The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has recommended increasing wage rates in the rural areas to levels at par with urban rates, or even higher, and providing incentives to companies relocating their processing facilities in the provinces to ensure the success of the “Balik Probinsya” Initiative of Senator Christopher Lawrence Go.
This recommendation was included in the Action Plan proposed by MinDA in a memorandum submitted to the Office of the President and Sen. Go to support the “Balik Probinsya” Program.
Seriously, I cannot understand why rural workers should receive lower salaries than those who work in the cities.
Bakit? Mas mahirap ba martilyohin ang pako sa Manila kaysa sa Cotabato?
Personally, I see this discriminatory wage rates (whose Constitutionality could be challenged) as one of the reasons why many job seekers flock to the urban centers.
Subukan nating bigyan ng mas mataas na suweldo ang mga trabahante at insentibo ang mga kumpanya na magpapatayo ng processing facilities sa probinsya and I foresee a massive reverse migration to the rural areas.
Workers will be earning more because they could do some food production activities on the side while processing companies will realize more profit because they no longer have to haul raw materials from the rural production areas to their factories.
The Mindanao Development Authority also proposed that there should be an action plan supported by a legislation to ensure the sustainability of the “Balik Probinsya” Program considering the reality of the political shifting sands.
The Action Plan should address the following:
1. Identify the over-populated urban areas and rank these in the order of priorities;
2. Determine number of families willing to be resettled back in their home provinces or provinces of their choice;
3. Identify the provinces willing to accept returning residents;
4. Identify income generating, jobs or livelihood activities available in the resettlement areas;
5. Conduct initial orientation/workshops to prepare the participants for their eventual social re-immersion in the rural areas;
6. Conduct orientation/workshops presenting the available choices for income generation, jobs or livelihood activities;
7. Organize into clusters the “balik” beneficiaries so that each cluster would be undertaking the same activity in one specific area i.e. communal poultry raising, communal vegetable growing, communal hog raising, communal dairy farming, cooperative fish cage farming, cooperative furniture making, etc.;
8. Engage local govt. Units as direct participants in the program i.e. city of manila to provide financial incentives to every family willing to be resettled; province of Bukidnon to identify areas and activities to be undertaken by returning residents; and,
9. Engage the private sector, especially those in the agro-industrial group, to relocate their processing facilities in the rural areas, especially those designated as processing zone areas and ensure that the wage rates are at the same level as in the urban areas.
It was also recommended that a legislation creating a National Commission which would handle and oversee the “Balik Probinsya” Program should be passed to institutionalize it.
Pending the passage of a legislative action, a Memorandum Order or an Executive Order directing the preparation of a National Framework for the Balik Probinsya Program and directing the cooperation of all agencies and sectors involved may be issued to jumpstart the process.
MinDA may be tapped for the implementation of this directive for Mindanao as provided for under RA9996.
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