Press Release
November 7, 2007

Senator Edgardo J. Angara on poverty
alleviation through agricultural development

Senator Edgardo J. Angara today said that countering poverty in the country has to be done through the time-tested program of reinvigorating the agriculture sector through fresh investments, viable programs and massive technological innovations.

"To ease the problem of poverty, there is one route to take and this is through massive, successful and sustained agricultural production," said Angara.

Angara said that poverty has a "distinct rural face" and a rural development strategy anchored on agriculture is the best anti-dote to this.

Angara's call to give agriculture a strong push was framed by two major developments. The first was a meeting between World Bank President Robert Zoellick and Philippine government officials which arrived at the consensus that agricultural development should be the anchor of the effort to ease poverty.

Second, was a survey from the Social Weather Station (SWS) which claimed that poverty incidence in the country is at 52 per cent, with Mindanao as the region with the most number of poor Filipinos.

Angara was one of the top Philippine government officials who met with Zoellick in the WB headquarters in Washington D. C.. In the meeting that also included Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco, Finance Secretary Margarito Tevez and Representatives Ramon Durano V1 of Cebu and Herminigildo Mandanas of Batangas , Zoellick said that the WB is now upping its support to agricultural and rural development programs because only through this can the Bank help ease the problem of global poverty.

Angara said that he finds it tragic that Mindanaons rate themselves as the poorest in the country .

"With enough investments, Mindanao can easily be the food basket of the country. It has the physical resources. It is typhoon-free. It is the only region in the country that is free from the FMD (foot-and-mouth disease) infestation," said Angara.

Angara said that Mindanao has the potential to be a major producer of surplus agricultural products which can be exported into the global market.

Angara was the main author and sponsor of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), which is blueprint for agricultural modernization in the country.

The law provides for a minimum of P20 billion investment a year for agricultural programs , covering such areas as research and development, post-harvest facilities, marketing support , irrigation projects and the training of a huge pool of agricultural scientists.

His stint as agriculture secretary was marked by frontier agricultural programs and his aggressive effort to find global markets for Philippine agricultural exports.

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