FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE AYUDA FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

(CWDs) to help alleviate the challenges that continuously face them amid the rising costs of living.”

The beneficiaries as embodied in the proposal are “children below 21 years of age with physical and mental impairment that substantially limits one or more functions or activities.”

As expounded, CWDs refer to children with records of similar impairment or being regarded as having such an impairment.

While the government has for close to two decades summarily providing indigent and low-income families financial assistance as embodied in the 4Ps, this pro-poor program has suffered embarrassing moments.

The 4Ps was laudable in concept but was much abused in practice as monitoring of the program was at best lackadaisical and supervision became a robotic duty of those who were supposed to ensure its success.

The Duterte CWD proposal is easy to implement because one can spot a child with disability just by initial contact and visual encounter.

Unlike the 4Ps where one needs to look into documentary records as to the financial incapacity of a prospective beneficiary, spotting a CWD and qualifying him (her) won’t even need a medical record.

For instance, talking to a mute or deaf or visually-impaired child, watching a CWD walk or run are enough proof that they are deserving of financial aid.

Of course, parents who have adequate income may not need this ayuda if the proposal is meant only to assist poor (even under-employed) parents and guardians of CWDs.

There should not be much contrarian argument or debate on this Duterte proposal although a wider and more extensive discussion in the plenary is necessary and ideal to cover all bases and leave no stone unturned.

Sometimes, I am beginning to think that with so many types of financial ‘ayuda’ the

ATTY. GILBERTO LAUENGCO, J.D. OBLIQUE OBSERVATIONS

“As long as greed is stronger than compassion, there will always be suffering.”Rusty Eric

There is an ongoing debate about imports and the effects of the same on farmers. There are several sectors who argue that imports hurt farmers and that there should be greater trade restrictions on importation of agricultural products. There are some, however, that argue that trade protection is not the key. They argue that increasing support for the farmers is more effective than restricting import and trade. In addition, many say that the true culprit for high prices of vegetables like onions are actually the unscrupulous traders and hoarders and not importation per se.

Even when retail prices government has been doling out, this country may turn out to be a welfare state in the future.

And if it does, it is quite ironic because as a Third World country, we cannot even provide and secure food security for our citizens who continue to grapple with the rising cost of food prices.

This circumstance adds more reason why a favorable approval for the P2K monthly subsidy for parents of CWD is indeed necessary and of great need.

For one thing, jeepney drivers who earn daily wages when they go out and drive are luckier because the government continues to listen to their pleas because of the soaring fuel costs and vehicle maintenance.

If I may add, perhaps the Duterte proposal; should include a provision that “a continuous subsidy should be granted to biological parents and guardians until the CWDs finish college or such tertiary academic education even if they are past 21 years old.

This, I seriously think, will essentially serve the purpose of the ayuda because it will ensure, to a certain degree, that the CWDs will get to finish schooling that will capably help them seek and gain productive employment and income.

Life is getting harder these times.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has already dragged on for a year without any clear perspective of whether there is peace on the horizon.

Neither Russia, the invader, and Ukraine, the invaded, appear to be winning and neither is willing to raise the white flag.

Talk about pride.

And so, the world suffers in silence but its anger is quietly raging inside.

With this as a backdrop for color and emphasis, our narrative today should ring a bell among lawmakers in both chambers of Congress. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@ yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!.

Cold Storage Ppp And War Against Hoarders

of onions or other agricultural products were high, the farmgate prices were still low. As such, the farmers did not actually benefit from the high retail prices. Farmers are forced to sell low because they have little alternatives in some areas. They have limited access to retail buyers and they have limited access to storage facilities. Most private cold storage facilities were monopolized by traders who reserved cold storage facilities very early thereby locking out farmers and farmer cooperatives.

One of the keys, therefore, to managing the prices and helping the farmers and fisherfolk is post- harvest logistical support in terms of cold storage facilities.

Last week, a bill was filed in congress that “seeks to es- tablish a cold storage facility in every province for agricultural products and offer incentives for setting up such facilities to store farmers’ produce in and keep them fresh. The incentives shall be given to private entities and local governments that will establish such facilities and may be in the form of tax exemptions, subsidies and other forms of financial support.

Last month, the Department of Agriculture committed to build six cold storage facilities in four onion producing regions. The department of Agriculture and other related agencies have increased their budget items for the setting up of cold storage facilities. Government alone cannot, however, fill the large need for cold storage facilities. Private enterprises, through social enterprises in joint venture agreements with cooperatives and farmer associations of local government units, must be encouraged with either subsidies, land use and other non-financial support such as tax breaks, customs duties breaks for importing cold storage facilities from other countries.

Social enterprises like Public Private Partnerships must be also encouraged with these incentives. In exchange, these social enterprises must ensure that logistics cost for farmers remain low or even subsidized in exchange for post purchase payments. The age of profit hungry traders must now end and the era of social enterprises must begin.

The development and support for alternative or renewable energy powered cold chain technology must also be encouraged and supported to further driver the costs down.

Other than strengthening support to farmers through cold chain technology, there must be an increased effort to make life painful for traders who try to manipulate prices at the selling end while depressing the purchase price from farmers.

Last Feb. 6, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez met with officials from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry and called for “an all-out war against hoarders and unscrupulous hoarders of agricultural products.” Combined with support, govern-