Beyond Noynoy and his cabinet

Soon, this week, the Filipino people will be told about the new Cabinet members of President-elect Noynoy. While they will be very important in running the new government, P.Noy and his new cabinet alone will never be able to bring the much-hoped for change in this country. Together with the new government, each and every Filipino will have to contribute their share to change themselves, unite and work together to change this country.

Collective, collaborative focus on shared priorities must be pursued. Even without data, the faces of the poor, the hungry, the unemployed, and the homeless are all over. There should be no doubt and argument that they should be prioritized over all others immediately. What immediate but sustainable programs for the poor can be prioritized?

Asking everyone, everywhere to start simple food production activities, at home, in neighborhoods, in communities, in churches, in schools, in empty lots, even along street islands from June 30 may produce within weeks vegetables and other crops that the poor can harvest together with volunteers and can help to feed them in the short and long term. Alugbati, ampalaya, camote tops, malunggay are easy to raise and can provide the much needed nutrients for the hungry and malnourished among our people.

Clean and safe rainwater catchments can be prioritized to provide water for these food production initiatives. Such a food production campaign does not need much budget at all. Those who can share with those who do not have can also be asked to contribute their share as far and as much as they can.

Rice and corn and other farmers as well as our fisherfolks should be given all the support to stabilize our nation's basic food supply. Aside from production incentives, it may be worth considering giving our food producers some reasonable financial incentive, like a daily "wage", so that they will be motivated to do their food production more energetically and sustainably. If our food producers are assisted, they don't have to leave agriculture and the rural areas to migrate and add to the congestion and to the number of the unemployed and homeless in urban areas.

Rather than prioritize useless and expensive infrastructure projects of pork-loving Congress people, the new government may wish to allow and prioritize only those honestly-priced infrastructure and other projects that directly impact on food production (for example, genuine irrigation systems) for at least the first year of this new administration. Local governments that are able to raise ample and sustainable food supply for their areas should be given incentives as well.

Ensuring food production and employment of those in the basic food crop sector will ensure food and job security for a large number of our poor who are mostly in the rural areas. That will be a priority move that needs all of our energy and support as a people and especially, of the new leadership. The food production campaign can even be done by the Aquino government well ahead of June 30. Food production brigades can be formed and planting can be done symbolically and genuinely on June 30, all throughout the country, before the celebratory street parties begin.

More importantly, before June 30 and as early as now, we are looking forward to P.Noy and his administration to lead and to ask our people in continuing prayer sessions and masses all throughout the country, to thank the Lord for a new beginning and to petition the Lord to lead and guide our people and our country towards genuine healing and change.

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