The biggest gain I made in the unsuccessful run for the Senate was to bring the issue of Food Security to the National Consciousness and converting one of the country’s respected leaders into another Agriculture advocate.
Outgoing Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who at 73 and after 51 years of public service, has joined me and Fil-Am farmer/scientist Rocky French in chasing the dream of proving that the Philippines could be a food self-sufficient country.
Actually, the conversion of Ping Lacson started right on our first political rally after I delivered a campaign speech emphasizing the stark contrast between Israel, a small but food sufficient country, and the bigger but import-dependent Philippines.
Since then, Presidential candidate Lacson kept on repeating the need to adopt enabling laws and policies to boost the country’s food production.
As fate would have it, both Ping and I did not make it but there is neither rancor nor regret.
In fact, this opens a whole new world for us outside of politics and the bureaucracy away from intrigues which had hounded even the most well-meaning and noble-intentioned public official.
Now, the conversion of Ping Lacson as an Agriculture Advocate brought him to a small company with me, Rocky French and two other friends which will take small steps in proving a point that the Philippines could be food sufficient.
The company, which is now due for registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, will be known as SAAV for Southseas Agri-Aqua Ventures.
Our first endeavours are the establishment of a small multi-species fish hatchery in a portion of my farm in Kidapawan City, the operation of a village-level feed mill also in Kidapawan City, the production of Sorghum for feeds production and Fish Cage farming in areas facing the Moro Gulf in Mindanao.
I call this a combination of “Reputation, Vision and Action.”
Ping Lacson’s reputation as a straight and honest official, my vision of achieving Food Self-Sufficiency for the country and Rocky French’s scientific and technical knowledge in the field will certainly boost our small company.
When everything had been established in Mindanao, the small company plans to establish another small village-level feed mill in Pangasinan to produce Aqua Feeds formulated by Rocky.
The planting of Sorghum and Fish Cage farming will also be undertaken in Pangasinan and other parts of Central Luzon as the small company moves forward.
So, here we are chasing a dream outside of politics.
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