Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Rep. Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, initiated a series of talks with fellow legislators, especially with representatives of progressive party-lists, Bayan Muna (People First) and Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP), to delay the deactivation of Quedancor.

Before this, the Chief Executive had signed EO 718, which authorizes the phased implementation of the rationalization plan for the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), an agency which was also hounded by corruption issues.

However, as of this writing (Dec. 20, 2008), there were no reports about the progress of the said “phased rationalization” of the agency.

The National Food Authority (NFA) faces the same dilemma. The agency is soon to be rationalized and more than 2,000 employees will be affected, including officials of the NFA Employees’ Association (NFA-EA).

“The move endangers not only our jobs but our country’s food security as well,” says Roman M. Sanchez, NFA-EA’s national president.

In an open letter sent to Agriculture Sec. Arthur C. Yap, they reiterate:

NFA’s social commitment is to provide adequate and continuous food supply to the nation and to contribute its proper share to national economy. Meanwhile, President Arroyo’s commitment to our people is “food on every table”; but how about the “food security” for the families of dislocated employees? Is it not ironic that our country’s premier food agency is bound to ignore the food security of thousands of employees and its middle- to lower-income bracket households affected by the planed rationalization and decoupling?

Let us not belabor the fact that EO 366 and decoupling plans must be scrapped altogether. These are government schemes that are the exact opposite of the NFA Charter on food security for the nation that will ultimately result to job and food insecurities.

What the government should be concentrating at is the removal of NFA’s top heavy corporate structure and the investigation and prosecution of highly placed shenanigans in government.

Office transfers

Soon after the announcement of Quedancor’s impending deactivation, the DA head office employees were shocked at the announcement that their office is to be transferred to Ilagan City, Isabela as part of the Arroyo government’s grand plan of creating a North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle. The transfer is expected to be completed in January 2009.

The Department of Agriculture Employees Association (DA-EA) said that there are 800 employees who will be affected by the transfer. However, employees of other DA attached and line agencies fear that they will be transferred, too.

“If the mother hen is to be transferred, is it possible for the chicks to stay behind?” said Lori Bangalisan, president of the Bureau of Animal Industry.

A similar fate awaits the Department of Education (to be transferred to Bicol), Department of Agrarian Reform (to Davao City), and the Department of Tourism (to Cebu). Likewise, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region IV offices will be transferred to Calamba City, Laguna (DENR Region IV-A or the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon area) and to Calapan City (DENR Region IV-B or the Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan area).

Even the state-run home for the aged and the center for toddlers are to suffer the same fate.

The Golden Acres (GA) Home for the Aged is to be transferred to Tanay, Rizal while the Research and Study Center for Children (RSCC) will be dissolved. This will affect not only the employees but also the clients.

Ramon Felipe Loza, national president of the Social Welfare Employees Association of the Philippines, Inc.(SWEAP), said that they are exerting all efforts to stop the planned relocation and dissolution of the care-giving agencies.

 Save as PDF