As entrepreneurs, workers DUTERTE TO INVOLVE OFWS IN FOOD PRODUCTION PROGRAM

By Manny Piñol

Presidential frontrunner Rody Duterte said the Food Security Program that he has designed for the country will create jobs and investment opportunities for the millions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

In one of the chapters of the book “Feeding Millions,” which will be launched soon, Duterte said his Food Security Blueprint will not only produce food for the 105-million Filipinos but will also create job opportunities for OFWs who would like to stay close to their families.

Duterte chided the national government saying “our government seems to be enjoying the billions of dollars in annual remittances by the OFWs that they have stopped thinking of ways to create jobs for those who would like to stay in the country.“

In Chapter XIII of the book “Feeding Millions,” Duterte said that “while the Filipino diaspora brings in an estimated $26-B every year in remittances, the social cost is also very heavy on the Filipino families.”

“You’re talking here of 2.3 million Filipinos who are working away from their families, who contribute so much to the government through the fees that they pay every time they go abroad,” he said.

Duterte said most of the OFWs are highly-educated and highly-skilled and they could very well contribute to the food production program of the country under his Presidency.

He cited the case of the Filipino scholars of the MASHAV of the Israeli Government who were sent to Israel to study modern agriculture but most of whom are working abroad because they could not find jobs in the country.

“Hundreds have graduated from the agriculture scholarship program of Israel and they could have contributed to our food production program but since our government does not have a follow up program to make sure that the technology they learned from Israel is used here, most of these young people end up working abroad, some of them in Japan,” he said.

“It is such a waste of talents and skills. Can you imagine? Many of those who are working as domestic helpers abroad are actually graduates of agriculture and animal husbandry courses but they could not find jobs here in the country,” Duterte pointed out.

Duterte said the OFWs must be involved in the country’s food production program, not only as workers in several livelihood projects which his administration intend to implement but also as investors.

“Most of our OFWs who come home do not know where to invest their hard-earned money. They usually buy multi-cabs, open up sari-sari stores and purchase small farms. But these hardly make any income for them,” he said.

Duterte said there are three food production projects proposed in the book “Feeding Millions” which could offer jobs and investment opportunities for OFWs.

As President, Duterte said he will provide a counterpart to every peso that the OFWs would invest in the food production projects.

The book “Feeding Millions” is expected to be launched this weekend by Duterte in time for the second Presidential Debate to be held in Cebu City.

The book will be sold during the sorties of Duterte in the different areas of the country and the undertaking will be handled by the group Friends of Rody Duterte headed by former Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo and national coordinator Rene Concordia.

Priced at P500 each for the ordinary copy and P1,000 for the special edition signed personally by Duterte, the book could also be bought through orders on line.

Proceeds from the sale of the book will be used to support the campaign activities of Duterte.

(Photo shows OFWs working in cattle ranches in Australia who said they would like to come home and help in the country’s cattle industry if Duterte wins the Presidency.)