Bayambang Mayor Launches Online Borrowing to Boost Farmers’ Plight

 SMALL INTEREST BUT NO COLLATERAL'S LOAN

By ZJ Ortigoza and Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan - Upon learning the pathetic state of the more than 30,000 families of farmers here where each family earns a measly P3,000 net revenues a month, their mayor launched a revolutionary solution to boost their economic plight through an internet based borrowing.

“Dahil sa ating rebolusyon laban sa kahirapan agrikultura ang center of focus ng ating programa. Bakit kasi ang magsasaka kung titingnan natin katulad ng sinabi ni Mr. Yulo umaasa ang 30,000 mahigit na pamilya ng ating mga magsasaka. At nakakalungkot ang fix income po sa isang ektarya tatlong libo (P3,000) lamang sa isang buwan,” Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao told the thousands of farmers who converged recently in the event center here to see how E-Agro Economics System presented by One-Doc Corporation President Jorge Yulo serve the financial, technical, and other needs of the agriculture workers.

THE E-AGRO PORTAL as seen on the left side of the photos. Other photo from top to bottom: (from L-to-R) Bayambang Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao, Pangasinan 5^th District Congressman Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III, and One-Doc Corporation Chief Jorge Yulo; Thousands of farmers of Bayambang converged in the event center there to learn how the revolutionary online concept of cheap loan, brainchild by Mayor Quiambao, can be accessed and better - off their economics stocks.

Quiambao lamented how the typical corn, rice, and onion farm hands here are tied to a high interest loan to lenders where their products have been bough cheaply by these people since time immemorial.

“Tanim-ani-bayad utang. Iyon ang economic cycle ng ating mga magsasaka kaya ang hangarin naming lakarin natin ng LGU Bayambang kung saan ang pag alis sa ating mga magsasaka – maalis sila sa cycle ng pangungutang na mataas ang interest kaya naisipan namin ang E-Agro System,” he explained how the system he developed with Yulo will emancipate the farmers from the high interest loans that bedevil their economic stocks ever since.

Quiambao and his mayoralty candidate wife Mary Clare Phyllis “Niña” Jose-Quiambao are hell bent to see that come year 2028 the monthly income of each of the families of the 129,011 populated (PSA 2020) central Pangasinan town will be P10,000.

He said the system financially backed by a venture of the public- private-partnership will lend money with miniscule interest to P50,000 or more to a farmer who tends a hectare of the corn, rice, or onion farm every four months from the time of planting and harvesting.

The E-Agro Economic System has four components’ Activity/Labor & Service, Land Preparation, Planting, and Fertilization (Labor) that could uplift the economics stocks of the downtrodden peasant.

“E-portal para sa pangungutang. Sabi ko lahat pwede na online transaction ang ating mga magsasaka. Pwede na silang mamili/shopping sa pamamagitan ng kanilang ATM card. Sa E-portal lahat ng frequently asked questions tungkol sa problema sa pagsasaka ang masasagot sa pamamagitan ng teknolohiya”.

 Kaya sana lahat ng magsasaka alam ko noong umpisa pa lamang ito ay kailangan sumama tayo sa ibang henerasyon sa ating digital mode. Puro high tech mode na po ang namamayagpag sa ating ekonomiya,” he exhorted the farmers to learn the digital mode just like what the young generation are deft. 

Quiambao said the E-Portal was much easier to learn than the E-Sabong (cockfight betting in the internet) that draw many Filipinos.

He said before the farmers can withdraw the approved loan to either China Bank or CSF Rural Bank of Bayambang here, each of them will undergo and pass an interview, received an automated teller machine (ATM) card, signed digitally a promissory note online to a loan that has no collateral, and wait for the money to be sent by the lender to their ATM.

The economics advantage of this system, Quiambao explained to this newspaper, the sellers of farm inputs like fertilizer and machines will compete with each other thus giving more options to the farmers to buy their product in a lower price.

The other edge is they can sell to the highest bidder their produce as buyers will offer them various prices on the portal.

One of the luminaries of the seminar Senator Cynthia Villar

 giving her piece online to the laudable project.

“Pwedeng ilunsad sa buong probinsiya ng Pangasinan. This could have a nationwide support to our farmers,” Quiambao said.

5^th District Congressman Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III who runs for the governorship of Pangasinan, told Quiambao and the farmers that he will adapt this technology not only in the eight towns and one city’s district but implement it in the forty - four towns and three cities’ province in case he wins the gubernatorial derby in the May 9, 2022 election.

 Agriculture Regional Executive Director Nestor Domenden called Quiambao’s brainchild as ‘revolutionary” in the annals of Philippines agriculture.

The luminaries for that occasion were One-Doc Corporation President Yulo, Mayor Quiambao, System Operator/E-Agro Team Leader John Paul Gagarin, Pangasinan 5^th District Rep. Guico, III, Department of Agriculture Regional Director Domenden, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel T. Cayanan, and Senator Cynthia Villar.  

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

Projects' Bidding in DPWH’s Districts are Fixed