BY AARON MACARAEG
Bulatlat.com
MANILA– Peasant organizations held another Bagsakan (farmers’ market at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani with the theme, “No Justice, No Peace” Saturday, October 24.
Organized by peasant and fishers organizations such as Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women, Anakpawis Partylist, Pamalakaya, and artists group Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo (Saka), the event also showcased cultural performances.
Local vegetables were from Bulacan farmers who have been decrying the demolition of their farms, particularly in San Jose del Monte area.
Fisherfolk also sold fresh tilapia to show there is no shortage contrary to the Department of Agriculture’s food supply projection that the country would deficit 51, 765 metric tons (mt) of tilapia and 12,036 MT of galunggong during the last quarter of the year thus proposing importation of at least 400,000 metric tons (MT) of galunggong among other pelagic fish.
Pamalakaya opposes the importaion and said, that “resorting to importation would do more harm than good to the local producers”, as imported fish would “outcompete locally-produced fishery products, leaving small fishers at a disadvantage”.
The group added that continuous import-dependent structure of the country’s fisheries exacerbates the plight of local fisherfolks. (Bulatlat.com)
