Bishop pushes for farm investments for 2009

MANILA, Philippines - If the government is serious in exploiting the country's agricultural potential, it should do the obvious and pour in more investments for agricultural modernization. Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Oscar Cruz said this will also help address the problem of food security still facing millions of poor Filipinos. "Agricultural development is the answer to the national predicament. Green revolution is the call of the times. Food is wealth. It brings contentment. It means health and well being. And when more than enough, food is profitable for export and even convertible to fuel," Cruz said. He also called on government to improve and enlarge irrigation systems, mechanize farming, put up storage buildings, and provide food packing and canning facilities. Government should also build more farm-to-market roads, and fund research centers for rice and corn, vegetables and root crops, coconuts and sugarcane, and other widely native cultivated food items. "Among other things, these mean a realistic investment in agriculture, a just and fair agricultural reform, a more favorably treated farming people, duly pursued and developed foreign markets for Filipino food products," he said. Yet, Cruz lamented that up to now, Malacañang insists on pushing "super–regions" and "super-maids" that do not make much sense, especially when "super-farmers" are needed. He said he sees nothing wrong with making electronic components, having call centers, running stock markets, producing building materials, investing in housing projects and similar financial ventures, so long as they "neither undermine the agricultural constructs of the country, much less destroy the environment of the land." "Provided the People of the Philippines would not be subservient to the confused and confusing present administration, would neither mind the empty promises nor listen to the visionary pronouncements of the Malacañang occupant, there is still realistic hope for them to have a more salutary present and to look forward to a more promising future," he said. - GMANews.TV