Iniwanan Na Tayo ng Thailand

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

If the administration of then Cotabato Province Governor Emmylou "Lala"  Taliño-Mendoza did not stall, as alleged by critics, to expeditiously complete the construction of the airport, residents of the economically lethargic province would have been benefiting on the multiplier effects brought by the airport because of commerce.

Former governor  Manny Piñol is credited to brainchild in late 1990s the construction of the 1.2 kilometres (3,900 ft)-long concrete runway and a terminal building’s Central Mindanao Airport (CMA) in 2001 in his nine years incumbency.

The resolve to resurrect the “white elephant” ensued when President Rodrigo Duterte trumpet call  the DOTr to facilitate the operation of the CMA, thanks to the request of incumbenr Governor Nancy Catamco, Piñol, and other stakeholders.

 

If that how easy to solve the nine years of inaction on the part of then governor Talino, then the criticism of those who saw the potential of an airport and assailed the apathy of Talino to an economic linchpin had credence.

If the airport became functional during the early part of her nine years term, one can imagine how it could do to the tourism industry and the perishable agricultural products there like lansones, mangosteen, avocado, and marang.

One of the examples how airport can be a spark plug for the host city or town and her neighboring local government units:

“ In Kenya, 90,000 jobs (and 500,000 livelihoods) depend on the cut flower industry, which supports 1.6% of the national economy, generating around $1 billion in foreign exchange each year. (Source: Kenya Flower Council, 2012) Horticulture has been Kenya’s fastest growing sector and is ranked third after tourism and tea as a foreign exchange earner. Over 90% of fresh horticultural products are air freighted. An estimated 70% of the flowers are grown at the rim of Lake Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi. There aregood road network connections between the Lake Naivasha growing area and Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, a distance of about 80-100 kilometers. Flowers picked in the morning reach markets in Amsterdam by evening. (Source: “Air Freight: A Market Study with Implications for Landlocked Countries” The World Bank, 2009 )”.

***

Napahanga ako kay Thailand teacher Joey Barcelona sa isang lamayan habang kinukuwento niya kung paano iniwanan ng Thailand ang Pinas sa agriculture like sa subsidy ng government sa presyo ng palay.

"Bukod sa mga naglalakihang makinarya sa agrikultura, ang mga magsasaka ay alaga sa magandang presyo ng bilihan," ika niya sa amin na mga kabayan niya.

Ani Joey kung ang bilihan sa Thailand ay P25 kada kilo ng palay, ang gobyerno ay andiyan lang para punuan ng P7 para maging P25 sa ikaka unlad ng mga magsasaka.

Ito isang news article sa scmp.com na ni excerpt ko dito sa ilalim:

“Yot Kongyarit, who is in his 60s, owns about 8,000 square metres – an area slightly larger than a football field – of rubber farming land in Thailand’s southern province of Songkhla.

This month, he registered with the government to get a price guarantee for his production, after the Thai cabinet on October 15 (2019) approved a 24-billion-baht (US$792 million) budget for the first phase of income-guarantee subsidy for rubber growers.

The scheme aims to ensure 1.4 million rubber farmers have a stable income for six months, until March next year. It comes as rubber farmers have been hard hit because of the US-China trade war that has depressed global demand and pushed down prices”

***

Tinanong ko ang isang ten hectares’ rubber trees owner kung kaya niyang kumita ng P100,000 net profit kada buwan sa latex niya na binebenta ng katiwala niya.

“Masyadong malaki. Mababa ang bilihan P21 per kilo,” ani ng kamag anak ko sa M’lang, Cotabato Province.

Napatango lang siya ng ulo ng sinabi ko na diyan siguro sa mga P50,000 lang kada buwan.

“Sa haba ng lupa mo at sa liit ng kita, parang sueldo lang ng Police Duty Sergeant or dating PO3 or isang DepEd Principal ang kinikita ng lupain mo?”

"Paano ang mga coup d' tat, nakaka apekto ba sila sa higanteng ekonomiya ng Thailand?" Tanong ni Bogart na nagtapos lamang sa Mababang Paaralan ng Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

"Hinde. May isang pangyayari na nag People Power sa Bangkok, ang Hari na si matandang Bhumibol Adulyadej ay nagsalita sa bintana ng palasyo at pina uwi ang mga tao. Ayon, biglang bulang naglaho ang mga tao," Ika ni Joey sa paghanga kung gaano ka makapangyarihan ang hari doon.

Sinang ayonan ko siya kaagad:

Totoo iyan. May isang pangyayari doon na isang bading ang na huli nag nakaw sa mall. Dinala siya sa hari at agad agad na pinapili siya ng parusa: 50 latigo sa likod o papasukan ng bubuyog (buyog sa Thai) ang puwit niya.

"Sige na po mahal na hari, iyong bubuyog na lang po! Ani ng bakla na nanginginig sa takot. Agad agad tinawag ng hari ang mga kawal at pasigaw na nag utos: Sige igapos niyo na itong magnanakaw at ipasok na sa puwit niya si JOLLIBEE!

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)