Tag: farmers

On the Negros Oriental Incident

Without prejudice to findings of a formal investigation that may be contrary to the Philippine National Police’s version of the Negros Oriental operations, all peace-loving Filipinos should support our police and Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel for risking their lives to keep our communities safe and secure from bad elements, instead of condemning them only because highly partisan and organized leftist groups are busy with their usual propaganda efforts to harass our troops from sustaining their anti-insurgency and anti-criminality campaign.

When farmers possess rifle grenades, fragmentation grenades, handguns, shotguns, ammunition, phones and subversive documents, it says a lot about their tactics in their insurgency campaign aimed at a protracted guerrilla warfare aimed at overthrowing the duly constituted authority.

I urge the Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of National Defense to provide all the necessary legal and other forms of assistance to our troops and not make them feel abandoned. Now, more than anytime, they should be assisted by their superior officers until and unless it is proven that they violated the established rules of engagement and the existing laws of the land.

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Lacson Bill Exempts Farmers from Paying Irrigation Service Fees

Good news for farmers: They may no longer have to pay for irrigation fees as the government will shoulder the costs, once a bill filed by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson is passed into law.

Lacson’s Senate Bill 43, dubbed the “Free Irrigation Services Act,” is one of his legislative priorities in the 17th Congress, and seeks to help many farmers still recovering from droughts caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

“Irrigation is a very basic governmental function that can very easily be shouldered by the State. It does not have to be passed on to farmers. Considering that it is a key factor in increasing agricultural productivity, having the State subsidize it will go a long way in ensuring adequate food supply and the early recovery of the principal means of livelihood of people in disaster-hit and poverty-stricken areas. Thus, it is the intention of this bill to revoke the ISF (Irrigation Service Fees) and to make irrigation services free for all farmers,” he said.

Related: Mga magsasaka, libre at unli ang patubig sa Lacson bill Continue reading “Lacson Bill Exempts Farmers from Paying Irrigation Service Fees”

Mga Magsasaka, Libre at Unli ang Patubig sa Lacson Bill

Malilibre na ang mga magsasaka sa pagbabayad sa patubig na ipinagkakaloob ng pamahalaan dahil isasama ang pondo ng serbisyong ito sa pambansang gastusin na isinasabatas ng Kongreso taun-taon.

Ito ang pangunahing nilalaman ng Senate Bill 43 na pinamagatang Free Irrigation Services Act na inihain at iniakda ng nagbabalik na si Senador Panfilo Lacson sa hangaring mabawasan ang gastusin ng mga maliliit na magsasaka.

Ayon sa mambabatas, nararapat lamang umano na ilibre na ang mga magsasaka sa pagbabayad sa mga serbisyo ng patubig dahil kung anu-anong problema na ang inabot ng karamihan sa mga ito, pinakahuli ay ang El Nino phenomenon na tumama sa malaking bahagi ng bansa.

Related: Lacson bill exempts farmers from paying irrigation service fees Continue reading “Mga Magsasaka, Libre at Unli ang Patubig sa Lacson Bill”

Lacson: Farmers Need Support Services More than Extended CARP

More than an extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), farmers need adequate support services from the government to make sure they have the means to till their land.  Continue reading “Lacson: Farmers Need Support Services More than Extended CARP”