Not only does Andok’s eatery nationwide 800 plus outlets shares its palatable, inviting chicken-eating experience, it helps the country cut-down on unemployment problem. The founder of the popular eatery has now earned the uncontested monicker “father of lechon manok”. His entrepreneurial prowess and peculiar “advocacy for agriculture will help Agrilink in providing stakeholders, consumers and farmers a better understanding of how diverse yet climate change resilient supply and value chains help address increasingly changing consumer demands whikle keeping our agricultural industry globally competitive.”
I had the opportunity to meet him and her wife, Leyte’s 2nd District Representative Honorable Lolita Javier, then the graduation speaker at the Burauen Comprehensive National High School in June 2019. I never doubted that his entrepreneurial advocacy Mr. Leonardo “Sandy” Javier, Jr., casually dressed with an unassuming personality, would be recognized by tapping him to chair the 2019 “26th edition of the country’s premier international exhibition on agriculture, food and aquaculture” – the AGRILINK.
I have featured him previously in this column, very appreciative of his leadership as a 3-termer Mayor of Javier town, a relatively small town named after their father who served as Head of the municipality. He has put Javier town in the map among the country’s agriculture-oriented LGUs. Figuratively speaking, Mr. Sandy Javier have made every inch of the town’s agriculture land into a productive hub for cacao, coconut, bananas, dragon fruit, native chili, tomato, watermelon, corn and ginger among others. He has converted his 7 hectares into a virtual Agri-tourism area, unmatched in the Province of Leyte!
I could only dream and wish that the other heads of LGUs not only in Leyte, Region 8 and the entire country could come down to Javier, Leyte and see for themselves what the Javier Family has converted the small town into a highly productive, very minimal sight of ‘stand-bys’, as the populace get up early in the morning to till their farms.
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People of a victorious town are gleefully thankful as they hear with gladness the sound of their church bells that were stolen from their ancestors by American soldiers. The bells were reportedly taken as war booty for the loss the well-armed American soldiers suffered at the hands of gallant Filipinos who fought their oppressors with long bolos and local weapons. History tells that it was a triumphant day on 28 September 1901 when one Valeriano Abanador led his townsfolk of Balangiga to rise against the Americans who were lording over in abusive way the people of their town. It was the injustice and oppression by American soldiers that triggered the townsfolk to muster their courage, unite their warm bodies and plotted their fight against the mighty enemies.
The victory proved the grit and wit of Filipinos who earned their place in history for what would be the only recorded win over the Americans. The defeat would cause American soldiers’ reprisal by turning the place into a howling wilderness and killing many innocent lives in the aftermath. Indeed, the wanton attack on innocent townsfolk was very telling of how Americans treated Filipinos. Later claims of being their friends are tainted with deception aimed at gaining the trust of a people they ones oppressed and abused. The events that followed showed no remorse for the killings the American soldiers perpetrated against the people of Balangiga. The friendship had underpinnings of American interests to the disadvantage of the Filipino people.
Over a century passed that the people of Balangiga celebrated what was dubbed as “Balangiga Massacre”. It was reminiscent of that triumphant day when local folks mustered their courage that led to the massacre of American soldiers. The people took honor for the bravery of their ancestors who fought the well-armed enemies despite their inferior arms and the frailty of their warm bodies. They only have enormous courage and determination when they staged that attack using the church bells as their sounding message to signal the attack upon their unsuspecting oppressors. The annual celebration had been festive and colorful reenactments of the events that took place on that 28 September 1901. The drama of the celebrations were lacking in that the church bells were looted by the Americans and too far from the town where they belong.
The longing for the church bells had been long battle by several administrations negotiating with the American government to return the bells to Balangiga. The long fight for the church bells culminated under the Duterte administration which successfully persuaded the Americans to return the church bells to Balangiga. The journey home for the church bells became a reality after over 117 years when the people of Balangiga and the entire Filipino nation saw for the first time the three bells that were taken from across the globe.
It arrived Balangiga on 15 December 2018 to the hallowed grounds of the Parish of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr for the people of Balangiga to see and hear its sound once more. It will continue to remind us all every time we hear the Balangiga bells ring.
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We, Filipinos cannot eat our meal without rice. It’s our basic staple for the more than 100 million Filipinos.
The government implemented the Rice Tarrification for open importation of rice and it is estimated that there is some 2.4 million metric tons of rice imports arrived in our country. The flood of imported rice has brought down retail prices but still not low enough, an average of P40/kilo.
For local rice farmers, the imported rice has spelled disaster for their livelihood – with palay prices reaching as low as P7/kilo in some areas from P17/kilo before restriction on rice importation was removed.
There is a possibility that rice traders are holding on to their imported rice to put a halt on falling retail prices. With the unlimited rice importation, retail prices should have dropped lower than existing rates. Such move of traders constituted hoarding, price manipulation and cartel-type operations.
Being the country’s staple, rice is no ordinary commodity. It is invested with public interest and welfare. When public interest and national food security are put at risk, the government must draw the line and go after hoarders and profiteers.
The problem is our small farmers. The palay traders have suddenly disappeared. They have become rice importers and are now making a windfall of profit.
The government must modernize the farmers systems of planting and harvesting with the use of machines. The Rice Tariffication Law must help the farmers and the government must be firm and resolute in combating rice controls. It’s a pity that our small farmers are the losers of this Rice Tariffication Law.