Erap's "Rebolusyon Kontra Gutom"

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
11/20/2005



If you feel “Garcified”, i.e. insulted and enraged by corrupt and shameless rascals posing as innocent victims, then you are not alone. Millions of Filipinos feel the same way after watching Garci perform his ridiculous and outrageous stunt on television. He added a multitude of insults to the injury of corrupting and subverting our electoral system; and behind him is Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as bad an actor, hypocrite and a worse criminal. Judging from the texts I have been getting on Garci’s comedy, this has done Gloria even more harm than anyone expected.

If there is one thing the people don’t like it is to for their intelligence to be insulted, to be treated as fools. The people may not be rising up in arms yet, because they are still desperately adjusting their lives to the growing hardship and belt-tightening. Although there is no shortage of those who want to do it. The forces are moving and the discussions amongst the military factions are increasing. A very recently retired military officer confided in us that morale in the AFP is in the absolute abyss, they are tense and can’t take much more of the suspense.

In meantime, what should concerned citizens do instead of feeling “garcified”? “What can we do?” some may retort, feeling the helplessness that seems to be the mood of the times. Well, some quarters are working hard to give real hope to the people. Erap for one, even if they have kept him out of sight he’s been working hard to people hope. One of the programs that Erap has sustained for the past two years is the “Rebolusyon Kontra Gutom” (RKG), the urban and rural backyard farming program that every Filipino family can do to augment their nutrients requirements daily.

This year, the RKG is taking off big time. A one million peso seed donation from Taiwanese friends has landed. It was delayed so long because of delaying tactics of some elements. Now we have fast growing seeds for upo, kangkong, talong, kalabasa, mongo, cabbage, carrots and a host of other vegetables. This seed dispersal program will dovetail with the FREEDOM Caravan (the launching was postponed due to the many rallies on November 30) going around Metro-Manila and the provinces. Instructional materials for planting with go with the seed packages.

Readers will note that we have constantly discussed Erap’s plans and programs to help the country. I have been doing so because it is vital for the country to be aware, and since the government has forced Estrada to be out of sight by banning media visits and interviews (even his cellphone is confiscated when he is monitored by the PNP and Isaph to be discussing matter with radio anchor-people on air). Gloria has to suppress ERap because as we all should know, he is the unifying force of the opposition; this becomes clearer only when we talk about his actually programs and actions even while under detention.

If the programs of Erap were widely known the rise of his ratings, compared to Noli de Castro and other likely replacement for the illegal Gloria, would rise even faster. In the last Pulse Asia survey Erap rose by five point while Noli sank by eleven points; that’s why Noli is on the loose while Erap is incarcerated. There’s another political pretender other than Noli that seems to be in cahoots with Garci to build up his political stock, we won’t mention his name but Garci has been helping him by giving him undue publicity as his potential “assassin”.

Estrada has also been engaged in a pig dispersal program, as part of his conviction that food self-sufficiency in the home is the foundation of a stable economy and society. Remember how he has always batted for “food security” when he was in Malacañang? Well, when we get him back in Malacañang the nation can be assured that he will ensure that. Gloria has failed miserably in showing even an iota of concern for the rising food cost and unemployment of the Filipino. Do you know that we’ll soon be importing 1.2-million metric tons of rice, one of the largest in decades!

Former NFA administrator Edno Joson informed us of this. This importation will cost over P 25-B for which Gloria’s government has absolutely no wherewithal for. This shortfall was caused by Gloria’s hybrid rice experiment with the American food cartels, which has failed miserably despite Gloria’s subsidy. During Erap’s time, Joson recalled, rice was at P 12/kg; now it is P 22/kg. and expected to rise up to P 24/kg even with the huge importation. Gloria has really been a tragedy for the country; Erap would have aimed to keep rice prices as low as possible.

My politics is being inspired by President Estrada’s positivism. We must work hard to help the people. I have linked up with the Rural LINC Program, supported by the Kaisa Foundation (associated with Tessie Ang See), which has been setting up empowering and sustainable livelihood programs at the former Philippine Refugee Processing Center in Bataan. It looks like a perfect opportunity to synergize and establish a pilot and showcase area for the nation to pattern it economic recovery program. More allies are being engaged in this. More on this next column.

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