Is The Noynoy-Shalani Romance Over?

Filipinos are hopeless romantics.

So it is that as we are marking the first 100 days of the Republic’s first Bachelor President is a largely celebratory mood, a rumor is swirling – that P-Noy’s romance with Valenzuela city councilor Shalani Soledad has fizzled out.

The Facebook entry above peddles the ‘story’ and AM radio reports are airing blind items saying “Soledad” has been seen in the company of an unnamed local official on several occasion while “she has not been seen with her long-time boyfriend since P-Noy gave his first State of the Nation Address.”

In tongue-in-cheek fashion, many have observed repeated presidential references about his being a bachelor and that he’s not had a ‘honeymoon’ and that it’s been difficult for him to go out on a date.

Tell us it ain’t so, Mr. President.

Filipinos are ‘kilig’ (titillated) about the prospect of a presidential wedding and surely see yo and Soledad as a ‘perfect pair’.
Go for it. :D

P-Noy on First 100 Days: We're On Track; The Days Of The Corrupt Are Numbered

Every Juan, Maria, and even Bitoy has his/her take on how our 15th President has performed in his first hundred days with critics, either well-intentioned or nurturing self-serving interests, giving Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III mixed reviews.

Those thumbing down the Bachelor President are impatient if not unhappy over issues like his perceived inability to crack the whip on the widely reported infighting among certain members of his official family or the pace at which basic services are being improved and institutional reforms are being pushed.

But is the 100-day ‘grading period’ a fair parameter upon which to judge P-Noy?

Certainly it isn’t and his missteps, real or not, will not define the Aquino Presidency.

He has 68 months to go – surely enough time for his promised poverty-mitigating and corruption-busting reforms to take root and even bear fruit.

If the latest survey is fairly accurate, P-Noy continues to enjoy the backing of seven in every ten Filipinos, his huge popularity buttressed by the Philippines’ economic vital signs.

Here’s the President’s report on his first 100 days (emphasis mine):

Message of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Philippines
On The First Hundred Days of his Administration
(October 7, 2010, La Consolacion College, Manila)

Isandaang araw po ang nakalipas, nagpanata ako sa taumbayan: Hindi ko tatalikuran ang tiwalang kaloob ninyo sa akin. Ang nakalipas na isandaang araw ang magsisilbing tanda ng ating paninindigan.
Malalim at malawak po ang mga problemang minana natin. Nag-ugat ito sa isang gobyernong parang tatlong matsing na nagbingi-bingihan, nagbulag-bulagan, at gumawa ng sariling katotohanan.
Mali po ito. Ngayon, mayroon na po kayong gobyernong handang makipag-usap at magsabi ng totoo; handang makinig sa makabuluhang usapan; handang iangat ang antas ng pampublikong diskurso ukol sa mga isyung makaaapekto sa ating lahat, at maging sa mga darating na henerasyon.
Ang natamasa po natin ngayong unang isandaang araw ng ating panunungkulan: Mayroon na po kayong gobyernong hindi kayo binabalewala o inaapi.
Bumalik na po ang kumpyansa sa ating bansa. Tumatatag ang ating ekonomiya, at dahil dito, lumalago ang kaban ng ating bayan. Ang lahat ng inani at aanihin pa natin mula sa pinatibay na ekonomiya ng ating bansa, ibinabalik naman natin sa taumbayan upang tuluyan na tayong makaahon sa kahirapan. Binibigyan natin ng katuturan ang paggastos. Walang pisong dapat nasasayang.
Halimbawa po ang mga itinalagang opisyal sa mga GOCC. Naroon po dapat sila para pangalagaan ang interes ng taumbayan. Noon pong nakaupo sila doon, nilabag nila ang Memorandum Order 20, na pinirmahan noon pang Hunyo 2001. Inatupag po nila ang sariling interes na nagdulot ng pinsala sa interes ng taumbayan: nakakuha sila ng kung anu-anong mga bonus at allowance.
Ipinatutupad naman po natin ang Executive Order No. 7 na nagsuspinde sa lahat ng pribilehiyong iyon. Idiniin lamang po natin ang dapat naipapatupad na noong 2001. Sa isang kumpanya lang po tulad ng MWSS, ang napigil nating mahulog sa bulsa ng bawat opisyal ay umabot na sa dalawa’t kalahating milyong piso kada taon. Siyam po ang miyembro ng Board nila, at sa MWSS lamang po iyan. At ilan po ang mga GOCC, GFI, at mga ahensyang sakop ng EO No. 7? Isandaan, dalawampu’t dalawa (122) mga ahensya’t kumpanya.

Nariyan din po ang nangyayari sa mga kontrata tulad ng sa NAIA 3. Isipin lang po natin, tatlong administrasyon na ang dinaanan nito. Pang-apat na kami. Tumagal na po nang husto ang kasong ito, may mga pinaslang pa dahil dito. Kundi dahil sa mga tapat na nagmamahal sa bansa tulad nina Justice Florentino Feliciano at Justice Meilou Sereno, baka wala na ring pinatunguhan ang kasong ito. Sila po ang mga tunay na bida sa kaso, ngunit death threats pa po ang ibinayad sa kanila. Tila ba nagkulang sa aruga ang nakaraang gobyerno. Ngayon pong alam nilang suportado sila ng mga kapwa nilang nasa tuwid na landas, naresolba na po nila ang kontrata. Kung natalo po ang gobyerno natin rito, 990 million dollars ang nalagas sa ating mga pondo. 43.5 bilyong piso ang perang nailigtas nila at natin. Higit pa rito, mapapakinabangan na natin ang airport sa lalong madaling panahon.

Kung naaalala po ninyo, pinahinto natin itong negotiated contracts ng DPWH; pinarebid natin ito. Ginawa lang po natin kung ano ang tama, napigil na po natin ang paglustay ng 934.1 million pesos, at lumalabas na kung susunod tayo sa tamang proseso ay nasa 600 million pesos lang ang dapat gastusin sa mga proyektong ito. Nabalik po ang pera sa kaban ng bayan na kung pinahintulutan natin ang maling sistema ay natapon na naman sanang muli. Hindi lang po sa mga kalsada: sa DOTC, pinigil natin ang pagwaldas ng isang bilyong piso. Sa Department of Agriculture, 30 million at least ang natipid sa spectrometer na gusto sanang doblehin ang presyo. Lahat po iyan naibalik natin sa kaban ng bayan.

Meron pa po. May proyektong inaprubahan ang dating administrasyon, huhukayin daw nila ang Laguna de Bay para palalimin ito. Ang sabi raw dadami ang isda. Mas makakaiwas daw sa baha. Mas madali daw makakaikot ang mga bangka. Tatanggalin daw ang mga pollutant doon po sa Laguna de Bay. Ang tanong ko, saan ililipat ang lupa? Ang tatanggalin sa Laguna de Bay, itatambak lang din pala sa ibang bahagi ng Laguna de Bay. At magkano naman po ang uutangin ng gobyerno para rito? 18.5 billion pesos lang naman po. At pareho rin ang kuwento: Tila hindi na naman dumaan sa tamang proseso ang pag-apruba sa kontrata. Hindi natin dadaanin sa madaliang hokus-pokus ang proyektong ito. Pag-aaralan natin ito nang husto at sisiguruhing hindi masasayang ang pondong gagamitin para rito.

Napansin n’yo po ba, pati ‘yung weather forecasting gumanda? Napansin n’yo po ba na hindi na paulit-ulit ang mga mensahe ng PAGASA? Ngayon po, nakatutok na at mas malaman ang mga weather bulletin natin. Ang dating intermittent rainshowers across the country, ngayon, sasabihin na uulan sa ganitong lugar nang ganitong oras, delikadong lumabas.

Tama po na hindi pa kumpleto ang equipment natin. Pero ngayong nagsimula na po tayong magtrabaho, kakaunti na lang ang kulang na kagamitan. Maling sistema at maling palakad ang nangligaw sa pagtataya ng panahon. Ang mga update dati na dumarating kada anim na oras, kada oras na ngayon kung dumating. Marami po tayong binago sa PAGASA, at kasama na po rito ang bulok na sistema.

Nakita naman po natin ang katakut-takot na problemang minana natin, pero hindi po tayo natinag. Naisasaayos natin sa loob lamang ng isandaang araw ang hindi nagawa ng dating administrasyon sa loob ng tatlong libo, apat na raan, apatnapu’t walong (3,448) araw.

Hininto na po natin ang pagkatagal-tagal na sistema kung saan itinuloy nang itinuloy ang mga proyekto na walang sumisiyasat kung angkop ba o kung may katuwiran ba ang mga ito. Isinulong po natin ang zero-based budgeting. Ang sabi po namin, isa-isahin natin iyan. Kung hindi mo mapatunayang may saysay ka pa, tigil na ang ginugugol ng bansa sa iyo.

Ang mga Agricultural Input Subsidies na lalo lamang nagpayaman sa mayayaman na habang binalewala ang mga mahihirap; ang mga programa tulad ng Kalayaang Barangay at Kilos-Asenso na hindi naman inilatag nang malinaw kung ano ang prosesong dapat daanan, at kung saan napunta ang pera—inilipat po natin ang pondo ng mga ito tungo sa mga programang napatunayan nang nakakatulong sa taumbayan. Humigit-kumulang na labing-isang bilyong piso pa po ito na magagamit at mas mapapakinabangan natin lahat.
Sa edukasyon, kalusugan, at pag-ahon sa kahirapan po natin itinutok ang pondong natipid natin. Mula 175 billion pesos, umangat ang budget ng DepEd sa 207.3 billion pesos. Gugugulin po ito upang makabuo ng 13,147 bagong classroom, at ng sampung libong bagong teaching positions. Sa DoH, umangat mula 29.3 billion pesos ang budget papuntang 33.3 billion pesos, upang mapatatag ang National Health Insurance Program. Sa DSWD, lagpas doble na po ang budget, galing 15.4 billion pesos papuntang 34.3 billion pesos.

Ang punto po natin dito: Walang maiiwan. Hindi po tayo papayag na yayaman ang iilan habang nalulunod sa kahirapan ang karamihan.

Kaya nga po natin pinatatatag ang Conditional Cash Transfer Program. Salbabida po ito para sa mga nalulunod nating kababayan, upang makapunta na sila sa pampang ng pagkakataon at pag-unlad. Lampas doble po ang bilang ng mga pamilyang matutulungan ng Conditional Cash Transfers, mula isang milyong pamilya sa ngayon, tungo sa kabuuang 2.3 million na pamilya sa 2011.
Patuloy po ang ating tema ng pagbibigay ng lakas sa taumbayan. Dahil na rin po sa panunumbalik ng tiwala sa gobyerno, nabiyayaan ang KALAHI-CIDSS program ng dagdag na 59.1 million dollars—halos tatlong bilyong piso—mula sa World Bank. Sa programa pong ito, dadami pa ang komunidad na magkakaroon ng kuryente, kalsada, at malinis na tubig—mga proyektong ang taumbayan mismo ang nagpaplano at nagpapalakas.

Paulit-ulit po nating ididiin: trabaho ang pangunahing agenda ng ating administrasyon. At marami pong magandang balita ukol dito.
Lampas dalawang bilyong dolyar ang papasok na pera sa ating bansa mula sa mga foreign investors. Direkta po itong magbibigay ng 43,600 na trabaho sa mga Pilipino.

Simula pa lamang po iyan: Kung hindi natin sila papadaanin sa butas ng karayom, makukumbinsi pa po silang magnegosyo rito, at madadagdagan pa ang mga trabahong nalikha.

At manganganak pa po ng manganganak ang mga trabahong ito. Halimbawa, sa call center, kailangang panggabi ang trabaho. Kailangang magbukas ng kapihan, ng fastfood, ng mga convenience store. Hindi bababa sa dalawandaang libong bagong trabaho ang malilikha pa—kahit hindi ka marunong mag-computer, may pagkakataon ka sa dagdag na mga trabahong ito.

Trabaho din po ang idudulot ng mga Public-Private Partnerships na patuloy nating isinusulong. Nagtayo na po tayo ng PPP Center, kung saan ang mga gustong malikahok sa pagbabago ay mapapasailalim sa tapat, malinaw, at mabilis na proseso.

Mula sa pagpapahaba ng mga LRT Lines, hanggang sa pagpapatayo ng bagong paliparan na tutulong sa turismo, hanggang sa mga eskuwelahan na itatayo sa buong sambayanan, magsisimula na po ang bidding para sa mga ito sa loob ng mga susunod na buwan.

Kinikilala na ng pandaigdigang merkado ang pagtatag ng piso. All-time high po ang ating Gross International Reserves na umabot na sa 52.3 billion dollars noong ika-dalawampu ng Setyembre. Ang dati rati’y parang imposibleng maabot na Philippine Stock Exchange Index na 4,000, nalampasan natin. Kahapon lamang po, all-time high na naman ito na umabot sa 4,196.73 points. Ipinapakita nito ang kompyansa sa ating ekonomiya, sa ating mga mamamayan at sa ating pamahalaan. Kabilang na po ang ating PSE sa mga best-performing stock market sa buong Asya. At habang lumalakas ang piso at lumalago ang ekonomiya, steady lang naman po ang mga presyo ng ating mga bilihin.

Handang-handa na tayo po talaga sa pag-unlad.

Lahat po ito nagawa natin dahil nakasandal ang gobyerno sa inyong tiwala. At umaapaw na rin po ang tiwalang iyan sa buong daigdig.

Dalawang ulit na pong nag-apply ang Pilipinas para sa Millenium Challenge Corporation Grant. Sa unang tatlong buwan lang po ng administrasyon natin napaaprubahan ito. Ang sa kanila lamang po, aminado silang hindi natin maiwawasto agad ang lahat ng problema, pero naniniwala silang patungo na tayo roon. Sabi nila, gusto namin kayong matulungan para maabot ang inyong mga pangarap, heto ang 430 million dollars.

Pati po ang mga international organization tulad ng OECD, tinanggal na tayo sa listahan ng mga bansang kumukupkop ng mga tax evader. Maaari na tayong makakuha ng impormasyon na makakatulong sa paghuli sa mga tax evader na isinasagawa na po ng BIR.

Dahil na rin po sa panibagong tiwalang nangingibabaw sa pamahalaan, dumadami ang mga tumutulong sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng mga tip tungkol sa katiwalian. Sumasaksi sila sa maling pangyayari, para makatulong sa ating paghahabol ng demanda.

Halimbawa, sa bagong-tayo na Pera ng Bayan website, isa-isa nang lumilitaw ang mga taong makatutulong sa atin upang tugisin ang mga smuggler at tax evader.

Ibinabalik ng mga hakbang na ito ang kumpiyansa ng daigdig sa Pilipinas.

Nagkakaisa nang muli ang ating lipunan, at ang nananatili na lang na parang sirang-plaka na paulit-ulit ang reklamo ay ang mga gustong bumalik sa poder upang ituloy ang kanilang ligaya na nagmumula sa ating pagkaapi.

Sila na nga ang nagdulot sa atin ng mga problemang pinapasan natin ngayon, sila pa ang may ganang bumanat nang bumanat sa atin. Papansinin ba ninyo sila?
Magpapalinlang ba kayo muli?

Hindi po kami nagbibiro sa pagtahak sa tuwid na landas. Kayong mga mali ang palakad at pinipinsala ang mga kababayan natin, may taning kayong lahat.

Ito pong mga problemang pinangako nating solusyonan, tatlong buwan pa lang nakikita na ninyong nabubuo ang solusyon. At ang inyong tiwala po ang pundasyon ng lahat ng ating naabot sa loob lamang nitong tatlong buwan ng panunungkulan.

Mula pa noong kampanya, ibinato na po sa atin ang lahat ng puwedeng ibato sa loob at labas na yata ng Revised Penal Code. Pati po ang buhok natin ginawang isyu. Dahil siguro binata pa tayo, hindi na tayo binigyan ng honeymoon.

Gusto talaga tayong gibain ng mga taong nais mapanatili ang lumang sistema, kung saan para silang mga dambuhalang buwayang nagpapakasasa sa kaban ng bayan.

Binabatikos lang naman po tayo dahil may iilan na naghahanap ng paraan para magpatuloy ang siklo ng mali. Alam din naman po nila ang tama, hindi pa nila maatim gawin. Mayroon po talagang mga nag-aambisyon na makabalik sa poder, nag-aambisyon na panatilihin ang sistemang sila lang ang nakikinabang, mga kapit-tuko sa puwesto na nakikinabang sa lumang sistema—mga taong gusto lamang ituloy ang kanilang ligaya, habang binabalewala naman ang sakripisyo ng taumbayan.

At tayo naman po: tuloy na tuloy ang laban. Hindi po tayo titigil.

Kung mayroon po tayong pagkukulang, ito marahil ay ang hindi natin naging kaugalian
na ipamalita ang mga tagumpay na ating nakamit. Mas binibigyan natin ng halaga ang paghahanap ng mga paraang makatutulong sa ating mga kababayan. Kitang-kita naman po ng taumbayan ang resulta ng ating pagtatrabaho: talagang nakagagalak ng puso itong satisfaction rating na seventy one percent. Natural po, sa inyo ang tagumpay na ito—sa bawat Pilipinong nagtitiwala at nakikilahok sa ating agenda ng pagbabago.

Ang patuloy ko pong panata: Hindi tayo titigil. Habang dumarami tayo sa tuwid na landas, dumadali naman po ang tungkulin nating itama ang mali.

Hinding-hindi po tayo titigil sa tuwid na landas. Unti-unti na pong natutupad ang ating mga pangarap.

Maraming salamat po. Magandang umaga sa lahat.

A closing note – while we Filipinos, pundits all, are ‘grading’ the President, let’s also look at the mirror and assign a grade for we ourselves have contributed to better Philippine society.

Coming Soon: The Condom Summit?

The Catholic Church, long held as THE DOMINANT (if not domineering)influence in the life of Philippine society which is variously estimated as 90-98% Christian, has tempered somewhat its widely reported threat to excommunicate Pres. Aquino, and by implication, other Catholics who will subscribe to the governments "freedom of choice" program making condoms and other contraceptive options to Filipinos.

No less than CBCP president, Bishop Nereo Odchimar, 'clarified' at week's end that his excommunication remark was "misreported" by the usual whipping boy - the news media.

Responding to the 'clarification, Malacanang is restating its readiness "to dialogue with the Church."

We do not know yet what form the 'dialogue' will take but we think there won't necessarily be 'Condom Summit' but a more politically correct packaging.

One party who is not changing his tune is tourist guide and Twitter activist Carlos Celdran whose Padre Damaso-dressed-as-Jose-Rizal stunt gave face to many Filipinos sentiment over the Church's seeming violation of the constitutionally-enshrined separation of State and Church.

Of course not everyone praised Celran with not a few saying he not just disrupted the religious service at Manila Cathedral.

"Celdran insulted us and disrespected our faith," quite several dear friends told your Midfielder.

They may actually be correct in trashing the disrespectful stunt Carlos used to deliver his message... but I think the message itself warning against what I'd call the dangerous return of the 'friar mentality'cannot be blithely ignored.

So Celran was allowed to post a P6,000 bail for his temporary freedom in relation to the charge filed by a security guard of the Manila Cathedral.

Given the upcoming Condom Summit (pardon the pun), I foresee the case's withdrawal to finally clear the air.

To its credit, the Aquino administration is marking its 100th day in office by preventing a full blown public quarrel with the Catholic Church.

A footnote: CBCP knows obly too well that quite other influential Christian denominations have seen their flock swell in recent years if not decades, not least among them the Iglesia Ni Kristo and the so-called Born Again congregations of El Shaddai and Jesus Is Lord whose "Servant Leaders" continue to nurture presidential dreams.

Civil Disobedience VS Free Choice?

Let’s be blunt.

With our population growing ballooning by one million souls each year and 9 in 10 statistically listed as Christians, just exactly how long will the Catholic Church continue to figuratively, and literally, have its cake and eat it too???

The Church’s threat to wage a campaign of civil disobedience over the State policy of giving the citizenry free choice in the matter of planning their family, including getting government-funded condoms, smacks of outright meddling in governance and the delivery of health services.

This is not to argue against the teaching that children are God-given blessings nor is this a brief for practices that are lead to the abortion of fetuses.

But how is it the our religious shepherds can meddle in secular concerns while ignoring the harsh reality that that they are failing in the primary task of educating, nay, guiding and making their flock follow the Catholic edict that parents’ temper their reproductive urges, whether or not induced by love, with their practical capacity to raise their innocent progeny.

Sure the Church runs token shelters and orphanages, but the truth is the countless children neglected or abandoned by their Christian parents become street urchins who beg for a living while also being victimized by criminals, pedophiles included!!!

Oh sure, there are schools run by religious orders but we are only too familiar with how the high matriculation fees further elitism in the educational system if not Philippine society as a whole.

I wish we had ready statistics about how parochial schools impact on the educational system.

But in the main, what leaves this writer disconsolate, if not angry, is the fact that our Catholic shepherds are loudly sounding like promoters of a theocracy while being unable to minister to the herd in meaningful and life changing meanings ways.

Civil disobedience against lawful government laws and programs?

This I’ll have to see.

The Inverted Flag Snafu

Filipino netizens, hecklers,pundits and honestly patriotic individuals are raising their hackles over how the Philippine tricolor was displayed in the legally mandated wartime red-field-over-blue manner during the 2nd US-ASEAN Leaders Meeting hosted in New York by Pres. Barack Obama.

People are angry over the breach of diplomatic protocol with the blame being leveled on the team of President Noynoy Aquino for failed to spot the error and correct it.

Detractors have, not surprisingly, been quick to pounce on such missteps given the immense popularity of Aquino who trumped his electoral rivals by a wide margin on the back of a promise to rid government of the corruption and widely known opaque governance style of highly unpopular former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The US Embassy in Manila is red-faced for its government:

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson: "This was an honest mistake. Tthe U.S. treasures its close relationship and close partnership with the Philippines. We will find out how the "unfortunate" incident happened."

DFA spokesman Ed Malaya: "The Philippine government understands that it was an honest error that "should not detract from the true significance of the summit, which showed the unprecedented cooperation between the ASEAN and the U.S."

The snafu aside, methinks the 'inverted flag incident' cannot overshadow immense goodwill for the Philippines generated by Mr. Aquino's week-long official visit which saw Aquino champion the call for "Global People Power" to help attain Millennium Development Goals to fight poverty, push better health and education in the developing world, and sustain much needed development aid.

Both their schedules were tight but Presidents Aquino and Obama still had a one-on-one meeting lasting for 7 minutes on the first visit to America of the new Filipino leader.

Aquino supporters note this is in sharp contrast to how Arroyo vainly tried to have a face-to-face with Obama in the waning days of her rule and had to settle for a session at the State Department with Hillary Clinton.

Arroyo was finally received at the White House just before she stepped down, but with the occasion only an official trip and not a State Visit with all the attendant pomp and pageantry.

Aquino will be coming home with hopes of new job-creating American business investments plus the new release of 434-M dollars aid package from the US Millennium Challenge Corporation which froze its release to the Arroyo regime for failing to meet committed targets.

So there.

Will The NFA Close Shop?

Most of us have been transfixed on juetengate 2010 and the striptease routine in the release of the report into the botched rescue of a busload of foreign tourists.

Now it’s time to read this:

For years, the National Food Authority has been the guaranteed buyer of palay from Filipino farmers and buffer importer of rice to the tune of 20-plus percent of the total rice supply in the market and making prices stable.

But while we were not watching, the National Food Agency has seen its requested P15 billion allocation in the 2011 budget slashed by the Cabinet to P8 billion.
Simple belt tightening to curb the budget deficit?

Not really it seems.

The budget has actually been strangely transferred it to the DSWD without prior consultation with NFA officials.

Answer me the question:

How is it that the DSWD itself will now become involved in rice importation minus any track record of conducting such activities?

NFA Administrator Lito Banayo is warning of a looming shortage of NFA rice for the poor should the Aquino administration fail to release the remaining P6 billion budget of the agency.

"We’re close to putting up the shutters on our retail operations. If the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) will not release our remaining budget this year, we will have to close Batanes, Aurora, Masbate, Catanduanes, the entire CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region), Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Bohol, Cebu, all of Regions 8 and 9. Even Coron and Busuanga will be closed for selling rice.

Banayo notes that of the NFA’s total allocation of P8 billion for 2010, only P2 billion has been released.

This was surprisingly decided on at Cabinet level as domestic production of palay is projected to be flat as previous events last year and this year will just even out with bad weather conditions having brought down second quarter farm production by 2.18 percent and by 2.88 percent in the first quarter of the year.

Banayo admits that the NFA has been losing money from selling cheap rice at prices below the purchase price. Records show that NFA losses had ballooned to P177 billion of which P54 billion consisted of suppliers’ credit.

"We cannot do anything about that. It is our mandate to ensure there is food for the poor, to provide a way for poor people to have something decent on their table," Banayo says.

Banayo is worried about the prospects of the proposed 2011 budget based on a restructured NFA.

The DBM has slashed the proposed P58 billion budget requested by the agriculture department to P37.7 billion

But the NFA chief rightly points out:

"We cannot work on a zero budget as what is being proposed by the budget department
based on their version of a restructuring program for the NFA. I worry about provinces like Occidental Mindoro where 30 percent of palay produced is being bought by the NFA.”

If this comes to pass, what are the feared consequences?

A sampling from recent news reports:

Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano: The proposed budget of the DA for 2011 "will further worsen the rice crisis and food insecurity in the country."
"Unscrupulous rice traders operating the domestic rice cartel will have a heyday with NFA’s zero budget and intervention in the market through unjust rice pricing and manipulation.

Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile (NPC):
“Just imagine the nationwide confusion and economic exploitation if this is implemented by a department that has no experience in farmer subsidy operation, warehousing and marketing.
I cannot allow this abrupt change of policy that can cause an adverse effects on farmers as well as rice producers and consumers. Without the budget, NFA would cease to be socially and economically relevant and worse the poor farmers would be placed under the mercy of profiteers and other exploiters.
The honorable secretaries of Budget, Finance and Welfare should explain their action to our people. They may have the noble intention of suddenly changing the policy but it’s also possible that they overlooked the political, social, economic and national security implication of their collective action. Their timing alone is bad enough because obviously they did not consider the plight of our farmers who have just been through a series of typhoon and El Niño calamities that devastated thousands of hectares of their farmlands in many regions of the country.

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo:
The possible removal of government support in the NFA importation of rice will move inflation rate higher by 0.37 percentage point for 2010 and 1.24 percent for 2011. BSP assumes a fare hike of P5 for jeepneys and P10 for taxis. The price of rice will likely increase if subsidy such as tax exemptions will be reduced or removed. NFA rice is priced at P25 per kilo.

This could very well pull retail prices of rice to as high as 34 to near 40 pesos per kilo!


Verily what could happen now is local farmers will see the further depression of palay farm gate prices with the private rice cartel raking in profits and government abandoning its long running commitment to keep politically-sensitive the supply and price of rice within reach.

Further, instead of shutting down the NFA shouldn't it be be reformed to make it more efficient, cleanse operations prone to graft, and make it more responsive to the "matuwid na daan" agenda?

Or will the Aquino administration rather play with fire?