Considered a ‘breakthrough’ in the offing seems realistic – an idea patterned after what Israel proposed to the Philippine government “. . .to build solar irrigation with shallow wells payable within 15 years . . . on a government to government (G to G) basis to avoid corruption.”
As culled from the BIZLINKS column of Rey Gamboa’s communications with Mr. Oscar Violago, chairman of San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and Developers Group. After reading Mr. Gamboa’s column on rice farming, Mr. Violago submitted a proposal to President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. The excerpt of his (Violago’s) idea “. . . is to build solar-powered irrigation systems utilizing shallow wells for at least one million hectares or more rice lands. He says that such an initiative would allow the production of 150 million metric tons of palay (unhusked rice) or 75 million cavans of rice, which would be equivalent to the 3.8 million metric tons of rice that the country imported last year.”
Further, “to irrigate at least one million hectares throughout the year, Violago proposes for the Philippine government to seriously consider a proposal by Israel to build solar irrigation wells payable within 15 years on a government to government basis . . .”
Accordingly, the proposal had been approved already by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) in 2020. Likewise. Senator Cynthia Villar, had endorsed the same proposal in her capacity as chair of Senate Committee on Agriculture, and for 3 years has been awaiting PBBM’s approval! The delayed action on the proposal has puzzled Violago.
MY COMMENT:
I could surmise that the apparent delayed action by Malacanang could either be bureaucratic? or political? in character to the dismay of the lowly farmers and the bigger segment of the marginalized citizens.
NEDA should be on top of the issue being the clearing house of the government’s economic and developmental programs, policies.
ooo000ooo
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