This is Reality 101! ‘We Will Always Remain An Agricultural Country!’

Ang tawag sa kambing na kakaunti ang gatas dahil payat ay kambing pa rin!
(A dairy goat which produces very little milk because it is emaciated will still be called a dairy goat.)
The level of agricultural productivity in the Philippines or its computed contribution to economic growth will not change the fact that it is an agricultural country.
The statement by Economists that we are no longer an agricultural country due to low production and contribution to GDP is dangerous because it could influence the planning and budget allocation process.
This was precisely the basis of the statement of then Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno when he was asked in a Congressional hearing why the Department of Agriculture was getting a small share of the development budget.
“Agriculture is a sunset industry,” was what he told the Congressmen.
As a farmer and agriculture advocate, I cannot and will not allow this mindset to spread among our economic planners, especially now that Diokno is the Finance Secretary and de facto head of the Economic Team.
The Philippines is an Agricultural Country and at the risk of being called belligerent and combative, I challenge anybody who believes otherwise to a healthy and educated discourse on this issue.
We have the 5th longest coastline in the world at 36,829 kilometers but we import fish; we have 30-million hectares of land yet we import our staple food, rice; It only takes 27 days to raise broiler chicken but we choose to buy from other countries.
Yesterday, I and Rocky French, the Filipino-American farmer-scientist, who along with former Senator Panfilo Lacson had supported me in this lonely crusade for Food Self-Sufficiency, joined me in a long trip from Kidapawan City to Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Saranggani Provinces.
Our mission was to scout for more areas for the planting of Sorghum, in addition to the 2,000-hectares already committed to us.
Reaching Kulaman Valley in Sen. Ninoy Aquino municipality, I stopped to film a short video showing the vastness of the area.
We also passed by the reputed largest barangay in area all over the country, Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato which they say has an area of over 50,000 hectares.
Then we proceeded to the coastal town of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat where I saw thousands of hectares of idle ricelands which farmers abandoned because of the very low and unpredictable pricing of their produce.
Guided and supported by government, these untapped areas and millions of hectares more all over the country could boost agricultural production, create jobs and income opportunities and contribute to our economic growth.
So, kung mangyayari na tataas ang Agricultural contribution to the GDP, ano ang gagawin ng mga Economic Analysts: Announce that we are back to being an Agricultural Country?
The Philippines is and will always be an Agricultural country and no economic statistics can change that.
#everythingiscommonsense!
#Economics101vsReality101!
(Video taken by Kath Bahinting, SAAV Corp.)