Voices unheard!

CALLING CARD, MOBILE PHONE

LINK FARMER, AGRI SECRETARY

By Manny Piñol

In many remote areas of the country, there are farmers and fishermen who have survived on their own all their lives.

Except for the roads that they use in bringing their produce to the market, most of them do not even know the programs that government provides.

I met one of these farmers during my visit to Cauayan, Isabela last Monday and he introduced himself as Mario Estepa, a graduate of a 2-year Agriculture course who returned to his village to be a farmer like his father.

When I met him along with two other sunburnt farmers, Estepa did not even know that the crops he lost to Typhoons Ompong and Rosita were covered by the Crop Insurance Program of government.

I gave him my calling card and he innocently asked whether the phone numbers in my card were really my phones.

Yesterday, he sent me a text message which I replied to which started an exchange of messages that I believed gave him hope.

Here is the conversation between him and me:

Mario Estepa: Mapagpalang magandang umaga sa inyo kagalang galang na secretary, ako po si mario estepa na taga brgy rogus cauayan city, isabela, ako po ung 1 nakausap nyo kahapon sa pagpunta nyo sa villa luna mpci at naitanong ko po sa inyo tungkol sa sagingan namin na totally damage sa bagyong rosita? itatanong ko po sa inyong tanggapan sir kung ano maitutulong nyo kc meron po ako sagingan na 29 has. at d2 kami umaasa sa pang araw2 namin na gastosin at pagpapaaral pero ngaun nasira na lahat? God Bless at more power sa inyo sir…

DA Secretary: Kumuha ka ng certification sa municipal agriculturist nyo tapos ibigay mo kay director narciso edillo.

Mario Estepa: Sir noong nakaraang bagyong lawin nasira na naman at nakapag recover sa halos 2 taon mag umpisa na sana kami mag harvest ngaun taon pero dahil sa hindi inaasahan nabagyo na naman at totally damage, maghintay na naman kami ng mahigit 2 taon o kaya panibagong tanim sir?

DA Secretary: Palagay ko kailangan mo mag shift ng ibang produkto. Masyadong marupok ang saging at di kaya ang malakas na hangin. Patingnan ko ang area mo kung ano maganda.

Mario Estepa: Sir noong una mais at saging pero dahil sa medyo malayo at mahirap ang daan lalo kung tag ulan halos sayad kami sa utang kc inuutang namin ang capital kaya naisipan ko na tinamnan lahat ng saging, kung wala sana bagyo sir ok naman ang saging kc maka 2 bisis ako magtiba ng bunga sa loob ng 1 buwan sir? Kamoting kahoy o cassava naman sir ok naman pero 1 taon mahigit bago maharvest, pero kailangan malapit lang sana sa farm to market road kc magastos sa pagpapa harvest halos wala rin matira?

DA Secretary: Pa check ko ang farm to market road nyo kay Director Edillo.

Mario Estepa: Ay cge sir salamat, sana makapunta si sir director welcome siya d2 sa barangay namin?

Reading his messages made me realize that the voices of many more farmers like him have remained unheard by government.

How many more Mario Estepas are there in the countryside waiting for government to touch their lives?

Mario Estepa and many others like him are the reasons why I bear the pain and rigors of undertaking the “Biyaheng Bukid,” a journey to the countryside which I started right after then President-elect Rody Duterte named me as his Agriculture Secretary.

This is why I travel the long and rough roads and cross the seas to reach remote islands because I know that there are so many voices still unheard.

There are many more stories from forgotten people which government officials like me must hear and dreams that we must help realize.

(Photos taken by Mayette Tudlas, DA OSEC, show me giving my card to Mario Estepa and inspecting the typhoon-damaged corn sold at prices which could not even recover farmers’ expense.