JACK ENRILE: GDP GROWTH IS GOOD BUT WE NEED FOOD

Jack Enrile

“You cannot reconcile a high GDP growth rate with the 20 million hungry Filipinos every day.” UNA Senatorial bet and Cagayan Representative Jack Enrile said on the government’s six to seven percent target gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year. “While a significant growth in our economy is good news, this is not felt by poor Filipinos because of the unaffordable cost of basic commodities and services.” Jack Enrile adds. “As we continue exporting our produce overseas, we are increasingly becoming dependent on imported goods. There will come a time when we will be dictated not only on what to produce but on what to eat. Prices of food will be lower if we can devise a plan to localize production, distribution and consumption of our produce.” Jack Enrile explains further. The Cagayan solon is a staunch food advocate. He authored HB 4626 or the Food for Filipinos First Act which emphasizes the need for a national food requirement plan that will identify and develop the capability of each region or province in the country to produce food. “We can rally the people with all this GDP and economic growth hullaballoo all we want, but the reality is that they don’t have food on the table, no roof above their heads and they die without seeing a doctor. “ Perspectives I fell from my chair again when StratPOLLS explained that it got its data from the 18 years old respondents who hailed mostly from the middle class of the Philippine Society. Jesus Christ, from the middle class? When did it become that the middle class become the sole target of the sampling. Most Filipino voters - the Unwashed of the Society - abound in the lower class.