May 2021 We Celebrate As PH Farmers’ & Fishers’ Month – Critics Notwithstanding

Above, 10 May 2021, Secretary of Agriculture William Dar is saying, “We celebrate this year’s Farmers’ & Fisherfolk’s Month in one of the most challenging periods for Philippine agriculture and the country as a whole.” (Critics included.)

Mr Dar made that announcement at the front of the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Diliman, Quezon City above the banner saying “Buwan ng Magsasaka’t Mangingisda” – literally, “Month of Farmer and Fishers” (report via Facebook post).

I ask: “Why a 9-day delay officially opening the celebration?” When Mr Dar was Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics(ICRISAT) based in India from 2000 to 2014, the ICRISAT slogan was “Science with a human face.” The delay must be part of the search for “Science with a Filipino face.”

Today, I take that to be: “OneDA serving One Filipino Race.” A lovely sunset is the beginning of a bright new day.

Mr Dar says, “All these are growing threats to our national food security and our ability to feed our ever-growing population and protect the livelihood and income of our food producers and agripreneurs.”

There must be national unity in the midst of these pandemic threats we are confronted with. But his critics would not allow such unity. He says:

On the side, we also get our fair share of criticisms and unfounded allegations regarding our actions and decisions in our effort to address these concerns, notably on the issue of pork importation meant to immediately curb the rising pork prices and rising meat inflation for the benefit of some 100 million Filipinos.

The criticisms continue unabated.

It is unfortunate that some sectors… fail to appreciate and understand the tough balancing act we at DA and my fellow economic managers must make: price stability and food security while protecting local industries, especially during the ongoing pandemic. We follow the dictum: The greatest good for the greatest number.

“We follow the dictum: The greatest good for the greatest number.”

(Perhaps those sector leaders appreciate that dictum – except that perhaps for each of them the greatest number is that of their sector?)

We welcome the critics of the policies, programs, procedures and proactive moves of the Secretary of Agriculture  My advice is for critics to appreciate the spirit of President Rodrigo Duterte’s“Whole-of-Nation Approach” in dealing with the Communist insurgency and apply the same on the national problems in agriculture.

We will support any group critical of the current OneDA approach of Mr Dar if they can show beyond doubt that some sectors are assisted to forge ahead while other sectors are left behind in their struggles for survival and beyond.

Mr Dar says: "Bigyan natin ng pasasalamat at pagpupugay ang ating mga bayani sa kanayunan, ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Saludo po kami sa inyo!” (Let us give thanks and salute to the heroes in the villages, the farmers and fishers. We salute you!)

The OneDA Approach is sectoral in implementation – but national in overall orientation. “United we stand, divided we fall!”@517