Press Release
January 27, 2022

Gordon meets with agri sector in Batangas

Re-electionist Sen. Richard J. Gordon headed to Lipa, Batangas today to tackle the scourge of problems affecting the agriculture sector along with the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines, Inc. (AGAP) partylist.

Gordon, the chairman of three Senate committees, namely the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon), Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, and Committee on Justice and Human Rights, is pushing for out-of-the box solutions to improve the state of agriculture.

"We must have a strategic platform and unify the public and private sector in helping craft innovations for the country's farmers, because the status quo is not working," said Gordon.

"We should liberate the farmers from poverty. Poverty is the absence of choice. Kahit magbungkal ng lupa maghapon ang ating farmers, kung walang siguradong bibili ng mga produkto nila, talagang talo ang ating magsasaka," he added.

Gordon pushed for the passage of the Regional Investment and Infrastructure Coordinating Hub (RICH) bill, which will create a one-stop shop where farmers could head to in order to sell their products or talk with government agencies to discuss plantation.

The senator also wants to push to strengthen agricultural cooperatives and undergo cluster farming to encourage the concept of "strength in numbers" where small farmers could be empowered by an umbrella group.

Government and private sector must also cooperate for a common cause in order to help people break the cycle of disaster and poverty, which destroys billions of pesos worth of crops and property due to the 20 typhoons passing on average annually.

Gordon also underscored the proper implementation of the Mandanas ruling, which was spearheaded by Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas and ratified by the Supreme Court recently.

"Ang Mandanas money, pupunta ngayon sa local government iyan, tataas ang share ng local government mula sa national treasury. Gamitin natin ito para palakasin ang agrikultura at fishery sa bawat locality," remarked Gordon.

"Closer is better. Makikita ng farmer na may pera ang local government, matutulungan silang palakasin ang kanilang mga negosyo," he continued.

As chairman of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Batangas has been a recipient of the PRC's help numerous times in the past years.

Gordon responded immediately to the victims of the Taal Volcano eruption last Jan. 2020, feeding almost 21,000 individuals, doling out cash grants to almost 10,000 families, distributing 325,800 liters of water, and over 400 households with livelihood assistance.

It also has established a Molecular Laboratory in order to cater COVID-19 testing to Regions IV-A and B, examining thousands of samples since July 2020.

The PRC also maintains four branches in addition to a blood center in the province.

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