On World Food Day: Widespread hunger justifies more ayuda

October 16, 2021

Hunger and food insecurity are worsening amid the ongoing pandemic crisis. More ayuda has to be immediately given to millions of poor and vulnerable families to ensure that everyone has economic access to food.

We will green more backyards

October 16, 2021

From idle or sweat-and-blood-stained rural land
greened by united farmers’ hands
To urban Church grounds, factory belts,
mass housing patches, informal decks,
Add to the school plots, herb and vegetable walls,
rooftops and flowerbeds,
We are greening more backyards.

Why spend more on military and police than small businesses and farmers?

September 16, 2021

Rediscovering our traditional and indigenous knowledge in agriculture

September 15, 2021

To rediscover is such an apt word for our traditional and indigenous knowledge in agriculture – it is there, but we have gone through episodes of collective memory loss. Such loss can be directly traced to the rise of modern capitalism.

Rice tariffication harmed farmers

July 26, 2021

Strong economy? Weak agriculture sector

July 25, 2021

The Duterte administration claims that under its watch, agriculture sector growth significantly increased. Simply untrue.

The ill logic of rice liberalization

June 25, 2021

The economic managers have been using runaway inflation to justify liberalizing rice importation. But government’s obsession with imports liberalization has only worsened the jobs crisis, loss of livelihoods, and farmers’ bankruptcy.

Duterterioration of the Philippine economy

June 3, 2021

Under the Duterte administration,the Philippine economy was already weak before the pandemic and made worse by inept COVID-19 response.

To reap what was not sown?

April 4, 2021

This is a crucial time to rethink our entire strategy for reaping the demographic dividend. While things are bleak from where things stand at present, the experience of our neighbors tells us that a demographic dividend is possible given the right set of policy choices.