Happy News From Miag-ao!

The town of Miag-ao, Iloilo is obviously outside of my area of responsibility which only covers Mindanao and the islands.

But yesterday, Miag-ao farmers, through their municipal agriculture technologist, April Joy Demapaylo, reached out to me to relay the happy news that the P20-M Onion Cold Storage Facility which I committed to the town when I was Agriculture Secretary has finally been completed.

Miag-ao, along with Oton, grows Onions but farmers complained that they could not compete with imported Onions because they lacked a storage facility.

When I visited the town as Agriculture Secretary as early as 2017, I understood the problems which affected farmers’ productivity.

They needed to learn new technology. They also needed financing support and a cold storage.

Right after my visit, DA arranged a trip for the town’s officials and farmer leaders to India where most of the imported Onions come from.

Then, farmers were given funding support equivalent to the actual cost of production at 2% interest under the Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA) Program which I conceptualized and designed.

With the recent completion of the Cold Storage Facility, what needs to be done to complete the Value Chain is to give farmers access to the market.

This is the most critical stage because a fledgling agricultural activity like Onion farming could succumb to the flooding of imported and cheaper Onions.

This is where government must institute policies to nurture a nascent local industry.

Is this protectionism?

No, it is just pure common sense.

Come to think of this: If you have a 16-year-old 4-round boxer, would you put him in the ring to fight a world champion?

Young industries must be helped and nurtured to grow strong.

This is the essence of nation-building – we start from the ground up utilizing our own resources and manpower.

It is a long and challenging process but it must be done to build a strong and resilient economy.

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

(Photos were forwarded by Municipal Agriculture Technologist April Joy Demapaylo)