REVVING UP ECONOMY: MINDA SEEKS FUNDS, SUPPORT FOR LOCAL INDUSTRIES, AGRI-AQUA The COVID 19 Pandemic has taught us a very important lesson that in building a sturdy and resilient economy, the nation’s growth must be internally-driven and not dependent on external factors.
chain could be disrupted hence an economy which is heavily dependent on external factors (i.e. remittance from overseas workers, foreign investors and imported food supplies) could crumble;
The other hard lesson from the Pandemic is that the often neglected and derided “dying industry” of agriculture and fisheries is actually the lifeline which could ensure the survival of the nation. The numbers do not lie.
2. A nation with an internallydriven economy and sufficient supply of locally produced goods, especially food, would be able to withstand the debilitating effect of lockdowns and disruptions in the supply chain;
While the GDP registered its worst performance since World War II at negative 9.5% and all other sectors submitted negative numbers, the maligned agriculture and fisheries industry posted a positive 0.1% growth for 2020.
3. People may not go to the movies or resorts during a Pandemic or a calamitous event but they certainly will have to eat to survive, thus agriculture and fisheries are the reserve fuel to boost the economy.
These numbers could be easily interpreted to mean the following:
With all these realities considered, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is now working with the different agencies of government and the local government units to boost
In times of a Pandemic or a natural and man-made calamity, the global supply
Caraga INFOCUS
production in the agriculture and fisheries sector and ensure that impediments to the region’s economic recovery are addressed and resolved. Among the areas of focus of MinDA’s interventions in coordination with the regional offices of the National Government Agencies (NGA), Government Funding Institutions (GFI) and the Local Government Units (LGU) are: Mindanao Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Program which aims to build and develop Fish Centers in at least 26 major fishing grounds in the region. The Fish Centers to be funded both by the Philippine Government and the European Union through the MinPAD Rise Program will establish post-harvest facilities such as ice-making equipment, blast freezers, cold-storage, sardinesmaking machinery and fishdryers to boost productivity.
April 3-9, 2021 |
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