There is a good chance to harness the 4,000 million agriculture, fisheries and forestry graduates to be employed by the DA as your Blue/Green Army. This Third Pathway is the way to go.
PBBM: What's this news about my being not able to have food self sufficiency during my term?
KA SONNY: Yes, Sir. It was during the budget hearing of DA in Congress that your very own people (Usec Ding Panganiban) accepted the fact (when asked by a Manila Congressman Abante) that "self sufficiency is possible but not probable during your term". He is the same DA official that reprimanded our garlic farmers in Batanes for producing more than what they can market. He did not realize that if there was no smuggling of garlic, their production was not even enough for the Philippine market.
For his comment of such probability, Congress warned him of the consequences of his statement in your administration practically saying that if you can not do it as Secretary and President then somebody must be able to do it soon enough.
PBBM: Why do they keep on asking also about the P20 per kilo rice?
KA MON: Well, Sir, because they also won their seat in Congress campaigning for you with your campaign promise. And if this will not happen soon enough it will take away their chances of winning in the next election since the opposition will be saying that you and they committed mental dishonesty just to win the elections s
PBBM: Can they not just wait as I am finding ways and means to deliver my promise?
KA SONNY: Sir, you have barely two years left before the midterm elections.
PBBM: And so what? This is why I am now mobilizing our Partido Federal Ng Pilipinas (PFP) and Bagong Pilipino as a political vehicle for them to ride on to get them landslide votes and stay in Congress. So why the hurry?
KA MON: Sir, every student of politics will tell you this will.not work. You must first deliver your promise otherwise they will not join your PFP and may even campaign against you to "save their skins" from a sure political debacle in their dustricts.
This is why they keep on asking your DA officials which is your only vehicle now to maintain your positive rating which includes them if DA can deliver your promise of self sufficiency and affordable price of rice now that it has spiked again to more than P 50 per kilo which will surely not go down as manipulated by the rice cartels with the recent pronouncement that India and Vietnam will not be exporting rice because of the world food crisis.
Therefore, you now have a "damocles sword" on your head and so with your supporters in Congress.
PBBM: And what was the answer of my trusted men in DA?
KA MON: Sir, as seen in the YouTube under DA Budget Hearing which is now seen by your supporters all over the world the answer of Senior Usec. Panganiban without batting an eye was simplified by the presiding committe member Cong. Tonypet Albano of Isabela that "it is possible but probable during your term" which means that this can not happen before the next election or even in the Presidential elections as to whoever you will support to be next President and also keep your supporters in Congress to be in power.
In short even your hope of getting more members for the PFP in Congress is nil to none.
As for the answer of Usec Sebastian he claims that there is "no rice cartel" to reckon with (which the Congressmen present do not believe) and offered two Pathways to have low price and food self sufficiency as follows:
1. NFA must get back its power to subsidize consumers and the farmers which is buying high from the farmers and selling low to the consumers.
2. Subsidize the food production of 4.8 million hectares with seeds, fertilizers etc which as an expert he believes will stress the DA personnel even if given more budget as suggested by one Congressman "just to keep your promise" which includes them.
PBBM: Both pathways was done before during the Green Revolution of my father to have self sufficiency and control the rice cartel. Why can I not do it now?
KA MON: Well, the congressmen (especially Cong. Gloria Macapagal who promised "safety nets" for the farmers (that never came) when as a Senator she recommended that we join the Gatt-UR Round knows our commitment to the World Trade Organization to survive and keep our exports will say that these "Two Pathways" is no longer possible. There must be a Third Pathway.
PBBM: Well, how can this be done?
KA MON: Mr. President, it's easy. Just allow the insertion to your DA budget P1B each for every Congressional District and P2B for each Senator to be deposited as a Trust Fund to the Maharlika Investment Fund to serve as a guarantee fund for the commercial banks to finance the areas selected by the Congressmen to consolidate 1,000 hectares in every district (and even outside their district for urban Congressmen to.produce food for their constituents at affordable prices under a Blue-Green Revolution (BGR) It can also be the banner program of your PFP to attract more members ).
PBBM: This sounds like a plausible idea. And how can we possibly implant this with DA having more Generals now whole their soldiers are now with the LGUs because of devolution.
KA MON: Sir, this will now be a good chance for you to harness the 4,000 million agriculture, fisheries and forestry graduates of your State Universities and Colleges fund by the government and just going abroad to work as laborers. They can all be employed by the DA as your Blue/Green Army.
PBBM: You mean they will be like the US Peace Corps of Pres. Kennedy?
KA MON: Yes, Sir. The BGR is the kind of revolution that we are now trying to organize in the North he being an Ilocano like you (to even take over our former fishing grounds in the Scarborough given the logistics, now that they have become beggars of the small fish thrown away by the Chinese fishing boats just for survival as told to us by Mr. Ronald Llamas, a former political adviser).
PBBM: This Third Pathway that you are saying must be "the way" to go for us and the PFP. Literaly, where can we find it? Don't tell me it is at the "end of the rainbow".
KA SONNY: Mr. President. As I always say in my columns, "read my lips".
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