#MINDANAO
Despite many uncertainties and ominous images seen in many countries, we continue to hold on to the hope that 2020 will be a better year for the economy, and that our economic gains can be preserved.
In Mindanao, many have reacted positively to the marching orders of Agriculture Secretary William Dar, which call for new thinking in agriculture, a breath of fresh air that many hope will unlock the potential of Mindanao’s food production areas, creating sustainable livelihoods and boosting the food supply for the country.
Already, Mindanao produces 40% of our country’s food supplies. The agricultural challenge is that as the economy grows and poverty is reduced, the demand for more and better food will increase. Not having the right kind of supply delivered on time will create scarcity and push food prices up, and erase the gains in poverty reduction, which in turn creates political instability and uncertainty.
Boosting supply and improving logistics to deliver the food to meet the demand is critical to preserving our economic gains and maintaining stability. These also create new jobs. Investments in such facilities will therefore be necessary. We hope to see more of this “new thinking” being operationalized, and positive examples of such programs being known and cascaded to many communities.
Another area where positive growth will be seen is tourism. With Chinese, Russian, and Korean tourists increasing, the two areas needing support will be identifying new tourist areas to enable us to go beyond the usual destinations, and protecting the destinations from pollution.
With our islands receiving top honors as “best in the world” destinations only ups the challenge further. The increase in tourist arrivals to Davao City from 2018 ought to inspire us to do even better.
The challenge of brewing global conflict
Unlike previous surgical strikes against high value targets, this particular one against the Iranian general military leader did not get the same adulation and broad support in the international community as it did for other high-value targets. This raises questions on the military actions conducted, and does not allay the fears that are rising.
Worse, strong language through social media seems to be the new norm. The Iranian leadership and the United States government trading barbs, and their allies chiming in their own statements of support and or condemnation does not help in finding a resolution to this escalation of violence and talks for a full scale conflict.
Why does this bother us?
Many are concerned that a full-scale conflict will turn the Middle East into a war zone. Some have expressed the fear that various pockets of conflict may erupt in various parts of the globe.
The worse that can happen include a hike in oil prices and the particular effect it has on our Overseas Filipino workers in many Middle Eastern countries, prompting government to announce an evacuation plan in case the conflict intensifies.
Losing control of political stability at a global scale due to a possible conflict in the middle east will be bead for business and trade, the growth of which needs to continue after the slowdowns experienced last year due to the US China Trade war. This is a kind of disruption we cannot allow to continue.
At this point, we will be watching this carefully as events unfold.
With this, ensuring local livelihood and food stability, preserving our economic gains and keeping our growth strong will be an imperative if we are to face these uncertainties taking place on a global scale. We are up to the challenge.
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