Friday, April 25, 2008 Pangan: Too much, too little, too late By Benjie R. Pangan At Close Range
THE Executive Order (EO) issued to ban conversion of agricultural lands into other usages may have come too late to avert the runaway speculative change of classification of arable lands into more profitable ventures.
As we can see, almost every available land is being developed into subdivision projects with different fancy names and various gimmicks to attract buyers.
In due time, there would be no suitable plots to plant palay (unhusked rice) and other essential crops to prolong and sustain our existence, only houses and structures of varying configurations will define our landscape and skyline and predictably, the famous rice granary of Central Luzon will soon disappear.
Like the pan de sal ovens of yore, everyone is embarking on initiating and developing subdivision projects. The gaya-gaya mentality is palpable and soon, there will be a surfeit of enclaves and exclusive subdivisions.
Meantime, our staple crops will take the back burner and no one cares, except the poor ones who painstakingly line up under the killing heat of the sun for a few kilos of rice!
And the National Government keeps on churning out media kits to shore up its damage control efforts and deviate attention to other issues, except the rice crisis.
Too much rhetoric, too little work and relief comes too late to revive and resuscitate the "dying patient".
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I give my salute to the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) regional office based in Ascorp Building, Dolores, City of San Fernando for its continued efforts to alleviate unemployment woes.
This time, jobs fairs and interviews are being conducted in various sites, one of which is at the Robinsons Abacan.
The department also keeps an active manpower registry from which it can pull out files and data for engagement with employers who need qualified workers.
The regional office, headed by Nathaniel Lacambra and backstopped by Alex Inza Cruz and other officers and personnel, is doing its best to place more workers in as many openings made available by employers.
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All for joint development. The consultative meeting done last week, courtesy of Barangay Calumpang headed by chairman Jimmy Jimenez, the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) ably steered by Levy Laus, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) represented by Lydia Songod and Attorney Juvy Manwong for the regional office, Tarlac provincial officer Dante Curadeng and the Aeta groups led by Ruben Sison for Mabalacat Aeta Tribal Association and one from the Bamban Aeta Tribal Association (Bata), will pave the way for a more comprehensive discussion on the affairs of the tribes and their ancestral lands.
Also present in that meeting were Mabalacat Mayor Boking Morales, Guy Hilbero and other attendees from the barangay council, media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Mayor Boking was heard to say that the Joint Management Agreement reportedly signed by the NCIP, CDC and BATA cannot be implemented yet because the local government units (LGUs) of Mabalacat and Bamban were not previously consulted and so the projects being lined up for the development of the ancestral lands cannot be implemented, as yet.
In order to promote and sustain good relationships among the concerned parties, there is an urgent need to dialogue more frequently and decisively and all for a very good result.
I believe in the wisdom and level-headedness of the stewards of the talks, especially President Levy and his fellow Bosconian Mayor Boking and of course, the Aeta tribal leaders.
A Solomonic decision should be reached in order to arrive at a very fair, transparent and equitable plan for the "kulots" and the "unats" in Barangay Calumpang, Mabalacat.
Then, this will be a very effective precedent for other tribal groups and their lands in other parts of the country.
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All's well that is reported well. Jun Magbalot informed me that he is ready with his liquidation on the expenses incurred for the Caragan festival, so is Deng Pangilinan as he told me a few days ago.
Let us wait for the reports of these two gentlemen and forego any speculation on the matter, ok?
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Earth Day activities in Mabalacat. As in other places so concerned with preserving what is still left in our earth, the municipal officials of Mabalacat, led by Mayor Boking Morales, Vice Mayor Pros Lagman and members of the Municipal Council as well as the hardworking Municipal Administrator Rosan Paquia and other workers, pitched in last week to do their share in maintaining cleanliness, doing away with harmful substances and conserving energy, including electricity.
It can be recalled that sometime ago, lights were turned off in most places globally for one hour in order to show that, if we only wanted to, we can conserve electric power and do more for the sake of our current generation.
There are other things we can think and do for the earth and, by extension, for ourselves. Let's do these fast, please.
