Good morning to all!
As an adviser and fellow incorporator of PUMP-PINAS AGRI-BUSINESS CORP., a hearty congratulations to all of us for the enthusiasm each one brings. Fledgling as we are in this pioneering and noble mission, I sincerely believe that we can make a difference in poverty alleviation of our country. As we continue to work towards this concern — uplifting the marginalized Filipino families most especially the farmers and fisherfolks, the paradigm on an Inclusive Market-Oriented Development should be the way to go. By inclusive, we mean the participation of all stakeholders especially the poor farmers and fisherfolks in defining problems, solutions, and most importantly, economic benefits. The tenet of collective action comes to fore in decision-making. And this requires more and higher levels of investments to empower interest groups to participate. At the very least, this can commence with the provision of basic needs as the incentive to participate. Then continue to build their capacities juxtaposed with sound policy environment for them to face bigger challenges.
On the other hand, market-oriented proposes that farming should be business-like and not simply hand-to-mouth existence. Inclusive value-chain approach captures as much of the value in all stages from pre- and post-production for meeting domestic and exports market requirements as well as niche markets. Value-adding innovations enable the poor to capture larger rewards from markets, while managing risks. The larger rewards motivate the adoption, which in turn determines the impact.
Let’s continue working for the welfare of our farmers and fisherfolks, for when we bring them out of poverty, it will also be a victory for the whole country.
Let me share with you a quote from Charles de Lint – ‘I don’t want to live in the kind of world where we don’t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand. I can’t change the way anybody else thinks, or what they choose to do, but I can do my bit.’ Let’s PUMP-PINAS!
