ANGELES CITY- Farmers marked yesterday the United Nations-declared World Food Day with a warning that they are not prepared to compete with agricultural products expected to flood local markets next year as part of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration that would bring down tariff on agricultural imports.
“Economic liberalization, particularly tariff and eco-tourism liberalization” under the proposed ASEAN integration would have dire impacts on the still backward Philippine agriculture,” said Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) Chair Rafael Mariano.
He expressed fear that “land-grabbing, hunger, and poverty would worsen under the ASEAN integration’s fullscale economic liberalization. The ASEAN Integration is a mockery of World Food Day.” Mariano noted that “the reduction of the current 30-40 percent tariffs to five percent up to the total removal of tariffs would flood the local market with highly-subsidized agricultural products of ASEAN nations like Vietnam and Thailand.”
“While other ASEAN nations’ agricultural produce, like the politically sensitive rice are subsidized by their governments, Filipino farmers suffer from the Aquino government’s lack of support. We shoulder the skyrocketing costs of production, and high land rent, among others.
In fact, agricultural funds are being plundered en masse under the Aquino regime’s continuing pork barrel system,” Mariano said. “Our local produce is helpless from the flooding of imported agricultural produce,” he added.
He also warned of “rampant conversion of agricultural lands and coastal communities with the proposed eco-tourism liberalization.” “Tens of thousands of farmers have already been displaced by the Aquino government’s eco-tourism projects,” Mariano said.
He cited the case of farmers and fishers in Hacienda Looc in Nasugbu, Batangas which is being developed into the Hamilo Coast tourism project and farmers in Hacienda Dolores in Porac, Pampanga which is being developed into the Alviera green housing estates.
Mariano said the country’s participation to the ASEAN integration would lead to the proliferation of “anomalous and graft-ridden projects.” He cited the Metro Rail Transit-7 project from North Avenue EDSA up to San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan awarded by the Aquino administration to presidential uncle, Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr’s. San Miguel Corporation.
The KMP said the US as among the main beneficiary of the ASEAN integration. “The plan would pave the way for a bigger and wider economic liberalization agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) being pushed by the US,” he noted.
“The Filipino people must oppose the sell-out of the country’s national patrimony and sovereignty through the Aquino government’s participation to the proposed ASEAN Integration tantamount to a gateway to the US-instigated TPPA,” Mariano said.
