgotten objective. These programs could be indirectly poised against sustainable agriculture and rice production program.

Now it appears Mr Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., formerly with the DENR, has something to be thankful he is now nowhere driving away squatters in public lands just to push this Jatropha program.

Biofuels, sustainable agriculture, natural environment, economic exploitation of forestlands, not to mind graft and corruption and social conflicts that may ensue from all them; I think we have a very complex and conflicting situations there.

Jatropha curcas as “Reforestation”? They are no more forest than Hagonoy shrubs that took over when rain forests were gone. Let alone by themselves, Hagonoy will naturally kill those Jatrophas! IF the issue is environmental protection, Hagonoy chosen by Mother Nature herself, is no doubt better than Cassava or Jatrophas that cannot defend themselves.

The oppositions to biofuels program citing it as counter productive might be hyped or bloated but I think the fears are not without basis. By some twists, I think, biofuels program could be indeed counter progressive. And we, Filipinos, are staring with that eyeball to eyeball right now! We have a situation in this part of the world.

Meanwhile, on with rice self sufficiency at all cost. Are we really serious about it? Let’s do it, just do it!

Don’t You Feel Cold?

What’s happening to the noise created by Mr. Rodolfo Noel Lozada nowadays. We seem to be hearing none of it at the front. Here’s one of the latest which I found in Inquirer.Net.

If there is another chance by Mr. Lozada, I think, it should be: never again mix justice with politics. While he called on for justice, he allowed himself to be played politics.

For example, many people do not understand why one who was in speaking tour complete with glaring media coverage was claiming he was then under kidnap. And while apparently enjoying his public blitz, has invoked the law stronger than Writ of Habeas Corpus. While he was there seen by all, he was demanding that he be produced by the State! Was not that a mockery of Amparo?

Maybe, indeed, he was sort of a kidnapped person and was due to be liquidated, as he suspected. But then again, maybe it was all paranoia. And does not pursuing something that at first glance has no chance in court, constitute political grandstanding?

Sure, some of his stories sound credible but they also showed cloud or dirt that pose the question of which is which.

I‘d been in the country sides. Last time I was in Bayawan valley was in November 25, 2006. Actually, nothing much can be done in there at present. Bayawan Valley Farmers, the entity, is at rest. That’s for sticking to its decision not to engage in partisan politics and/or corruption. Engaging in them will lead to nothing in the end, anyway. It goes something like a P50M need should be made P200M that cannot be paid in the end. And since such are written on water, they become dole-outs shouldered by Juan dela Cruz. That’s about politics and corruption Aka plunder.

Or it goes like one person got a P300M loan when mass cannot even avail a cent. The guy is in agriculture too, so it can be said that he is also a farmer. That he actually invested a good part of the loan in something else that earns fast, is irrelevant because the guy is actually known to the bank as a good borrower. He pays interest at least. That’s about politics and some grease.

Besides that, actually, there’s nothing real motivating yet to people out there more than what are already there. I mean, not even one’s relatives are optimistic about lending money if one says it is for some agricultural venture. Perhaps yes, if one says it is to buy standing crop. And what’s that? It’s something very original Filipino. There are people who have no place to go and with no choice to do but to farm. Long before harvest they’ll be juggling financial difficulties. They’ll be selling standing crops at bargain. They are stuck in that cycle. Quite prolific shark business in there, I’d say.

They’re just some reasons that explain the state of our agriculture today after ump trillions of pesos poured into that sector since we can remember. But we are going away, where were we…

As been mentioned, Bayawan valley is insurgency area. No, I cannot be possibly harboring any of them NPA, RPA, to include CAFGUs. For farming to play partisan politics in a place like Bayawan valley would be most stupid.

What has everything to do with Mr. Lozada? I just remembered some personal friendship I’ve developed in the valley. If you’ve heard about Kangaroo courts, I know somebody who sat in one. He did not have cases that formed backlogs in his what we call sala elsewhere. He hates liars. He had hanged a man for stealing a meager half-sack of Palay, actually, not for stealing but for lying about it. And He had also thrown out a murder case because the complainants bloated their stories and he believed defendant told only truths. For defendant to pay a little blood money and to remember the widow and the orphans once in a while was generous.

He was not only prosecutor and judge. He was also defender. All three-in-one since I don’t know if he also played executioner. His principles? Like Ms. Susan Roces, he believes that liars are likely thieves. People hid or lied because they did something wrong. And were also cowards who could not admit sin. And they will possibly cut peoples’ throats as they sleep, anybody’s throat, his throat included! I like his styles. I think he makes sense.

Morals? One should not do anything wrong. That way there is no need to hide or to lie, or possibly do something more horrible.

Anyway, the fire that is Mr. Lozada seems to be cooling down. It’s becoming cold and wouldn’t it be nice if somebody finds some unproductive tree somewhere out there, slash and throw them to the fire so it would be nice and warm again for all.

Malacanañg Palace Is Now In Bread Business!

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), by term limit, has only until 2010 as President. As I understand, she is a product of U.S. Harvard school of economics. I think she has her good shot until 2010 to show what she is – a sound economist rather than playing Trapo. Survival, the future, and destiny - they are more by God than by oneself, if I am to drag the great old man in here.

Really, Filipinos in selected parts of Metro Manila woke up yesterday to learn that government has now gone into business of selling bread. Yes, b r e a d as in bakery. I find this a very interesting social-economic development.

I have a neighbor across our street that is in neighborhood bakery business. Twelve years ago or so, he was a self-employed Pedicab driver. He sold his tricycle thinking he’d make a successful baker, which was his employment before he managed to buy a motorbike that he later added a cab to.

I remember when he started his bakery business, he was selling 2 x 3 inch long pandesal per peso. Somewhere in time his pandesal became one peso each. Today they’re still sold at one peso apiece, but they are now shrunk to 2 3/8″ long from the old 3-inch. And I see more Matsakaw in his shelves lately. Matsakaw are pandesal that are not sold in the day. Pandesal are sliced, re-baked to a crisp and sold cheaper.

And my neighbor’s real-time problem? He is squeezed between high costs of flour, LPG, electric power, and his customers.

And, as also reported by media, his kinds now are making noise out there, alarmed by this new scheme of selling bread by the State. They’re facing displacement. Like I said, this seems interesting development. If people have noticed this is a direction from capitalism to socialism.

Let’s take Karl Marx: That social evolution from Capitalism to Socialism is in-avoidable. This is caused by social classes and social class (interests and) conflicts.

Let’s add Eduard Bernstein: That social evolution is taking place we are there or not. Meaning, that revolution is not always necessary. Social Democracy is based on that theory.

Half the world is not hasty at pushing revolutionary change. Under certain conditions socialism is seen as counter productive when dogmatically applied in those conditions. (For one thing, as we all know Homo erectus needs his type of motivation and he is much in us today.)

“A grown-up Capitalism is an infant Socialism; an old Capitalism is a grown-up Socialism” I heard that once before, I can’t remember by whom or by where.

Helping system to grow healthy until it becomes old and wither naturally, or should system be aborted or killed outright and radically. They are issues that confront any progressive. (There’s your conflict between a democrat and a communist)

Government in this bakery business - progressive or counter progressive?

But most Juan dela Cruzes from observers’ standpoint have their own questions, too - “Ano na namang pautot ito?” The man in the street has not read historical Materialism, but the principle is very much practiced by him. Indeed, what kind of superficial gimmick is this bread business by Malacanañg?

If I may synthesize them: So, Malacanañg is selling cheaper and bigger bread than that my baker-neighbor is selling. And they come in more expensive packing as shown in TV. They must have cost higher than what my baker-neighbor is producing. This must be good business for government supplier or suppliers, presumably big bakery businesses, which is nothing wrong per se and in some aspect of time is, in fact, progressive.

But, is this bread business by government sustainable or is it another of those pains in the ass of Juan dela Cruz in the long run? And, is the State ready to assume the role of those it will displace? And looking at the already high un-employment problem, what happens to those who will be displaced?

Why does not, or cannot government just simply bring in or affect cheaper flour (LPG and electricity, too) for all Filipinos? Looking at the situations, I don’t think that this bread program can even be pushed Metro Manila-wide. Yes it will make some sections of Metro Manila happy. This ought to be done country-wide. Malacanañg has reportedly appropriated P5 billion pesos for dole out to Filipinos reduced to beggars out there. But as we all know, Juan dela Cruz who is shouldering all these, is not that rich.

Juan dela Cruz appears to be right – it looks like another pautot to prop Malacanañg hopefully until 2010. Everybody does that in his or her term - let the next administration pick up the bills later, ha-ha-ha?

[add to your dictionary folks: Trapo - short for traditional politician. Ilongo dialect: rag, dirty cloth. Pautot - to create wave thinking it smells good. Tagalog and Ilongo dialect, literal: Intentionally, loud fart that disgusts instead of amusing people.]

NFA…How long will it survive to save the day?

NFA… Ningas Cogon or Real? - maybe the question has to be rephrased. It should be: NFA…How long can it survive to save the day. Also, how long can State keep up the show, keeping it up before everything boils down to normalcy : spiraling prices, not only of Rice but of everything, a little bit away from the reach of Juan dela Cruz each time. Normalcy means ever tightening poverty at the grassroots while others say “damangdama ko ang asenso” - or doesn’t everybody feel the same? Poor getting poorer and rich getting richer. There must be an end to that.

National Foods Authority (NFA) evolved from the National Grains Authority (NGA) known before that as Rice and Corn Administration (RCA) which our greats instituted long time ago. NFA was one of those considered up for Privatization during the Ramos administration that could have pushed through had not the administration run out of time or, if Jose de Venecia Sr. won the Presidency that followed at the turn of the millennium. JDV, running on the promise of pushing the privatizations of the FVR administration, lost to Joseph Ejercito Estrada or Erap.

Does it mean that people queuing there for cheaper NFA rice have something to thank Erap? I think this question is highly hypothetical as Erap never finished his term because of EDSA -2. One thing is sure, however, one of his chief economists, today, Sen. Edgardo J Angara harbors the idea of privatizing the NFA. Privatization of NFA means selling or delegating it to no other than the Rice traders themselves. Mismo! Now it looks like Queue people have something to thank the Lord, the Senator did not win 2004 Presidential election.

Well, for those who believe in ‘privatization’ there’s the guy to vote for President in 2010, folks. And no, I am not saying that he is manipulating or scaring the nation into surrendering NFA into the hands of the traders.

Really something good in what the senator is saying however is that, if NFA continues to operate like politics rather than based on sound economics, eventually it will have to be thrown overboard or else the whole system will sink. Either way then, everybody, except the traders, will lose.

Rice passbook for Juan? Like, one rule for Juan and another rule for Pedro? Can not we just simplify, giving people equal rights? Those simple cards the senator is talking about will probably cost the state hundreds of millions of pesos in public work contract! And there’s nothing that will keep any Pedru or Juan from getting that card when they feel they need it. Grass root politics (and grassroot corruptions, too). I think cards are added burloloy.

People are seeking NFA rice because centavos mean so much to them. In the other hand, even at P 10. 00 difference in price per kilogram, there are people who are not buying non classy NFA rice. If NFA operates around sound sustainable level, my guess is, the difference with commercial rice won’t be that overwhelming, which is expected when there is fair, real, and tough competition. Yes, NFA should protect the interest of consumers far beyond those who form the queues.

In our producers’ side, Government support price for farmers are actually more than what many farmers are asking. Problem there is that government and farmers hardly meet at the grassroots. Bureaucratic, mostly illegal red tapes, collusion of unscrupulous traders and authorities along the bureaucracy, rendering the institution less effective if not inutile, something for sincere authorities to check and to do something.

We have people out there today demanding for things like: back with Oil regulation and/or for state to buy back PETRON that was privatized. If Ferdinand E. Marcos were alive today, I bet he has only one thing to say to all Filipinos – Crazy people!

To be fair with the man, we threw him out for being no-good, but history now proves him to be the best ever. Yes, nothing is absolutely good and nothing is absolutely bad. Except for being a figure of speech, nothing is absolute, ever. Maybe we should think twice before throwing away anything instituted in our system long time ago, next time.

[Add to your dictionary, folks. Burloloy: unnecessary, unneeded, fancy, impractical, useless ]

NFA Saving the Day, Ningas Cogon or Real?

The Philippines is a TRADITIONAL IMPORTER of cereal (rice, corn, wheat) so this rice shortage is nothing new and abnormal. For and against, the hypes in Media made it easy for what Traders want…jack up prices of agricultural commodities, riding the global trend even before its actual effect has reached this shore. With the mind of consumers already preconditioned, price increase, not only of rice, has never been this accepted by the public without much uproar. Squeeze the masses right on, they’ll always somehow find something to buy food!

Food price increase has already been happening in countries with biofuels industries in place but it should be noted that in the Philippines the program is barely in the drawing board to possibly actually affect everything at present.

Bandila (ABS-CBN) reported last night that it is now farmers that dictate price to traders. Like it is now happening all-over our countrysides. This is ridiculous distortion, a myth being hyped. Maybe media should always add “allegedly”, “reportedly” or the likes and effects in their report instead of being unwittingly (?) becoming party to disinformation and/or distortion.

People were not born yesterday. Rice trading in this country is an established system and order. When a poor farmer brings one or two cavans of Palay to the market, whether he likes the price or not, he must sell. He cannot afford to bring the Palay back to the farm, or go home without salt, vetsin, dried fish, kerosene, matches, tobacco, and other basics that you can imagine poor family needs. It’s all traders’ (sometimes series of middlemen) game from there and NOT farmers. Most Filipino farmers no longer own their produce, partial or total, long before harvest due to non-government, traditional lending system. This is the general situation of Filipino farmers. NFA support palay price for farmers is mostly availed by traders presenting as farmers. Sure, many of them have rights to call themselves farmers, too. From farmers go to traders and from there Palay goes either to the private sector or to the NFA. From the NFA, milled palay or rice goes back to traders who passed them as NFA rice, and yes, illegally passed them on as commercial rice at whooping profit! Check that out and learn why.

The observations by no less VP Noli de Castro and Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap that there is no rice shortage, in fact, is never been wrong. People can see it everywhere; there is plenty of rice stock in market places. Why people line retail outlets, it is because of CHEAPER NFA rice and not because of no more rice. NFA rice sells around P18.00/kg and commercial rice range from P35-40.00/kg. U.S. rice imported by NFA are estimated at P25.00/kg. Right now we have a situation short of an Ultra Stampede for NFA rice out there. Because sale is limited, one can see wife, the husband, their children in queues.

The crack down by government of traders in the wholesale-retail of NFA rice recently, is nothing new. National Foods Authority (NFA) rice being passed as commercial rice is something perennial. Collusion of Traders and NFA authorities is as old as the National Grains Authority (NGA). And we see no end to that. The Philippines is known as the most corrupt country in the world today that has not sent, figuratively, a crook to jail. The corrupt cannot be jailed because of corruption! No wonder we don’t have national discipline. [I had been in U.S. territory where I had observed people living on food stamps. In there food stamps are food stamps. Here, dole-out fertilizer can become liquor, cigarettes, anything.]

Hype or no hype I think we had these price increases coming sooner or later. We are a free economy and there is nothing legal to brake traders except NATURAL LAW of SUPPLY AND DEMAND, which is effective only in situations where there is free, wide and true competition. This economic policy, as people see now, is inutile where there exist private monopolies and cartels. In that case it is manipulation and whim, and not supply and demand that is at play - artificial shortage of supply and, as we see, near stampede by consumers.

In a free economy, hypes are in fact flimsy excuses that traders or anybody can do without. Everyone is free, take or leave. Incidentally we are dealing here with foods that people cannot do without. People have no choice but to take, unlike cars and jewelries that they can do without or leave.

The government is never wrong about activating the NFA more, in the retail of rice. It has somehow helped stabilize the price of rice. This has somehow provided competition in the business. Question is how long government can sustain the operation that maybe should be pushed further to be felt by the market. NFA is the only thing that stands between the already miserable Filipino masses and the Pinoy trade ‘Mafia’ today.

There has been an idea floated that NFA should adjust its prices a little bit up. To strengthen and to sustain operation, and to be fair competition with the private sector, I think, yes. Normally many businesses out there actually, operate around 30-35% Gross Profit (GP). Maybe NFA should evolve near that figure whatever would be the final outcome of the prices of its rice. If masses can not afford the prices I’m sure there must be trouble somewhere else.

Some inter-actions made elsewhere that I think are related to the problem here:

rltjs Says: February 27, 2008 at 5:28 pm Modified

I am in the third world and my impression is that much of the Earth’s agricultural resource -land, is underdeveloped. Hunger in my part of the world is not caused by shrinking land but rather by: lack of industries and jobs, almost slave wages, and estimated 75% of our agri-potential has yet to be developed. Farmers are ill motivated by poor prices. Practically, we don’t have things like subsidies for farmers.

Unlike the advanced countries, improved prices of agricultural produce expected by bio-fuels craze here hopefully will change the situation for us.

Jeremy Says: February 27, 2008 at 5:33 pm

Interesting point - the switch to biofuels may put an end to the huge US surpluses that swamp the markets with cheap grain in some poorer parts of the world. That would be a good thing ultimately, but it may mean several years of shortages until that 75% starts producing enough to make up the shortfall.

Some people do stand to gain from high food prices. The people who’ll benefit the most will be poorer countries with a food surplus, who will suddenly see their exports worth more.

RLTJ Says: February 28, 2008 at 3:50 pm

I am not really sure about poor countries having food surplus. I only know we have plenty of idle lands. The Philippines IS a traditional cereal IMPORTER. We are traditional rice, corn and wheat importer. We import corn from U.S.A. We do import rice from other Asian countries so I guess they have surplus on that.

RLTJ Says: March 16, 2008 at 3:10 am Modified

The world is dependent on fuel and energy and dictated by forces that control them. Fuels have gone unusually high in relation to everything else. The introduction of bio-fuels uncovers the fact that agricultural products when or if converted to fuels will pay more.

In a free economy, nobody can tell farmers if or when they convert their corn, for example, to energy instead of feeding them to livestock. Solution to the problem apparently is, either Free States subsidize or increase subsidy to farmers, or otherwise it is time that States should initiate socialized trading in selective agriculture and/or in energy to affect possible better price to (producers) farmers and bring possible lower price to consumers. Trading: American, Russian, Red Chinese, they speak only one universal language – Capitalist system - Buy low Sell high and man in the street cannot do anything about it.

NFA to save the day, Ningas Cogon or for real?