Partido Reporma standard-bearer Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson took the opportunity to promote his research and development (R&D) agenda during his visit to Cagayan Valley this week for the benefit of local farmers and other workers in the thriving agricultural industries of the region.
In his town hall meeting with a farmers’ group producing corn in Cauayan City, Isabela yesterday (March 14), Lacson acknowledged their concerns over the rising costs of seeds and fertilizers, which he said, can be addressed by homegrown R&D facilities.
The presidential candidate promised to link them up with his contacts at the University of the Philippines’ National Institute of Molecular and Biotechnology (UP-BIOTECH) based in Los Baños, Laguna, which he and running mate Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ C. Sotto III visited last February.
‘’We will connect you to the BIOTECH of UP Los Baños because I have allocated funds for it. I realigned almost P1-billion in public funds for its research and development, including laboratory equipment, so its research and development facilities are well-ordered,’’ Lacson told the Isabela-based farmers.
Lacson reported that the researchers in UP-BIOTECH already developed tons of organic fertilizers that are now being marketed at lower prices for local farmers nationwide. He advised agricultural workers to get in touch with them as well so they could avail of their products for their farms.
“Doon na kayo bumili ng fertilizer para mura kasi gobyerno. ,” the presidential candidate advised.
Sotto, for his part, added that once he and Lacson are elected into office, they plan to buy 50 percent of total agricultural output of local farmers and fishermen nationwide to avert potential harvest and income losses from their end due to various economic factors.
The vice-presidential candidate said a similar measure is already being implemented in Davao del Norte under the leadership of their ally Partido Reporma secretary-general Edwin Jubahib, who is the incumbent governor of the province.
“Fifty porsyento ng produkto ng lahat ng magsasaka bibilhin ng gobyerno. Kuwentado na po namin ‘yan, kasyang-kasya, kayang gawin... Ang ibig sabihin ‘non, mag-i-stabilize po ang presyo ninyo... We did not pluck this out of thin air. Ito po matagal na naming pinagpaplanuhan kung paanong gagawin at pinag-aralan nami (50 percent of the local farmers’ products will be bought by the government. We already did the calculations for this and it can be done... This would lead to the stabilization of your prices... We did not pluck this out of thin air. We have been planning this program and are continuously studying (its nationwide implementation),’’ according to the Senate President.
Sotto explained this program greatly improved the living conditions of farmers in Davao del Norte to the extent that its local farmers are now driving Toyota Hilux to deliver their farm produce—a far cry from the ‘kuliglig’ or improvised vehicles, which they were using in the past.
‘’That is how successful the farmers are (in Davao del Norte). We can do this for the entire Philippines, too. We are not going to abandon agriculture,’’ he added.
Agriculture is the biggest industry in Isabela, according to the official website of the provincial government. As the country’s top corn-producing province, it contributes 21 percent of the annual national yellow corn production of the Philippines.
Isabela also hosts the largest post-harvest corn processing facility, the Mindanao Grains, located in the town of Reina Mercedes. It is likewise recognized as the second highest rice-producing province nationwide and has thriving commercial poultry and fishing industries.