Bakit sobrang napag-iwanan ang Pilipinas sa pagsasaka?
In the 50s and 60s, the Philippines was leading the agricultural industry of Southeast Asia. In fact, many of the technology that our neighboring countries Vietnam and Thailand use, they learned from our very own International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and UP Los Baños. The technology has always been there; and it still is. The problem now is who should be using these resources and how can we harness it to improve the way we plant, harvest, and bring goods to the market.
In this episode, Fr. Tito Caluag and his trio of distinguished guests—Manolo Quezon, Leloy Claudio, and Carlo Santiago—talk to seasoned global economic reform and development professional, V. Bruce Tolentino. He was the former agriculture undersecretary under the late Pres. Corazon Aquino, a deputy director general for IRRI, and a member of the Monetary Board for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. In his years of expertise in agro-economic growth and food security, he now raises some short-term and long-terms solutions to our food security problem. What should the Department of Agriculture be doing? Where should the budget be focused on? How will low tariff costs improve food prices?
“Magsisimula ang proyekto kapag sinimulan nating baguhin kung anong ginagawa natin. Mas mabagal, pero mas malalim; doon lang tayo makakagawa ng pagbabago.”
