Is there really a rice shortage? What really went wrong with our food supply?

It’s been weeks already since the government announced that there is a ‘looming rice crisis’ and there is a need for us to import more rice stocks from other countries like Vietnam. Agriculture chief Arthur Yap blamed massive land conversion as one of the causes of the shortage of food supply. And who’s fault is that? Isn’t it the fault of the government?

It’s the government that allowed the conversion of thousands of hectares of agricultural lands into plantations, golf courses and for other industrial use. Just last year, the government has inked an agreement with China, which opened the country’s agricultural land for biofuel plantations.

Read Ibon report here.

Investments may not be bad as long as it would not sacrifice the basic needs of the people. Like in the case of biofuels, it’s also a threat food security. Opening of more biofuel plantations could lead to hunger as many agricultural lands and forests are being cleared to pave way for the biofuel plantations.

Is the government really sincere in resolving the food security problem of our country? Personally, I believe there would have been no ‘rice shortages’ had the government poured more support to the agriculture sector.

Cops take time to send text messages during SONA Rally on July last year at Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. File Photo/ Keith KP Bacongco

Still not a good news even if the government will remove the 12 percent Value Added Tax on oil products. Because it will impose tax on text messaging as possible source of revenue. This only goes to show how greedy this government is. So much tax are being imposed in everything and yet the people is not getting what’s really right for them.

Gov’t eyes tax on SMS to cover loss from oil tariff reduction
(Updated 11:45 p.m.) Trade Secretary Peter Favila on Wednesday said he personally favors a tax on text messages as a possible additional source of revenue in the light of proposals to scrap or suspend taxes on oil products. Favila said in an interview at Malacañang that imposing a tax on SMS could make Filipinos shift their focus on endeavors that are more productive.

On the other hand, some senators slammed the proposed cut on oil tariff. The said that it’s still inadequate. I agree, it’s not really enough. The government is just trying to appease the public by imposing this cut on oil tariff. At any rate, it is sill not enough to satisfy Juan dela Cruz.