By Anthony A. Araos
Who knew and said there was so much to see, enjoy and do at the Heirloom Rice and Pasalubong Center in Kiangan, Ifugao?
This convenient center is ideal for buying the much-talked-about heirloom rice of the province, making it a must-have item in every home.
What’s more? It’s time to discover endless possibilities for fun, learning and adventure.
It’s main thrust has been to make visitors appreciate the uniqueness of Ifugao products such as highland rice and rice wine. I have no doubts whatsoever that the center should be highly recommended to local and foreign tourists for it truly demonstrates excellence to products of the province.
This center opened during a visit of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piòol, who himself is engaged in organic farming.
Discover the pleasure of a one-stop buying chore at this wonderful place. This center may be right for you. Be sure to take time to find out.
Ironically, not many are dropping by the center, despite the fact that it is strategically situated along the main highway. I suppose this is due to the inadequate and poor promotional and marketing strategy of the provincial government. Well, soon, a restaurant is reportedly being planned to be put up at the second floor of the building. I hope that breakfast, lunch and dinner meals will be far more memorable than usual.
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If you like to see a dramatic cut in the poverty incidence rate in Ifugao, try praying that the Mayam-o administration shall now focus and prioritize agriculture and construction of more farm-to-market roads.
For instance, the lack of farm-to-market roads at Purok Buyuccan in Barangay Tungngod of Lagawe is so glaring. This problem has to be attended by Governor Mayam-o with a strong sense of urgency.
This also holds true in the remote and underserved villages of Caba and Ponghal, both in Lagawe.
On the other hand, over at Tinoc town, construction and repairing of farm-to-market roads as well as extension of support services to farmer-beneficiaries are so important.
While in Aguinaldo town, there is a need for extending irrigation services to more farmlands.
Threshers, used for newly-harvested palay (unhashed rice), are badly needed in Lamut and Lagawe towns.
Yet, I’m not even mentioning the pressing need to construct more post-harvest facilities in towns like Mayoyao and Alfonso Lista.
Taken as a whole, such actions would significantly improve the province’s agriculture sector. After all, Ifugao is the home to a huge number of people who are mostly dependent on agriculture.
It is only fitting that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan gives high priority to farmers in the provincial budget in 2018. The only way to realize this is through the allocation of a higher budget on agriculture to help farmers increase their production next year and beyond. I can’t understand why farmers are hardly consulted in the preparation of the budget. I trust that Board Member Noli Maguiwe of Aguinaldo shall be at the forefront in promoting the welfare of farmers. I’m more than willing to help him in the pursuit of initiating discussions, innovations, trends and developments on the agriculture sector and facilitate policy formulations in order to fast track the development of climate-resilient and high-yielding seeds.
The powerful and influential Sangguniang Panlalawigan should provide all-out support for this vital concern. If they truly want to bring about meaningful change in this impoverished province, they have to give emphasis to infrastructure development vis-à-vis the needs of those who are tilling the soil.
For now, I’m inclined to send some papers to Governor Mayam-o and Board Member Maguiwe, who is the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, on the need of raising awareness and consciousness in the importance of the agriculture industry, especially among the Filipino youth. Because in the homes of the Ifugao farmers, lives are important and so their future matters.
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The national government has identified farm tourism as a strategic emerging industry and is pushing for it to encourage tourists to visit rural areas. Yet, I’m wondering why the Ifugao provincial government is not making any concrete move to cash in on this development.
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I visited recently the Lamut Police Station (just beside the municipal hall) and met some of the top-ranking Philippine National Police (PNP) officers there. It was a rather short but meaningful visit. While the police chief wasn’t around the time I was there (he went to Nueva Vizcaya to attend to important matters) it nonetheless caught my attention and brought to the fore a real problem there: how to make about with only two motorcycles for the police station? Of course, there is also a need for a new patrol car.
To be sure, many other needs of the said station are to be addressed. For one, the policemen are under equipped. Cops are overworked but underpaid. Currently, a PO1 is receiving only Php 14,800 gross monthly pay. The janitor in Makati City is even receiving more than that. There is such a long list of things that need to be attuned to ensure that the men and women of the PNP here are ready to meet the challenges of the times.
Lamut has 27 barangays and its population is growing. It is a municipality now bustling with increased economic activity. This progress, however, can be stymied by a problem on peace and order. There can’t be any growth and development if maintenance of peace and order is in question. Investors are not coming in if lawlessness is prevalent.
Lamut is the gateway of Ifugao, as it straddles next to Bagabag town of Nueva Vizcaya province. Motorcycles come in handy for law enforcers because of their mobility especially in emergency situations.
So pursue the plan to acquire motorcycles in this part of the province. It is, in fact, this very reason why I’m urging PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, through a communication, to provide the Lamut Police Station possibly two more motorcycles, as well as a patrol car to improve its capacity to deter criminality. Public interest would be best served if the PNP Chief acts affirmatively and urgently on this matter.
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With the return of job-order employees of the legislative branch of the Ifugao provincial government, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan resumed full operation and engagement with relevant partners, but not without encumbrances. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and President Duterte have both spoken up on the issue of endo or end of contractualization. The provincial government, for its part, should now make clear its position on this matter.
The provincial government should show its commitment towards equity, inclusive growth, workers’ protection, security of job’s tenure and decent work for all.
Job-ordered personnel at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan were laid off just after the Christmas season of 2016. There’s neither compelling reason nor any substantial argument to warrant that situation of having a now-you-see-them, now-you-don’t of these hapless Sangguniang Panlalawigan personnel.
Where in the world do you see an office of a board member manned by a sole employee because the others are job-ordered employees who were laid off?
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Congratulations to Ms. Ruffa Jonica Naboye of Hingyon, Ifugao, who graduated recently at the Philippine Military Academy. She is joining the Philippine Air Force (PAF) as a Commissioned Officer.
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Finally, some thoughts for our readers: “Those who know Jesus are never alone.” From the Bible.
“Leadership is the courage to take risks in defense of a position that is both legal and moral. The politician who tries to become a wise guy by becoming friends to everybody- corrupt or not- is not a leader.” A quote from the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.**
