‘Magnegosyo Ta Day’ replicated nationwide

Vice

Sara Duterte is implementing nationwide one of her previous best local practices while still Mayor of Davao City—livelihood program Magnegosyo Ta ‘Day (MTD).

The MTD, which was one of Duterte’s many flagship local projects, aims to financially assists women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual plus (LGBTQIA) community.

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has adopted the project for nationwide implementation.

During her participation to the Rosquillos Festival 2023 in Liloan, Cebu City on May 27,

2023, she lauded in her message the municipal government of Liloan for making local tourism a priority advocacy to support the growth of local entrepreneurs, particularly those involved in the production of delicacies and cuisines.

Acknowledging the importance of livelihood in sustaining a family’s day-to-day needs, Duterte also shared the OVP’s Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day (MTD) project, which helps women and members of the LGBTQI+ by augmenting their daily income, making them economically empowered and independent.

In March this year, coinciding the celebration of Interna- tional Women’s Day, Duterte has launched the said entrepreneurship program in Laguna.

The program focuses on marginalized sectors such as women, single parents, the disabled, victims of violence, indigenous women, displaced Filipino workers, the LGBTQIA community and

In reminding the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to exercise prudent and efficient utilization of public funds after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the release of PhP25.1 billion insurance premiums for 8,385,849 qualified and enrolled Filipino indigents:

“Nagagalak po tayo na nakapagrelease na po ng P25.1 billion na pondo po para sa one-year health insurance, PhilHealth premium po ito ng 8.3 million qualified Filipino indigents. Lalo na po sa panahon ngayon na dahan-dahan pang bumabangon ang ekonomiya, marami sa mga kababayan natin ang nawalan po ng trabaho at hanapbuhay, malaking bagay po ‘yon na sasagutin ng PhilHealth ang kanilang pagbayad sa medical services, (itong) mga mahihirap nating kababayan. Maa-avail po nila ang medical services rin po thru PhilHealth, ito pong Universal Health Care dahil bawat Pilipino po ay miyembro po ng PhilHealth.”

Jordan, Guimaras - Songs of Rivermaya like “Liwanag Sa Dilim” reverberated before a huge crowd at the municipal grounds of Jordan, Guimaras as the highlight of this year’s Manggahan festival.

With its English translation “there is always light even in the darkest times”, it is a song of inspiration encouraging the protagonist to bring hope to those around him, like a beacon in the storm. He is urged to stand up and be the light that guides others to a brighter future.

It encourages the listener to sing a new song, one that rewrites history and opens up new paths.

It became the icon music associated with the camp of former vice president Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan during the 2022 presidential race.

In Guimaras, Robredo garnered 66,071 votes while Bongbong Marcos had 25,792 votes. Pangilinan received 52,982 votes while Sara Duterte had 25,537 votes.

Guimaras, formerly known as Himal-os, was a sub-province of Iloilo until it was made an independent province on May 22, 1992.

A prevailing legend has it that two of its inhabitants called Guima and Aras, who were lovers, went swimming and never returned. Thus, in their honor, Himal-us was changed to Guimaras by the pre-Spanish Ilonggos.

On August 11, 2006, the oil tanker M/T Solar 1, hired by Petron Corporation, sank off the coast of Guimaras spilling more than 2.1 million liters (about 555,000 gallons) of bunker fuel.

It is still known as the worst oil spill in the Philippines’ history since the oil that contaminated the water was not only devastating for the environment but also for the people and the economy of Guimaras.

Since 1993, the month-long Manggahan Festival is a yearly cultural, agricultural, and food festivity held every May as a celebration of the mango fruit and agriculture that are the key drivers of its local economy aside from tourism.

Guimaras’ mango production comprises 21% of Western Visayas’ total production.

With a total of 7,290 mango growers, 60% to 70% is contributed by backyard growers while the 30% to 40% is produced by orchard.

About 70% of the production is sold fresh while 30% is sold to local processors.

Mango is the Philippine national fruit, locally known as “mangga” and scientifically named Mangifera indica L.

It is the third most important fruit crop in the Philippines next to banana and pineapple.

There are three well known variety of mango in the Philippines: Carabao mango, Pico and Katchamita (Indian Mango).

According to the Department of Agriculture, the Philippines ranks 10th among the top producers of mango in the world with a 2.5% share in production. Asia accounts for approximately 77% of global mango production.

The DA added that as of 2021, Ilocos Region remained the top mango producer with 124.68 thousand metric tons, contributing 22.4 percent to the national production, followed by SOCCSKSARGEN and Zamboanga Peninsula, which both shared 9.8 percent to the national output.

Carabao mango is a wide variety, with 450.48 thousand metric tons produced from April to June 2021, accounting for 80.9 percent of the total production in the Philippines.

However, the DA noted that the volume of production of mango have significantly deteriorated during the last several years due to increasing cost of production, typhoon, rainfall, insect pests, diseases and inadequate orchard management. These factors prompted many growers to abandon their mango orchards or planted them to other crops or uses.

In the 1960s, Dr. Ramon Barba, a Filipino horticulturalist from the University of the Philippines, developed a simple method for inducing early flowering in mango plants. His invention, widely used today, revolutionized the Philippine mango industry, making the crop one of the country’s top export earners.

A highlight of the Manggahan festival is the cultural dance contest among the five towns – Buenavista, Jordan, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo, and Sibunag – depicting the abundance of mangoes and the rich fishing community in the island-province.

A similar festival centered on mangoes is held every April in Zambales called Dinamulag Festival that was first held in 1999.

Its name is lifted from the Dinamulag variety of carabao mangoes— damulag as translation of the word carabao.

Zambales has around 7,500 hectares of mango plantations with more than 5,000 farmers engaged in the industry.

In 1995, the Guinness Book of World Records cited Sweet Elena carabao mangoes grown in Zambales as the world’s sweetest. In 2013, the DA cited Zambales mangoes as the country’s sweetest variety.

In Central Luzon, Zambales had the highest production of mango(36%) followed by Nueva Ecija and Bulacan.

In both events, the cultural presentations depict the heart shaped mangoes representing the “golden heart” of every Filipinos, meaning that each of us can be the light that guides others to a brighter future. (Peyups is the moniker of University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez. com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.)

Wage Hike Impractical At This Time

“There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.” - POPE JOHN PAUL II.

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Already - as the issue of raising the minimum wage is being seriously talked about and pondered in the Senate - eight buisness groups have immediately made known their disagreement.

They collectively expressed concern that the legislated wage hike may negatively impact the operations and continued existence of micro, small and medium enterprises or MSMEs.

The group wrote to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources, their sentiments that whatever good intentions there was in the bill, raising wages may appear to be the logical solution.

“However, only a small percentage of the national workforce may be able to benefit,” the busi- ness group said.

They explained that only 16 percent or about 8 million in the formal sector out of the 50 million total number of workers will receive the envisioned benefits.

The proposal, authored by SP Juan Miguel Zubiri and SP pro Tempore Loren Legarda, seeks a P150 hike which to this corner appears like a “fast pain relief” comparable to a headache pill.

Why?

Every Juan, Pedro and Jose (and the many Marites-es included) know that the wage hike which shall be borne by Pinoy employers will push them (producers and manufacturers, service providers) to also raise their products and produce to recoup what they shelled out to their employees, retrench or simply close down.

All countries were hurt by the global inflation precipitated by the two-year pandemic and lockdown that caused world-wide economic collapse.

Ninety eight percent of the MSMEs, the business group ex- plained, suffered from the consequences of the global pandemic and are only on their way to complete recovery.

Among the signatories to the letter were the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president George Barcelon, Employers Confederation of the Philippines chairman Edgardo Lacson, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. president Sergio Luis Ortiz Jr, Fderation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry president Cecilio Pedro, IT and Business Process Association president Jack Madrid, Philippine Hotel Owners Association president Arthur Lopez, Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines president Robert Young and United Port Users Confederation of the Phils. Inc. president Nelson Mendoza.

Quite a list, huh?

The senators behind this wage increase should allow the global economic circumstances to settle down before even attempting to placate Pinoys who have been complaining of the weaken- ing purchasing power of the peso, inflation, the lack of employment and livelihood opportunities.

The business group also advised that the prices of goods in our local market are higher than the other ASEAN economies which they see as a direct effect of higher minimum wage in the Philippines.

The unsettled and worsening Russia-Ukraine war that has dragged for more than two years is indirectly yet adversely affecting our economic recovery.

The Middle East situation is also contributing to the world wide “touch and go” economic order because oil produced by Arab and Muslim countries in this region is being used as a leverage.

As the Philippines is entirely dependent on foreign (fossil) fuel, we cannot help but endure what we ought not endure.

Instead of raising the daily minimum wage, the good senators should endeavor to help attract foreign investments by joining hands with economic experts looking to reform the con- stitution.

Legislating wage hikes is so easy the senators won’t even sweat.

But like the business group hinted, this may look like a palliative cure because inflation never ceases.

In the 60s, if I remembered correctly, the price of rice per ganta (salop) before the measurement shifted to kilo, was a peso and ten centavos.

So, the issue again boils back to the economic problems which sourly points to its root cause - the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution that need reconstruction.

Wow, how can our senators not understand that palliative remedies are temporary?

That is why they are palliative. They don’t last long.

Raising the minimum wage will create a backlash that the recipient beneficiaries will themselves feel and suffer from, eventually. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS

PHILIPPINES!