URGENT HELP | Government urged to step up as more farmers experiencing poverty

July 13, 2022 , 11:14 AM

By Beatrice Puente

(July 13, 2022 – UPDATED) – Poverty incidence among farmers has reached twice as high as the national average, a researcher said on Wednesday, urging the government to pursue efforts to strengthen the agriculture sector.

Ivory Myka Galang, a supervising research specialist at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said poverty incidence—the proportion of poor individuals to the total population—among farmers was at 32% in 2018, citing figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). It’s nearly double the national average of 17%.

“Kailangan talaga natin i-focus o masusing pag-aralan ang pag-develop ng agriculture sector kasi nandyan ‘yung mahihirap nating kababayan,” said Galang on Ted Failon and DJ Chacha sa Radyo 5.

According to the latest study of the PSA, agricultural workers only earn an average daily wage of P331.10.

Poverty worsened in recent years as the COVID-19 crisis dealt heavy economic blows across all sectors. In the first half of 2021, the PSA said poverty incidence went up to 23.7%.

President Bongbong Marcos Jr., who also sits as secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), vowed to help prepare the country for the looming food crisis. He also stressed the need to fix the value chain to pave the way for a more efficient agricultural system.

Galang agreed that this would be crucial in improving the situation of farmers.

“Dapat i-ensure na mapataas natin ‘yung productivity at the farm level at i-ensure natin na may maayos na value chain. Kumbaga, may market na patutunguhan ‘yung mga ipo-produce ng farmers,” said Galang. “Tanggalin natin ang inefficiencies along that chain para mapamura natin ‘yung presyo ng pagkain.”

Several groups have called on the government to support farmers who bear the brunt of ensuring the country’s food security. There have been occurrences when some farmers were forced to dump their excess produce after being unable to sell them in the market because of the low prices being offered.

Marcos also promised to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo.

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), meanwhile, cited the importance of stopping land conversions to maximize the gains of production and stabilize the supply of products.

“Monsoon season is about to start in a couple of months. The steadily rising cost of fertilizer and fuel persists to threaten production targets. The government must have a sound and long-term policy track to ensure the steady production and supply of our staple grains,” said KMP chairperson emeritus Paeng Mariano.

Galang also urged government agencies to work together to address the issues in agriculture instead of letting the DA handle things alone. While importation is not essentially wrong, she noted that this should be coupled with clear plans to improve the domestic level.

“Kung business as usual tayo, hindi natin talaga maa-achieve ‘yung magandang kinabukasan. Kailangan ngayon pa lang, actually dapat kahapon pa at noong mga nakaraang taon, naisaayos na natin ‘yung ating problema,” said Galang.

(PM)

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Commitment

TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.

We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.

Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?

We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:

To deliver news and updates on current events, sports, esports and entertainment;
To share livestreams of news and sports events;
To understand our viewers’ needs and preferences;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To perform other processes or disclosures that are required to comply with pertinent laws, rules, or regulations.

Where do we get your personal information?

There are several ways we collect your personal information.

Information that you personally provided.

Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
- Register to our programs or services;
- Inquired, filed a complaint or requested for our services;
- Took part in our research and surveys; and/or
- Became our Partner, Vendor, Contractor or Supplier.

Information we collect during your engagement with us

We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
- Viewing our websites;
- Activities that are being tracked by our website cookies;
- Calling our hotline;
- Using our apps, websites, and self-service channels and portals; and/or
- Joining our promos, prize raffles, or rewards and loyalty programs.

Information we collect from other sources

Other means of collection of information may be through:
- Our market research initiatives;
- When you visit and use our websites and mobile application; and
- Subsidiaries, affiliates, and third-party business partners to whom you have given consent to share your information to us.

When do we disclose personal information?

There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.

We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.

In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.

How we protect your personal information

The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.

We also put in effect the following safeguards:

We keep and protect your information using a secured server behind a firewall, encryption and security controls;
We keep your information only for as long as it is necessary for us to (a) provide the products and services that you avail from us, (b) for our legitimate business purposes, (c) to comply with pertinent laws, and (d) for special cases that will require the exercise or defense of legal claims;
We limit the access to your information only to qualified and authorized personnel who are trained to handle your information with strict confidentiality;
We undergo regular audits and rigorous testing of our infrastructure’s security protocols to ensure your data is always protected;
We promptly notify you and the National Privacy Commission when sensitive personal information that may, under the circumstances, be used to enable identity fraud are reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person; and
We let you update your information securely to keep our records accurate.

TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.

What are your choices?

We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.

If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.

Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph

What happens when there are changes in our Policy?

From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.

You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.