Ito Dapat Ang “AKAPin”:P20-M Lang For Squash Noodles Processing Facility

A farmer from Arakan, North Cotabato yesterday sent me a message asking for Kalabasa Seeds and while it would not really cost me that much to provide her what she was asking for, I wanted her against planting “Kalabasa” unless there is a ready market.
I did not want her to suffer the fate of the Kalabasa Farmers of Alamada who threw away or dumped hundreds of tons of Kalabasa last year because the buying price dropped from P25 to P2 per kilo.
“Kalabasa,” actually, has a huge market when processed as Noodles or Pancit as this was proven when we brought Kalabasa Pancit Canton made in Cabadbaran City to the MinDA Tienda In Manila three years ago.
It was wiped out from the display tables in less than an hour and many supermarkets were asking for supply of Kalabasa Pancit Canton but the farmers could not provide it because they were just operating a very small facility.
It really would not take much investment to establish a “Kalabasa” Noodle Factory which I think would be in the vicinity of P20-M for the modern equipment.
This project would not only ensure a steady source of income for farmers in the highlands but also provide jobs and boost the local economy, not to mention its contribution to Food Security.
Ang problema lang talaga is that the people who identify which projects would get the needed funds are mostly staying in air-conditioned offices and are not even aware of the realities on the ground.
So, instead of allocating a few million pesos for a project like a Kalabasa Noodle Factory, a Motorcycle Tire Factory using local raw rubber or a Bamboo Processing Facility to produce Engineered Bamboo, they put up P26-B to be given away as “Cash Assistance” for the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program or AKAP.
The intent to provide financial assistance to those not earning much is appreciated but what about those who are not earning at all?
Paano naman ang walang kinikita tulad ng ating mga magsasaka?
I have consistently posited that the mission of government is to help the poor for that is the essence of governance, after all.
But helping the poor does not mean asking them to queue up with palms open to receive cash dole-outs or rice rations.
The real essence of helping the poor is by providing them the support to lift themselves up and rise from poverty with dignity by making them productive.
The “Ayuda” mindset in helping the poor does not only dampen productivity but worse, it is turning our country into a nation of mendicants.

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
(The video attached was taken last year in Rangayen, Alamada at the height of the Kalabasa oversupply which left farmers losing hard-earned money.)