In this 2007 photo, a farmer struggles to tend to his rice paddy in Carcar town, south Cebu, during a dry spell. CEBU DAILY NEWS
Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday questioned the government’s preparedness to deal with the anticipated loss of jobs of rural workers due to El Niño.
Binay lamented how the administration was supposedly resorting to “band-aid” solutions in addressing the issue related to the weather phenomenon.
“Talaga bang handa ang administrasyon sa El Niño? Naiulat kamakailan na may isang milyong manggagawa sa sector ng agrikultura ang mawawalan ng trabaho sa susunod na anim na buwan dahil sa epektong dulot ng El Niño,” Binay said in a statement.
“Pati tulong sa mga manggagawang maaapektuhan ay band-aid rin. Kulang sa 70,000 lamang ang matutulungan sa emergency employment budget ng pamahalaan samantalang may isang milyon ang mawawalan ng trabaho,” he added.
READ: Gov’t braces for El Niño’s worst | Rice production under pressure from El Niño
Noting agricultural losses were estimated at P2.19 billion in the first half of 2015, Binay said the administration apparently had a “wrong sense of priorities as it allocated P13 billion for irrigation in Metro Manila.”
“Metro Manila can hardly be considered an agricultural area, yet the administration allocated P13 billion for Metro Manila irrigation projects which could have been diverted to other provinces,” the Vice President said.
“Lahat ng problema ay tapal na solusyon ang katapat. Sa lumalalang El Niño, pagtitipid ng tubig, cloud seeding, at pag-angkat ng bigas mula sa ibang bansa ang tugon ng pamahalaan,” he added.
READ: El Niño closer to being strongest, hottest no record | El Niño could be strongest in history
Binay also vowed to prioritize the agricultural sector if elected president in next year’s polls, saying he would generate more jobs for Filipinos in rural areas, improve farm infrastructure, and give incentives to farmers to increase their productivity.
“Imbes na underspending na kasalukuyang lakaran, gagamitin ang pondo ng bayan para maibalik ang sigla ng agrikultura bilang pangunahing industriya: Magtatayo ng bagong farm-to-market roads na magpapabilis ng daloy ng ani sa pamilihan,” he said. RC
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