President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed on Wednesday to uplift the lives of the Filipino farmers as he assured them of the administration’s whole-of-government approach to ensure that farming will no longer be the most difficult job in the Philippines.
In his speech during the distribution of electronic land titles to over 2,500 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Davao City, President Marcos said that it pains him to see that farmers, who provide food for the Filipino people, are the poorest in the Philippines.
“Kaya naman, mahirap ko mang makita, nadudurog po ng puso na makita na hanggang ngayon, ang pinakamahirap sa ating bansa ay ang mga magsasaka. Kayo ang nagpapakain sa amin, hindi ninyo mapakain ang pamilya ninyo. ‘Yung nagpapakain, ‘yung nagbubuhay sa buong Pilipinas sa lahat ng mga Pilipino,” President Marcos told the ARBs during the distribution of land titles.
“Ngunit, ang tulong na nanggagaling sa ating pamahalaan, nanggagaling sa ating lipunan ay napakaliit naman kaya’t ito’y papalitan natin. At hindi na tayo papayag na ang pinakamahirap na hanapbuhay ay ang magsasaka,” he added.
“Mahirap naman talaga, kahit anong gawin natin mahirap nag mag-saka. Kaya’t kailangan ng tulong ng ating mga magsasaka— ang lahat ng tulong na maibigay ng pamahalaan, at ang pribadong sektor kasama rin d’yan— lahat ng tulong na mabibigay ay ibibigay naming para naman masabi natin maganda ang maging hanapbuhay ng ating mga magsasaka.”
With this, President Marcos assured that farmers will receive all the assistance they need from the government.
“Kaya naman, pagkaupo ko bilang Pangulo, ipinaalam ko sa bayan, sa aking unang SONA, na ipagpapatuloy ko at higit na pagbubutihin ang tunay na repormang agraryo na sinimulan ng aking ama,” President Marcos said, referring Presidential Decree No. 27 of his late father, former President Ferdinand R. Marcos Sr.
President Marcos signed the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which benefits 610,054 Filipino farmers tilling over 1.7 million hectares of agrarian reform lands, making them debt-free from PhP57.65-billion of agrarian arrears.
Aside from this, the chief executive also emphasized that the government is providing other assistance to Filipino farmers including the free seedlings, fertilizers and other agricultural equipment and constructing more agricultural infrastructures.
“Para hindi kayo nahihirapan na dalhin ang inyong ani mula sa pinagsasasakahan ninyo hanggang doon sa palengke, para mababa pati ang presyo, mas malaki ang kikitain ng ating magsasaka. Kaya’t inaanyayahan ko po kayong lahat na magtulungan sa pagtataguyod ng kapakanan ng ating mga magsasaka,” President Marcos said.
Before concluding his speech, the President called on the Filipino people to help with the government in extending assistance to the Filipino farmers. PND
