Pangilinan: To keep families together, boost local food production

Families would remain together and not be separated by overseas work if local food production earned more than jobs abroad, Senator Kiko Pangilinan said on Sunday, as he advocated for bigger investment in agriculture to create more lucrative jobs in the country.

“Kung may mga trabahong maayos dito sa bayan natin, di na aalis ang mga nanay at tatay at mawawalay sa pamilya,” Pangilinan said.

“Ayon sa datos, ang pinakamurang paraan para magkaroon ng trabaho dito sa Pilipinas ay ang mamuhunan sa agrikultura. Kaya mas madaling gumawa ng maraming trabaho kung tututukan ang agrikultura,” he added.

Pangilinan made these comments reiterating his interpellation earlier last week of Senate Bill 2235 which seeks to create a Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos.

“Alam natin ang hirap na dulot ng pag-o-OFW at tanggap nating dapat harapin ito. Pero umaasa tayo na balang araw, maraming trabahong pagpipilian dito at magiging alaala na lang ang mga problema ng pananamantala, abuso, diskriminasyon, at pagkawalay sa pamilya,” he said.

Pangilinan said sufficient investments in agriculture should encourage Filipinos, especially our farmers who earn an average of only P6,000 a month, to stay in the Philippines instead of leaving for work abroad.

The senator said the Sagip Saka Law aims to increase incomes of farmers and fisherfolk by modernizing food production.

“Tingin ko, basta hindi masyadong malayo ang kikitain dito sa Pilipinas, magdadalawang isip na ang ating mga kababayan na mangibang-bansa dahil mahihiwalay sa pamilya, haharap sa mapang-abusong amo, at kung anu-ano pa,” he added.

Pangilinan said budget for reintegration should increase and focus on creating jobs in agriculture and even tourism, as every tourist creates one job locally. He said call-center jobs have also kept Filipinos here with their family.

“Ang solusyon sa mga hamon na kinakaharap ng ating mga kababayan abroad ay ang manatili sila rito, hindi na kailangan pang umalis para makapagtrabaho dahil meron nang trabaho dito,” he said.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)