Behind the scenes = motive

Why attack a program that is intended to save lives and improve public health? This was the question I had after hearing in the news that some people have been pushing for an investigation into the procurement and application of a vaccine against the dreaded Dengue virus. Given the severity of the situation, the urgency in acquiring and using the vaccine, the last thing we should be wasting time over are unsubstantiated claims of “corruption” that has yet to be determined through “An investigation in aid of legislation.”

I’ve come to realize that if you want the media and politicians to pay attention to your agenda all you have to do is attach the label “Corruption” to a program, a purchase or a person and you suddenly have reason to investigate, accuse and publicize, especially when some politicians need media mileage or exposure in a season when all the media ever talks about is Leila De Lima, EJK, and PRRD.

Of course there is no guarantee that the “accusers” or instigators of the investigation are all saints with the purest of intentions. Some may represent a business, interest, political intent, or trying to get the attention of PRRD or the Office of the Executive Secretary. There is of course the possibility that the innocent and the well-meaning investigators are being misled or manipulated by some people or businesses whose interests are threatened.

In the case of a Dengue vaccine, no one has really paid any attention to the impact of a vaccine to the annual income of doctors, clinics, laboratories and hospitals as well as the “albularyos” selling Tawa-tawa and Papaya leaves as the cure for Dengue. People and media have focused on suspicions of “corruption” but not the potential lost income of hundreds of millions of pesos once a vaccine against Dengue becomes part of our individual medical history. Even funeral parlors and memorial gardens would be losing out some of their income source from Dengue related mortalities. Not everything labeled “corrupt” actually is. Some are simply “bad for business” and are therefore being attacked.

Another reason some people want Congress or the Senate to investigate things is so that certain ambitious people gunning for a “Presidential appointment” will have a platform or their “2 minutes of fame” to bolster their efforts or application in Malacañang. I recently heard that the office of Secretary Bong Go has been getting follow-up calls from a politician and his brother who hopes to be appointed as the new head of PhilHealth. The applicant fancies himself to be media savvy with lots of international experience in the field of healthcare but none of that seems to catch traction with Malacañang because the applicant has as many critics as he has friends in healthcare. To further aggravate his situation a PhilHealth veteran insider is reportedly being backed by a very influential member of Congress, because the insider would mean business as usual for a government office that is a critical service to millions of Filipinos.

At this point in time, I would caution the folks in Malacañang to put an end to political patronage or making government appointments as the bounty or reward for being a Duterte supporter. People may have been tolerant in the first 100 days, but at this stage people are beginning to be fed up with loyalty awards for the incompetent or unfit.

* * * Senator Cynthia Villar, the vice chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture recently recognized the importance and contribution of the animal industry for driving the two%+ growth in Agriculture as well as acknowledging backyard growers who provide 65% of all requirements nationwide. Like others, Senator Villar pointed out that the local animal industry has the means and knowhow to meet market demands and there should be more focus and incentives for local producers and less for imports.

This is what we’ve been saying for a couple of years now but the truth of the matter is that no one from Malacañang or the Senate has really grilled the officials of the Department of Agriculture if they actually have a program promoting and supporting the development of the local animal industry as a national priority for food security and economic growth.

My impression is that everything comes from private sector initiative mostly from the backyard producers and raisers. It might be good for Senator Villar to call DA officials to the Senate and get them to compare efforts, projects and funding for local production versus foreign importation to find out who’s top of mind for the DA. By simply analyzing the numbers and programs, Senator Villar will quickly find out who sides with local growers versus who sides with importers and how much money leaves the Philippines because of importations.

* * * Everybody wants fresh foods, fresh vegetables, and if you can grow your own, that would be a minor feat for some. Sadly many people fail and condemn themselves as people who don’t have a green thumb. A friend claims that she kills plants the minute she touches them so her garden supplier has started to “pray over” plants before selling them to her.

I’m seriously considering putting up a blog on urban gardening after hearing so many people declare themselves as organic failures. I don’t know what your thoughts or experiences are on the subject, but part of the problem is that many of today’s executives and homemakers who are below 40 may not have gone through “gardening” as a subject so most of them assume: buy seed, find soil, plant, water and voila! Wrong.

Here are the common mistakes people make: Buy seed, plant whole bunch. You end up with too many you simply walk away because you get overwhelmed. Garden soil is soil. Too much water makes it mud, muddy clay, bacterialfungus pool that kills plant. Sand is not just for cement, mixed in soil makes it porous and provides good drainage. If you can’t drink tap water, what do you think excessive watering does to the root of your seedlings and plants (hint red eyes in swimming pool). Different people – different age – different food requirement. There is no Sun block for plants but some amount of shade helps!

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