Before the break of dawn, a farmer huddles in his field, hands dust-dry, with aching back from a lifetime of labor. He gathers a basket of tomatoes, which he sells cheaply to middlemen who squander later in city bazaars for triple, even quadruple, the amount. The farmer is still poor, the middleman rich, and the consumer pays too much for something that ought to be cheaper. This vicious cycle prevails—a system failure, a wrong that paralyzes the very people who feed the country.

As a nation conceptualized to be agricultural, our country ought to be a land of prosperity for its farmers. Instead, they are caught in an economic straitjacket where middlemen determine the price for their hard-worked crop. Without direct contact with consumers, no place to send their produce, and no help from the government with a strength adequate to break this chain, farmers have to accept whatever price is offered to them. The irony is so overwhelming that most hardworking and productive people who are making the most fundamental commodities are poor, while intermediary individuals are rich and living in comfort.

The cause of the malady is a deficiency of equitable and effective farm-to-market arrangement. Government intervention has either been absent or limited to enable the traders and wholesalers to fix prices. Unless there is government protection or support mechanisms, the market forces wouldn’t be favorable to the farmers. That kilo of rice that a farmer gets paid P20 for will make its way to the supermarket for P50. That bag of onions that departs from a farmer’s barn at P800 will be sold in Metro Manila at P4,000. Where does all that additional money come from? Not to the planter who planted it, not to the consumer who purchases it, but to the pocket of some middleman who planted no seed and watered none.

You can say that middlemen are offering a service—yes, they transport, ship, and get produce into markets. But for what? Their unregulated nature allows them to take both extremes for themselves. Without rival systems such as farmer cooperatives or farm-to-market programs directly competing, the gap between farmgate and retail prices will just keep growing. In other countries, there are farmers’ unions or subsidized programs by governments to ensure reasonable remuneration for the farmers. Why not the Philippines?
To add insult to injury, most of them are still deeply in debt. They borrow money to purchase seeds, fertilizers, and machinery in hopes of a good harvest that will enable them to settle their dues. But when middlemen purchase from them at cut-price rates, they hardly get enough to cover their expenses. The rest of the nation is asking why food prices are rising. That is the irony of our agricultural economy—farmers are receiving less, while consumers are paying more. The disparity is stark, but it recurs year after year.

There are efforts by government schemes to rectify this, but they are half-hearted, bureaucratic, and short-lived. There are loan programs, but they are high-interest. Market access programs are initiated but collapse due to corruption and mismanagement. If politicians do not have the will to benefit the farmers, then they will never improve and the consumers will never stop suffering. The government is not simply required to give band-aid answers—it has to destroy exploitative systems that have placed farmers into bondage economically for decades.

There is no lack of solutions. Strengthening farmers’ cooperatives, creating direct consumer markets, subsidizing transport from farms, and fixing prices on middlemen are all conceivable options. But will they ever be implemented in a country where farm policies are determined by those who gain from it but not by those who labor in the fields? Until and unless the government decides to take the interests of farmers ahead of money-mongering traders, this cycle of doom shall never end.

Those whose hands feed the nation’s table should never be the same hands excluded. If the government is committed to food security and economic justice, it needs to intervene—not with hollow words but with real reform that puts the farmer, not shortchanged again. Because if this continues, one day we wake up to an empty plate, and too late to realize that we have starved the very farmers who placed food on our plates.

Only a few private schools dared to declare class suspension to mark the historical world-renowned peace and bloodless People Power Revolution of 1986 notwithstanding Presidential Proclamation Numbered 727 declaring 25 February 2025 a special working holiday. The action by the concerned private schools was to give their students, faculty and personnel a day to celebrate the victory that happened almost four decades ago in that historical highway which was used as the convenient name of the event, that is EDSA revolution.

But the place that is part of then Highway 54 and later named Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (EDSA) only served as the stage for the final salvo of the nationwide struggle against the conjugal dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, the same label as the title of the book written by journalist Primitivo “Tibo” Medrana Mijares. It would be recalled that Primitivo “Tibo” Medrana Mijares was the National Press Club President when he was handpicked by Ferdinand Edralin Marcos to serve as chief propagandist of the Marcos dictatorship.

News from the palace would come from Tibo Mijares as he was the closest and trusted man that could talk directly to the president even during mealtime. He would serve as news reporter of the puppet national broadsheet Daily Express under Teodoro “Doroy” F. Valencia. It took too long for Tibo Mijares to decide that he could no longer serve the whims of the dictator. He issued a statement of defection on 5 February 1975 and lived in the United States. On 17 June 1975, he was to testify before the US House International Relations subcommittee on claims of bribery, corruption and fraud against Marcos.

An attempt to dissuade him from testifying was made by Marcos who sent an emissary by the name of presidential assistant Guillermo Vinluan de Vega who offered fifty thousand US dollars (US $50,000.00) as bribe for him not to testify. Later, another emissary by the name of Trinidad Alconel, the Philippine Consul General, repeated the offer and raid the amount to one hundred thousand US dollars (US $100,000.00). Both offers were rejected and a photocopy of the check was taken by Mijares and printed in his book The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

Mijares testified before the US congress International Relations committee on bribery, corruption, fraud and human rights violation under the Marcos dictatorship. His book was published and in 1977 he accepted an invitation to return to the Philippines. He was last seen boarding a flight home with a known Marcos intelligence and was never heard disembarking at his flight destination.

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The digital age has created a crowded marketplace of information, where businesses constantly compete for attention in a sea of online content. Amidst the noise, a powerful weapon emerges: content creation. It’s no longer enough to simply have a website or social media presence; you need to actively engage your audience with compelling, informative, and valuable content.

Content creation encompasses a wide range of mediums, from blog posts and articles to videos, infographics, and social media updates. The key lies in understanding your target audience and crafting content that resonates with their interests and needs.
Here’s how content creation can transform your business:

1. Enhanced Brand Awareness and Visibility:

Content marketing is a powerful tool for boosting brand awareness and visibility. By consistently creating and distributing valuable content, you establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. When your content is shared and discussed online, it expands your reach and introduces your brand to a wider audience.

2. Improved Lead Generation and Conversion:

Content creation can be a potent lead generation strategy. By providing valuable information and resources, you attract potential customers who are actively seeking solutions to their problems. Through calls to action within your content, you can guide them towards your products or services, increasing conversion rates.

3. Stronger Customer Relationships:

Content creation fosters stronger customer relationships by providing valuable insights and engaging with your audience. By addressing their concerns, answering their questions, and offering helpful advice, you build trust and loyalty. This leads to increased customer retention and positive brand advocacy, resulting in a sustainable growth strategy.

4. Increased Website Traffic and SEO:

Content creation is essential for optimizing your website for search engines. By creating high-quality, keyword-rich content, you improve your website’s ranking in search results, driving more organic traffic. This increased traffic translates to more potential customers and sales.

5. Improved Customer Engagement and Retention:

Content creation keeps your audience engaged and coming back for more. By providing fresh and relevant content on a regular basis, you stay top-of-mind and maintain a consistent dialogue with your customers. This consistent engagement fosters loyalty and reduces customer churn.

6. Cost-Effective Marketing Strategy:

Content marketing is a highly cost-effective marketing strategy. While it requires time and effort, it can be significantly less expensive than traditional advertising methods. By creating and distributing your own content, you retain control over your message and reach a wider audience without relying on third-party platforms.

7. Data-Driven Insights and Optimization:

Content creation allows you to track and analyze your audience’s engagement with your content. This data provides valuable insights into your audience’s preferences, helping you refine your content strategy and optimize your marketing efforts for maximum impact.
Creating Effective Content:

To maximize the impact of your content creation efforts, consider these key strategies:

– Know your audience: Understand their interests, needs, and pain points.
– Create high-quality content: Focus on providing value and engaging your audience.
– Use a variety of formats: Experiment with blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media updates.
– Promote your content: Share it across your social media channels and other relevant platforms.
– Track your results: Analyze your data to see what’s working and what needs improvement.

Conclusion:

Content creation is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity for businesses looking to thrive in today’s digital world. By embracing the power of content, you can enhance brand awareness, generate leads, build customer relationships, and ultimately drive your business forward. Remember, the key is to create valuable, engaging, and relevant content that resonates with your target audience and positions you as a thought leader in your industry.
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If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts on the column, feel free to send an email to jca.bblueprint@gmail.com. Looking forward to connecting with you!