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“The current regime is set to leave a more food-insecure Philippines. Duterte is the biggest typhoon, the worst pest for a Filipino farmer. One in four food products in the country is imported.”
The relatively high growth rate was seen because it is the first to be measured against the low base of when the lockdowns were at their worst last year, including a 17 percent contraction in the second quarter of 2020.
Data from DOST’s Food and Nutrition Institute also revealed that Vitamin A deficiency prevalence among children six months to five years old had dropped from 40.1 percent to 16.9 percent.
The Duterte regime may spin the narratives on the economy all they want. But all indicators show that the country is in a much worse shape today than when it took over in 2016.
Micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners are still trying to get back on their feet after enduring the burden of the world’s longest lockdown.
Data show that the policies and programs of Duterte continued and inflamed the structural crisis of our economy. To be sure, the pandemic made it more acute. But make no mistake - Duterte’s economic legacy is far worse than the pandemic.
What does it take to cook adobo? An ordinary worker's whole pay for a day.
For the 22nd time this year, the price of diesel will again go up this week with oil firms announcing a price hike of PHP 0.60 per liter.
With practically all House members – except Duterte’s son and a few die-hard Duterte lawmakers – co-authoring the measure, Bayanihan 3 brags the unprecedented and massive support of different lawmakers who crossed party lines. The political reasons are obvious, but on one hand, such a move in the House sans Palace nod says a lot about Duterte’s deliberate neglect of calls for cash aid.
"We won’t be fooled by the pretext that reopening our natural resources to large-scale mining would help revive the pandemic-battered economy as it would inflict serious damage than repair."
“Why would the government launch a National Food Security Summit, if it will only rely on imports instead of boosting local production? The summit should be boycotted because it is organized by those who instigated the food crisis and those who did not address the legitimate demands of rice farmers and food producers.”
Where will the Bayanihan 3 go? Take a look.
Agroecology X, an alliance of local food producers and agricultural groups, pointed out the Department of Agriculture’s failure to address their problems, particularly the impacts of African swine fever and rice importation.
"These are dire times that require urgent action. The people need immediate relief," they said in a joint statement sent to the media.
More than half of Filipino households said that if they lose all of their income sources, their resources to cover daily needs could only last up to two weeks.
In a statement, Pamalakaya leader Ronnel Arambulo said a P15,000 ($300) subsidy will ensure farmers can “keep up with the increasing demand of fishery and marine products amid the economic crisis brought about by the pandemic.”
“Going deeper from our culture of Bayanihan, community pantries are sprouting because the masses are well aware of the inutility of the Duterte administration to provide socio-economic aid and medical solutions amidst this global pandemic.”
Macky said that a P50 haircut may provide them their lunch, but better governance through the unity of the people is the key to keep their business stay afloat.
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