TAGAYTAY City—“Hindi biro ang pagsasaka pero napakahalaga nito sa atin, kaya, please show some respect to farmers.”

Senator Francis Pangilinan said this to the participants from CALABARZON, MIMAROPA and BICOL during the Sagip Saka IRR Public Consultation Luzon B Cluster (CALABARZON, MIMAROPA and BICOL) held on October 4, 2019 at the Tagaytay International Convention Center here.

“Ang tagumpay ng Pilipinas ay nakasalalay sa tagumpay ng pinakamahirap na sector ng Pilipinas—ang magsasaka. Kaya, respetuhin natin sila.”

Pangilinan said that these derogatory terms and remarks—“Nangangamote”, “Nangingitlog”, “Pupulutin sa kangkungan”, “Nangangalabasa”, “Bagsakan”, and “Hampaslupa” show how Filipinos looked down on farming.

“Minamasama natin ang pagsasaka” through these terms.

“Kamote, itlog, kangkong, kalabasa” are commodities that has high nutrient contents. Using these terms to attribute to failed grades, low esteem, stupidity and other negative connotations are completely out of context considering the benefits one person gets from eating these vegetables and egg.

In other countries like Thailand, King Boribor has high regards to farming as it is the backbone of the economy. In China, Confucius said that Teachers feed the mind and soul but it is the Farmers that feed and nourish the body. “Respect the farmers or else, we will never be food secured,” he said. (jaysonmgonzales)