All along our problem with agriculture had been not so much lack of policies and enabling legislation but lack of intelligent program planning and competent, no-nonsense implementation.
All along our problem with agriculture had been not so much lack of policies and enabling legislation but lack of intelligent program planning and competent, no-nonsense implementation.
Unfortunately, this applies as well to many aspects of our public life. The closure and rehabilitation of Boracay did not require new policies and legislation. Simply resolute action from the executive branch, with no less than the President demanding appropriate action based on existing environment laws, rules and regulations.
Most if not all the strategic directions we need to modernize agriculture are embodied in the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), the Fisheries Code, the Forestry Code, the Local Government Code, and various acts creating specialized agencies like Land Bank of the Philippines, Philippine Coconut Authority, National Food Authority, Sugar Regulatory Administration, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippine Carabao Center, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization as well as specialized research and development units in the Department of Science and Technology and in a number of state universities and colleges.
See full article at Manila Bulletin
