Hope And Inspiration! Tulong-Tulong Para Makamit Sapat Na Pagkain Sa Bansa!

Before I decided to jump back into the political arena and join the race for a Senate seat, I went through a long and deep soul searching.

Gusto ko talaga tapusin ang 6-year term ko as Chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) which ends August 2025 and see through the programs which I personally designed and initiated.

Honestly, I dreaded the thought of being stereotyped as a politician running for an elective position with eyes twinkling with the Peso sign.

Naririndi na rin ako sa klase ng politika na meron tayo na puro siraan at away instead of presenting clear and definitive programs of government.

Ang mga magagandang gawa ay natatabunan ng mga propaganda na likha ng mga grupo na merong vested interest.

Hinawi ako ng mga ma-impluwensyang grupo sa aking dating posisyon bilang Agriculture Secretary dahil incompetent daw ako.

Para magkaliwanagan lang and for the record, the Philippines achieved its highest growth in Agriculture in over half a century in 2017, the first full year of the Duterte Presidency with 3.9% followed by a positive 1% growth in 2018.

In 2017, the country posted its highest rice harvest in history with 19.28-million metric tons, followed by 19.05-metric tons in 2018 maski wala pang bilyon-bilyon na ayuda tulad ngayon.

The Fisheries Sector posted its first positive growth in 2018 and 2019 after decades of negative performance.

Pero hindi ito na-appreciate ng mga makapangyarihan sa Gabinete dahil sumasalungat ako sa kanilang pro-importation policies, lalong-lalo na sa Rice Liberalization, at hindi nila ako makontrol o mahawakan sa leeg.

Kaya siguro maiintindihan ninyo kung bakit mas ginusto ko na ang isang maliit na ahensya tulad ng Mindanao Development Authority pagkatapos ko na mag-resign sa DA.

Also, at 67, I wanted to spend more time in the farm close to my children and grandchildren and enjoy the remaining years of my life as a farmer.

It was not until about 10 days before the start of the filing of Certificates of Candidacy noong makita ko ang mga pangalan ng mga tatakbo sa pagka Senador na nakapagdesisyon ako na kumandidato.

In the long list of potential Senators, I hardly saw a name who has a deep understanding of the need to ensure food sufficiency for the country and initiate legislations to protect and promote the agriculture and fisheries sector, except perhaps former Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castricciones who is also a probinsyano like me.

Another six years of the pro-importation and anti-agriculture policies by those who legislate laws and set economic directions would inflict an irreversible damage to our food production sector and impoverish farmers and fishermen in the country.

So, even if I knew from the very start that I lack the resources to run a national campaign and I may have a hard time squeezing into the list of 12 Senators who most likely would include big name political personalities, I decided to throw my hat into the arena.

My honest intention is to institute reforms to promote and protect our agriculture and fisheries through meaningful and well-studied legislations.

Kaya heto ako, iniaalay ang aking sarili at kung magdesisyon ang mga Pilipino na kailangan nila ako, magsisilbi ako ng tapat at buong sipag.

Makikipagtulongan ako sa aking magiging mga kasama upang magbalangkas ng mga batas na magbibigay pag-asa at inspirasyon sa ating mga kababayan.

Kung sakaling hindi naman ako mapili, wala akong mararamdamang sakit o tampo at ako ay masayang babalik sa aking bukid upang alagaan ang aking mga hayop at mga tanim.

#CommitmentOfTheFarmBoy!

#ForTheLoveOfCountry!

(This video was prepared by the media team of the Biyaheng Senado in my farm in Kidapawan City today.)