For the Philippines to reach developed nation status, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said the government must ensure that farmers and fisherfolk have access to critical government aid that will lead to rural development and improved livelihoods for the most impoverished in the agricultural sector.
In his speech during the Harvard Kennedy School alumni meeting on Friday, September 5, the senator and head of the Senate agriculture committee emphasized the need for the government to step up in addressing the long-standing and persistent issues in the country’s agriculture sector.
“I don’t think we will reach developed nation status unless we address the 27% of our farming population who are wallowing in poverty and the 27.3% of our fisherfolk (who are) wallowing in poverty,” he said.
But for this to happen, the senator recognized the critical partnership of the public and private sectors.
“There’s a huge opportunity out there, but we just need to fix the governance aspect because unless (the) government is serious, then the private sector will not be inspired to invest,” he noted. “And we all know that in any economy, the private sector has the deepest pockets.”
“When the private sector sees government is serious, is investing, is providing the environment conducive to investing and supporting our agriculture and fisheries, then (the) private sector will come in,” Pangilinan insisted.
For the senator, food prices will remain high unless the government secures the agricultural workers, particularly the farmers and fisherfolk living on less than the livable wage.
While he acknowledged how “very consistent” President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has been in pushing for agricultural reforms “since day one,” he also said that “he needs help.”
“In the last State of the Nation Address, his first order of business was to discuss agriculture. And I say this because he has three more years to go,” Pangilinan stated. “And therefore, the window of opportunity to put in place structural reforms under a President who needs help in wanting to address decades-old—if not centuries-old—challenges in the agriculture, in fisheries sector… is fast closing.”
The senator expressed hopes that in the next three years, the government can put in the reforms necessary and “turn agriculture and fisheries around.”