Comments on: Rice Shortage

By: loriesplace.com » OFWs

loriesplace.com » OFWs — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:17:33 +0000

[...] a quote from one of the characters of Winter Moon. It reminded me of a comment I made on Mang GB’s blog about how OFW’s are not really heroes. I was speaking in the [...]

By: aovaron

aovaron — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:44:53 +0000

I should build up the comments, concatenate them into an entry haha. The comments are longer than the entry. I intended that to be long, but I was short of time. I only had 30mins at the cafe before I came to the office.

I think politics is dirty, but I have a scapegoat for everything that’s not right with the world. I know nothing much about it either ’cause I’m too honest hahaha

Ate Lorie agreed with me, nakakapanibago yata :) Ate Lorie, enjoy the book. You’ll realize why I like that book a lot :)

By: Lorie

Lorie — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:25:27 +0000

I never really understood why OFWs are “heroes”. I understand that it’s hard to choose being away from your loved ones to be able to provide for them, and that they help the economy by sending money, yada yada.

But I think the real heroes are the workers who choose to work and make a contribution in the country and not be blinded by the money from working abroad. How easy it is to make the so-called sacrifices in exchange for a comfortable life. Bihira yung mga taong ginagawa lang yung ginawa nila because of the sheer joy of doing it and not because of wealth or prestige.

I won’t comment on the politics and economics because I know zip about it…

I agree with Mr. Varon that not wasting food doesn’t help the needy. And that if we all save food it will somehow help others; this is too idealistic for me. Let’s face it, people are selfish. However, I try not waste food because it doesn’t feel right to me. Others are breaking their backs to get food on the table so I should appreciate that I have food that I can choose to waste or not. There’s no logic here just a personal standpoint.

By: aovaron

aovaron — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:58:29 +0000

To answer all the questions you posed, I don’t care if people starve and I waste what I have. It is mine and I can do whatever I want with it. I feel no pity on anyone starving right now. However, I’m focusing my entry on something that I CAN have.

The only problem people are having is that they cannot have rice due to a high price which is caused by low production which is caused improper farming (caused by the things I mentioned). If I chose not to waste my rice, that means I’ll sell my surplus to others at a higher price. I will not give away my surplus of rice for free. Do you think that the starving public be able to get hold of the rice I’m selling? If they cannot afford my rice, that means it’s going to waste, unless I give it away for free. I’d rather waste my surplus rather than give that to the starving public mainly because I’m selfish and secondly the act will create all other kinds of problems for me (i.e., you can’t please everyone, so if you stick your nose in other people’s business that’s a huge problem).

The problem is not because I bought the rice that others could have. It’s a short-sighted scenario. Saving can’t last. So why would I linger on something short term?

By: MHAR

MHAR — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:27:10 +0000

mr. varon i am not saying that saving food is a solution but a mere fact that we people who care about is anticapating to this ood shortage. logic 1: if you save food rather than wasting it the consumption is less. so you could have it later when you starve. (i guess you eat tira-tira or know how to reheat food) logic 2: kung itinago mo yong pagkain mo, imbes na bibili ka pa ay hindi na. at kung itinapon mo naman, kunwari yong kanin, edi bibili ka pa nyan? o edi sana yong binili mo e binili na rin ng ibang buyer na mas nangangailangan kesa sau. nagets mo?sana. AND IF YOU HAVE THE SYMPATHY TO THE WORLD’S RICE SHORTAGE INCLUDING PHIL. I GUESS YOU KNOW HOW TO FEEL LIKE. UNLESS IF DONT HAVE THE GUTS… ;)
I know politically perspective that yeah phil having problems with rice shortage due to (maybe) political manipulation and lack of concrete system towards agricultural matter. but hey you can make even just a little good deed by saving food. or you could have brought these foods to those who starve alot, if in case. yeah i am aware that we filipinod HERE in the phil. having problem wih rice shortage but then again i told so we can make a little good deed to anticipate to what really happening, it might not be a good solution but an sole empathy though.

By: aovaron

aovaron — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:50:30 +0000

Supply can be controlled… if we really work on it. We can increase it as teh demand rises to maintain the balance. The supply-demand curve is flexible enough that you can move both variables. We can also adjust the damand (survival of the fittest) but politicians “won’t like it” if you know what I mean. May the Philippines should follow what China did??? 1 child per family :)

By: linapuhan

linapuhan — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:36:49 +0000

speaking of supply vis-a-vis population, bumaba ang supply relative sa ratio ng population, shifting the demand curve rightward thus creating a shortage

By: aovaron

aovaron — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:37:15 +0000

Ate Lorie, don’t be afraid to be hypocritical because it’s human nature. Embrace that :) Since ugali na ng Filipino yun, hindi ba natin pwedeng magbago tayo?

Sabi nga sa show kinukulang daw ng pondo. Hindi pondo ang problema. Ang problema ay kung saan napupunta ang pondo.

Natural disasters – we caused this, so the blame is on us. Winasak ng gobyerno ang kapaligiran natin. Sabi nga sa show dahil daw sa pagtaas ng popolasyon ang nag apekto sa pagtaas ng demand kaya ang supply bumaba. Kung ako ang tatanongin, Supply ang bumaba. If we are self sufficient and not rely on the international market, then we should be OK, but how can we be self sufficient when the government are suppressing the farmers and not supporting them. It’s they who are feeding the citizens, yet they have to find ways to produce every six months. If you ask me, they are the heroes and not the fucking OFWs or Manny “fucking” Pacquiao…

Oh, scientists are the growing problem also because they discover something, then get out of the country. Uhhmmm… Like I said, IRRI is right in our backyard, but they are not helping our farmers at all. They are helping foreign farmers, not us.

By: linapuhan

linapuhan — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:17:00 +0000

rice production is rather sticky because it takes some time to produce it while consumption rate is growing as the population grows. natural disasters could easily tip the supply demand equilibrium which will undeniably result to importation. tama ka, dapat iimprove talaga ang technology for rice production, and IRRI has been doing that. hybrid varieties were introduced pero ang production hindi pa rin sapat. this reminds me of jocjoc bolante and the celebrated fertilizer scam. kahit sino maiinis naman talaga dito. agricultural industrialization in the Philippines is a failure because of wrong government’s priorities. dagdag mo pa ang mga scam. powtek

By: bleuken

bleuken — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:30:46 +0000

That’s the problem with the government they want to put a good make-up on their faces to look beautiful in the eyes of the foreigners. Pinagtitipid tayo ng gobyerno pero sige naman gastos nila. Pinapakain nila ng masarap na kanin ang mga bisitang foreigners pero nangangamoy at nangingitim naman ang hinahain sa mga naghihirap na Filipino. Tapos parang sila pa yata ang nagtataka bakit nagkukulang tayo! Hindi kasi scientist ang nasa puesto kundi politiko.