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Showing posts with the label Food Policy

Food sufficiency in the Philippines: An impossible dream

Food sufficiency in the Philippines still remain an impossible dream as clearly shown by the actions and policies of the government. When inflation hit 9.7% this September 2018, the immediate response was to flood the market with imported products. That was logical as a “vulcaseal” solution but a bad idea for long term direction. We may be able to address food security temporarily but never food security. Unfortunately, the importation policy will be here to stay. As Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol clearly stated : "Our food security program requires a ten- to 20 year-forward planning and we're looking at Papua New Guinea as our food security insurance… So if our 3.9 million hectares could feed 95 percent of Filipinos right now, you can just imagine what four million hectares in Papua New Guinea would be able to contribute to our food security program.” First, the vision is only food security not sustainability. Second, food security will be realized not

The Philippine COVID-19 Response

One of the governments with the most interesting way of handling the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic is the Philippines. While the world was already showing concern over the virus, the Philippines is still permitting flights from places like China noted to be the Ground Zero of the virus. When the number of cases started to multiply, it was only then that the government acted. By March 2020, travel bans were imposed and this was eventually followed by the lockdown couched as "community quarantine". So, what makes the Phillipine Covid response interesting? What are the characteristics of the Duterte Administration's efforts in responding to the current pandemic? 1. Covid-response delegated to local government units (LGUs). Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is an advocate of decentralization and local government empowerment. For this reason, he placed the burden of the Covid-19 pandemic is to the shoulders of LGUs -- from the control of borders to containing

Galing Pook to launch the 2021 Search for Outstanding Local Government Programs

One of the most prestigious awards in local governance is the Galing Pook Awards. Held annually except during election years (and last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic), the Awards is given to ten outstanding programs implemented by local government units in the country. For 2021, the Awards will be launched on February 18 at 4:00 in the afternoon and streamed live via the Galing Pook Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/galingpook). The theme for this year's Awards is "GobyerNEW: Magagaling na Programa mula sa Magagaling na Pook".programs that exemplified adaptiveness, innovation, resiliency, and excellence during these difficult times. If your local government unit has programs that exemplified adaptiveness, innovation, resiliency, and excellence during these difficult times , encourage your local officials to join. To understand more about the Awards, let us see each other during the launch.