IT'S THE ECONOMIST, STUPID!

The recent Global Hunger Report Index for the Philippines submitted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) puts our country as one among 34 nations as "nationally-starved" because of poverty. This is the reality, contrary to GMA's so-called successful anti-poverty, "bangkang papel" programs together with her tiny package for economic policies for nationwide development. Our brilliant economist turned chief executive insists that because of her economic programs, poverty and hunger figures have gone down. Our reply to Malacanang: More than the economy, it's the economist, stupid!

(Image from http://herald.com/)

STRONG INSTANT NOODLES REPUBLIC

We have become a society of instant noodles. An archipelago of egg noodles. A government that has carelessly muddled itself in the imbroglio of the recent rice crisis must put a stop to this unhealthy shift to an urgent solution to the alarming hunger and malnutrition situation in the country. Rice is, and should still be the staple food of the nation. The irony of it all is that while the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) - the top honcho agency for rice research and development of the globe sits right here in our own backyard, we shamefully import rice from Vietnam, add to that Thailand, a country we taught everything about riceology now beats us in production and distribution. We have also trained our sights to a possible shift to Biofuels technology whereby we will be converting arable land or ricelands for planting biofuel crops. We don't have enough land to spare unlike other large biofuel efficient countries. We must first feed our nation before we feed our vehicles. But as usual, our so-called public servants in the DA and NFA would not prioritize solving this problem. Why? Well, they probably have other things in mind other than finding solutions to this one. Because of the high price of rice and the contrasting low price of instant noodles, an alarming number of Filipinos have shifted and are shifting to these toxic "pangtawid gutom" menu item. The long-term effects of these seemingly harmless strands of virtual vermicelli are very serious. Cancer, for example can be caused by frequent eating of these noodles. Retardation in young children are also caused by these culprits. High blood too is a regular outcome because of its high salt content, add to that the preservatives - not to mention the wax used by its manufacturers to prolong its shelf life. But once taken, the same wax shortens one's own self life. In a few years, the effects of these instant noodles menace shall be amongst a large chunk of the populace. IQs and rational thinking are the very first to go. If you ask me, I think its long-term effects are now showing in many of our senators and congressmen, government lawyers, judges and justices, cabinet members and generals. And oh, by the way, what do you call smuggled NFA rice when cooked to make rice-soup? Arroyo'z Caldo.

(Image from http://health-issue.org/)

RP BIGGEST RICE IMPORTER

Isn't it ironic that we are now the biggest importer of rice, and yet the center for 'riceology' - the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), is right here in our country? Now what could have gone wrong here?

(Image from http://www.ufz.de/)

NATIONAL FRAUD AUTHORITY PART 2

The widespread corruption at the National Food Authority (NFA), with particular emphasis on the importation of rice used as a buffer for the country's rice supply merits a closer study. The NFA has long been a milking cow of politicians. It is a low-profile agency and therefore attracts little attention. The NFA loses hundreds of millions of pesos every year. The following is a summary of corruption at the NFA:

- It is an open secret that each and every sack imported by the NFA yields P100.00 "commission" to all the players in control of this agency. (The country can easily import close to 1 million tons of rice per annum. You can do the math on the scale of corruption involved)

- The less obvious source of corruption is the cargo handling involved in hauling and transporting the rice from the international vessels to the various NFA warehouses.

- The NFA is so brazen in their corruption that they regularly do away with the bidding for the cargo handling services. Their 'modus operandi' would be to invite accredited cargo handlers to a bidding and then cancel the bidding. They then declare a failure of bidding and subsequently award a favored contractor through a negotiated contract.

- A less obvious barrier to entry of other potential bidders is to make the pre-qualifying requirements so complicated, making it impossible for accreditation. The favored contractor specifies the requirements so that it matches their company so perfectly.

- It is an open secret in the lighterage industry that there are more than ten (10) contractors who could do the cargo handling for the importation of rice. A cargo handler close to Malacanang has a virtual lock on NFA's business. What say you, Art Yap?

- The actual market price of the cargo handling on rice to the warehouse ranges from P300-P400 per ton. The NFA pays this 'Malacanang Crony' more than the market price. Subject to actual audit from the NFA, the industry estimates an overprice of P300 per ton of rice imported. A million tons of rice can thus produce a P300 million windfall for the corrupt operators.

Because of this, I won't be surprised if a section now in Malacanang has been converted into an NFA warehouse for the 'greedy group.'

(Image from http://nationalpost.com/)

NFA = NATIONAL FRAUD AUTHORITY

A journalist recently asked this question: "Considering what had happened to the P783 million fertilizer fund managed by Joc-Joc Bolante, what can be done to assure that the P500 million for fertilizers just announced by Sec. Arthur Yap from the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund reaches the farmers?" Well, in Joc-Joc's time, the fund was released to congressmen and governors, including city districts that had absolutely no need for agriculture fertilizers. Perhaps it would be wiser if the fund be given directly to farmers' cooperatives and associations instead of giving them to the usual greedy congressmen and governors. If Secretary Arthur Yap is really serious in making sure that the fund reaches our farmers, then he should at once institute correct measures. As it is, seventy-six NFA retailers were suspended in the Bicol region while scores of retailers were found to have been diverting rice from Isabela to Metro Manila to Cotabato. Proof that NFA operations are tainted with crooked deals, run by a syndicate close to Malacanang from the importation, transport, palay-buying to retail. What is Secretary Yap doing about this as chair of the NFA board? And, remember the 'Gloria Rice' of 2004? What has become of it now it? Was it just a campaign propaganda, or have the many cooks in Malacanang cooked it to porridge to be called 'Arroyo's Caldo'?

(Image by http://english.aljazeera.net/)