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You may disagree with Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. on his political
statements and stand on issues. But you have to grant that he is one
senator possessed by a philosophy that guides his daily work. He
believes that once the government shifts to federalism, many ills of
the government will vanish.
On Tuesday, Pimentel launched his book,
Federalizing the Philippines: A Primer. Students, journalists and
political leaders should read this book, a 494-page proposal. About
two-thirds of the book is useful facts about the regions, as if to
say that these regions are capable of governing themselves without
the aid of imperial Manila. The other third contains the opinion of
Pimentel on his proposal.
Pimentel has gone beyond mere advocacy by
spearheading a resolution for the convening of Congress into a
constituent assembly to amend the charter. It shall also lay the
groundwork for a federal system to replace the unitary government.
Moro National Liberation Front Chairman Nur
Misuari has placed himself on record as supporting the resolution.
Misuari said that before he left for the Organization of Islamic
Conference meeting a few days ago. With Senate President Manny
Villar and Speaker Prospero Nograles supporting the resolution, we
should expect smooth sailing in the legislature.
Pimentel believes amending the charter to carry
out federalism is not that easy. For instance, it would require
amending about 15 out of the 18 Articles of the 1987 Constitution.
It would also entail leaving two Articles unrevised and might need
the inclusion of two new Articles.
Pimentel’s Resolution 10 creates 11 component
federal states and the conversion of Metro Manila into a federal
administrative region. Question: Would a federal system cure the
ills of Mindanao and uneven development in the country? Let us start
the debate by discussing Pimentel’s book.
DA taps state colleges
Still on food production, Agriculture Secretary
Arthur Yap and Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. have an agreement
committing congressmen to allot at least P5 million of their
Priority Development Assistance Fund to a credit program for farmers
in their congressional districts.
Under the accord, the Land Bank of the
Philippines will provide a counterpart fund for this new credit
support program equivalent to 300 percent of the solons’
contributions. For its part, the Department of Agriculture will
extend infrastructure, technical and other forms of production
support to would-be farmer-beneficiaries.
Yap also instructed officials to link up with
state colleges and universities and work on agricultural extension
services for farmers and fisherfolk to achieve rice
self-sufficiency.
Yap recently met with officials of 40 state
colleges and universities at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel in Pasig
City. Yap underscored the importance for these educational
institutions to help deliver vital extension services in the
countryside. This is even more urgent now that the department is
carrying out a rice self-sufficiency plan that will for the first
time cover all of the country’s over four million hectares of
palay fields.
The Philippines is also contributing to the
worldwide debate on food security. Yap has come up with a workable
solution to the current rice price woes plaguing the country and the
rest of the world. He has proposed a global conference on food
security, and the setting up of a global reserve or stockpile for
rice, wheat, corn and other basic staples. This would be a way to
control the spiraling prices of grains around the world.
At the recent High Level Conference on World
Food Security hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization in
Rome, Yap called on donor-countries and multilateral agencies to
support international actions meant to stabilize food markets.
Under Yap’s proposal, the food reserve could
first be set up in Southeast Asia. The contributions to this reserve
could come from all member-nations and from interested
donor-countries and multilateral financing institutions like the
World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, other regional development
banks and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The
idea is being considered by other countries.
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BRIEF NOTES. From Sibuyan comes this
report: It would hard for the US and Philippine navies to retrieve
the passengers of the Princess of the Stars. A source said that the
Sibuyan Sea is one of the deepest parts of the Philippines—and the
current is very strong. Up to now, the Japanese government has not
found or retrieved the famous battleship Musashi (second in bigness
to Yamato), which sank in the area in 1944.
jules42na@yahoo.com
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