BBM's Platform of Government

**Flipo** · November 8th, 2022 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by TopEngine

PBBM okays P4.16 billion deal to import China fertilizer

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the importation of cheap fertilizer worth at least P4.16 billion from China that will be given to farmers for a free as a subsidy in a bid to support them while lowering food prices.

PTIC President and Chief Executive Officer Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong said her agency plans to buy an initial 150,000 metric tons of fertilizer this year from China at $470 per MT, for a total of $70.5 million or P4.16 billion, through a government-to-government arrangement.

The purchase is significantly lower from the current price of $650 per MT.

“I will also ask LandBank to allow DA to use its idle warehouses for the stockpiling of fertilizers,” the President said.

The DA has allotted P4.1 billion for subsidies to buy fertilizers to be given for free to farmers.

With the much lower cost, DA will be able to buy around 2.277 million bags of urea to be given to farmers through farmers’ groups and cooperatives. -excerpt

Sadder Noche Buena | Philstar.com

Sadder Noche Buena
DEMAND AND SUPPLY - Boo Chanco - The Philippine Star
November 7, 2022 | 12:00am

Last Friday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the inflation rate in October accelerated to a 14-year high of 7.7 percent from 6.9 percent in September. Oh well, seven is the lucky number of Junior’s father. Double seven pa… double lucky?

It surprised the economists of leading financial institutions. The highest forecasts were made by Emilio S. Neri Jr of BPI and Jonathan Ravelas, formerly of BDO, at 7.4 percent.

The higher inflation rate was driven by faster increases in the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages. “This is the highest recorded inflation since December 2008,” the PSA said.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas quickly released a statement saying they were not surprised. It is within the BSP’s forecast range of 7.1 to 7.9 percent.

BSP said it is consistent with the central bank’s assessment of inflation remaining above target over the near term, as price pressures broaden and signs of further adverse second-round effects emerge.

Inflation is projected to remain elevated for the rest of 2022, the BSP warned. The risks to the inflation outlook appear to be tilted to the upside for 2022 and 2023.

From the BSP: “The potential impact of higher global non-oil prices, additional transport fare hikes, increased food prices owing to weather disturbances, and a sharp rise in sugar prices are the major upside risks to the inflation outlook. Meanwhile, the impact of a weaker-than-expected global economic recovery is the primary downside risk to the outlook.”

Emphasizing the limits of what the BSP could do, it strongly urged the timely implementation of non-monetary government interventions to mitigate the impact of persistent supply-side pressures on inflation. In other words, the DA and DTI must do their jobs.

Inflationary pressures will increase with the Christmas season, winter causing oil and gas demand to perk up, agri damage from Karding and Paeng, and the lean season for fish catch. Sugar producers are also asking for an increase in SRP.

Food contributed 81 percent to the increase in the October inflation rate. Sugar’s inflation rate was 34 percent, the clearest market signal of supply and demand imbalance… contrary to claims made by Sen. Migz Zubiri and some sectors of the sugar industry that there is enough supply.

The 81 percent contribution of the food group to the inflation rate MORE THAN NEGATED the zero to very low contribution of rice to inflation (0.8 percent from negative 0.2 percent in September).

The stable rice price appears to be further proof of the positive impact of the Rice Tariffication Law. It confirmed the observation of Dr. Bruce Tolentino, a member of the Monetary Board, that the RTL ended six decades of rice as a key inflation factor.

But not for long. Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said they see a spike of 15 to 20 percent in prices of food items because the rice-producing region of Central Luzon suffered the most from recent typhoons.

According to a DA tally, Typhoon Karding wiped out P2.02 billion worth of agricultural produce, with the rice sector accounting for nearly 82 percent or P1.66 billion of the recorded damage in the farm sector.

Also damaged were high-value crops, which suffered P271.6 million in losses; corn, P44.6 million; fisheries, P43 million; and livestock and poultry, P7.9 million.

So, dealing with rising food prices will be Junior’s principal headache as we approach Christmas. And Junior must be worried because a gag order was reportedly imposed on DA personnel.

Even the reporting of DA’s daily price monitoring of key food items in the 12 large wet markets in the NCR appears to have stopped. A knowledgeable source told me he has not received data for the past days now after the gag order.

That’s understandable. But on the other hand, food prices can’t remain a secret. People go to the market daily.

Junior has to stop pretending he can play at being agriculture secretary because he doesn’t know much about agriculture and he has his hands full being president.

Sources say DA staff are complaining there is no plan and program to guide them on what to do. The priority of the current caretaker is to replace people with their own. There is demoralization among the ranks.

The project concept for Masagana 150 and 200 has been done. But until now there is no work plan and guidelines to implement them. The experts comprising the hybrid rice team were fired.

There is no usec or asec for livestock to head the pre-inspection committee in charge of identifying where missions will go to accredit trading partners in meat and meat products. Likewise no one has been designated to co-chair the accreditation review body that (dis)/approves mission findings. No transition or mode of operations on how to prevent further spread of ASF and avian flu.

In the meantime, prices of Noche Buena items in sari-sari stores have been increasing. Packworks, a start-up helping sari-sari stores, reports that data from Sari IQ, the firm’s data analytics tool, saw increases in the prices of Noche Buena items from January to September.

Sari IQ measures behavior and spending habits of consumers who shop at sari-sari stores. Their data are granular and reliable.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said local manufacturers and makers of Noche Buena items want to increase their prices ahead of the holiday season. But DTI could only issue a “price guide” because most of the Noche Buena items were not considered prime or basic commodities.

Rising food prices is why the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) wrote to the Tariff Commission requesting for an extension of tariff reductions, as contained in Executive Order 171, for pork, corn, rice and coal.

“We all recognize that higher inflation, particularly food, hurts the poor most because their limited income source cannot keep up with the pace of price increases.”

Junior has to be more decisive at DA to address this looming food crisis. He has Arsi Balisacan, a respected agricultural economist by his side. But more than ideas from Arsi, Junior needs action-oriented subordinates who will make things happen.

For now, we should expect a sadder Noche Buena because of food inflation. This Christmas crisis will happen because Junior can’t get his act together fast.

**Yatta** · November 9th, 2022 10:10 AM

Yes, the son of the dictator, who had thousands killed, tortured and forced to disappear, the number 1 recruiter of the NPA and whose family wants to whitewash history said this.

**Yatta** · November 9th, 2022 03:42 PM

**TopEngine** · November 9th, 2022 03:43 PM

**TopEngine** · November 10th, 2022 10:28 AM

**baludoy** · November 12th, 2022 09:50 AM

https://twitter.com/inquirerdotnet/s...DgVjbRPRKSJQfA

looks like it's turning out to be a proxy war between the current and the immediate past admin.

**Flipo** · November 12th, 2022 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by baludoy

https://twitter.com/inquirerdotnet/s...DgVjbRPRKSJQfA

looks like it's turning out to be a proxy war between the current and the immediate past admins.

SA TINATAKBO NG MGA PANGYAYARI SA PAGPATAY KAY KA PERCY LAPID NA NGAYON AY NAPUPUNTA NA SA LABANANG BANTAG VS. REMULLA, KAPAG NI-REVIEW NATIN ANG MGA FACTS AT ALLEGATIONS, GANITO ANG LUMALABAS:

1. Sabi ni Bantag, noong una, ok naman sila ni Remulla, itinuring niya itong Boss niya, katunayan may mga pinagawa ito sa kanya na ginawa niya (tulad noong sinasabi niyang pagprocess ng pag-release ng dalawang druglords para sa Witness Protection Program);

Sinang-ayunan din ito sa statement ng DOJ: sa simula daw ay maganda ang relasyon ng DOJ at ni Bantag;

2. Problema, lumabas ang expose ni Ka Percy tungkol sa ‘Cinderella Man’, na lumilitaw ngayon na si Bantag ang pinatutungkulan. Nang malaman ito ni Bantag, pinaabot niya raw ito kay Remulla para humingi ng advice, hindi raw ito nag-react.

Malamang, kaya ito pinaabot ni Bantag kay Remulla ay para unahan na na ireport ito dahil sa huli malalaman niya rin ito. Tinatantya niya ang reaksyon ni Remulla. Ang di pag-react na iyon ni Remulla ay hindi maganda tingin natin para kay Bantag.

3. Batay sa mga ebidensyang nilabas ng NBI at PNP, makikita na malamang naisip ni Bantag na delikadong lumabas at lumaki ang isyu tungkol sa expose ni Ka Percy. Kaya pinagplanuhan niya at ni Zulueta ang pagpapatay kay Ka Percy na kanila ngang naisakatuparan;

4. Samantala, nangyari ang pagkakahuli ng anak ni Remulla sa kaso ng drugs. Malaking problema niya ito. Lumawak ang panawagan ng pagresign niya;

5. Lumitaw at iprinesent Okt. 18 ang umaming gunman na si Escorial; pinatay ang middleman na si Jun Villamor, isang PDL sa Bilibid; uminit ang Bilibid at BUCOR, na nasa ilalim ng DOJ;

6. Napakalaking opportunity ito para kay Secretary of Justice Remulla: malilipat ang atensyon mula sa anak niya patungo sa kaso ni Ka Percy; mapapabango niya ang pangalan niya at matitigil ang panawagang magresign siya kung maipapakita niya ang magandang pagresolba ng kaso ni Ka Percy;

7. Problema: may mga sasagasaan, laluna si Bantag; kailangan niya itong alisin para ipakitang seryoso siya sa pagresolba sa kaso ng ngayon ay dalawa nang patayan: ang kay Ka Percy at ang diumano’y middleman na si Villamor;

8. Isinailalim niya sa preventive suspension si Bantag, inilagay as OIC si Catapang; gumulong ang imbestigasyon, lumitaw ang mga ebidensya mula sa umaming gunman at mga leaders ng gangs;

9. Habang lumalalim ang imbestigasyon, alam nina Remulla na tiyak papunta ito kay Bantag. Dalawang bagay ang pwede na nilang gawin:

Una, tapusin na ang imbestigasyon, itigil na lang sa gunman at sa mga leaders ng gangs, tutal wala namang direktang link kay Bantag, kumbaga isalba na si Bantag, i-adopt na ang narrative ni Bantag na mga druglords ang nagpapatay kay Ka Percy; o

Ikalawa, ituloy-tuloy ang imbestigasyon, hanggang sa posibleng madiin si Bantag bilang posibleng mastermind;

10. Sa ganoon katindi nang development, kailangang ikonsulta ni Remulla kay Marcos Jr., bilang presidente, kung anong gagawin niya laluna’t identified masyado kay Duterte si Bantag: Kung tutuluyan si Bantag, babango ang administrasyon ni Marcos Jr. at babango ang ngayon ay nasa kontrobersya na si Remulla.

Ang desisyon: ituloy kahit tamaaan si Bantag, pero hanggang lang doon, huwag idadawit si Duterte sa issue.

11. Kaya nilaglag na si Bantag;

12. Galit na galit na ngayon si Bantag, sabi niya “walang kwenta si Boying Remulla”. Sa tingin niya kasi, kaya namang pagtakpan siya nito pero hindi nito ginawa. Gayong alam niya rin naman ang mga baho nito at marami rin nga itong mga bagay na alanganin na pinagawa sa kanya. Sabi niya nga: Kung kay PRRD (Duterte) ito, hindi ito mangyayari sa kanya.

Kaya nagmumura siya at galit na galit na pinaglalabas ang mga seryosong akusasyon kay SOJ Remulla.

13. Sagot naman ng DOJ sa statement nito: Ang ginagawa daw ni Bantag ay gawa ng isang taong galit dahil pinagkanulo (betrayal).

Tama ang DOJ, iyon nga ang pakiramdam ni Bantag, galit siya sa mga nagkanulo sa kanya. Pero sa DOJ ang sinasabi nilang nagkanulo kay Bantag ay ang mga gangleaders ng Bilibid.

Pero kay Bantag, ang idinidiin niyang nagtraydor at nagkanulo sa kanya ay mismong ang DOJ partikular si SOJ Boying Remulla.

Anghaba na ng istorya, pero papasok pa lang tayo sa bago na namang episode: Bantag vs. Remulla. Nagsisimula pa lang ito. Marami pang mapapanood at malalaman ang taumbayan.

Basta sa atin: pare-pareho lang sila. Sige lang, hayaan nating “maglaslasan” sila. Alam naman natin ang totoo at mga dapat paniwalaan sa mga ilalabas at sasabihin nila.

Abangan ang mga susunod na kabanata!
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