MANILA, Philippines – This is a reaction to the news article titled “Free trade bad for Asean, warns solon” last January 5. Aside from this the sectors that the China-Asean Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) will primarily hit will be the millions of farmers and fisher folk in the region. It will also worsen the impact of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade-World Trade Organization (GATT-WTO) on the Southeast Asian region particularly the Philippines.
CAFTA will just mean further suffering and bankruptcy to us peasants because it will inevitably entail more land use conversions from agricultural lands and coastal areas to commercial, residential or industrial lands. It will also worsen crop conversions from our staple to high value crops to be exported. This will definitely imperil our food self-sufficiency and put us at the mercy of rice exporting countries. Add to this the fact that there will be a deluge of cheap imported agricultural products that will imperil the livelihood of us peasants who comprise 75 percent of our population.
Like the GATT-WTO, the CAFTA will just be full of promises that it can never fulfill. Cases in point are the millions of so-called jobs that it will create as well as the lowering of the prices of goods and services. These up till now have remained promises and what is worse is that the opposite happened. — FELIX PAZ, Chairman, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Bikol (KMP-Bikol), Barangay Alcala, Daraga, Albay
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
October –
Monthly Observances:
Industry and Commerce Safety Month
National Statistics Month
Local Government Month
Consumer Welfare Month
Cooperative Month
National Quality and Productivity Improvement Month
National Health and Wellness Tourism Month
National Indigenous Peoples Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Elderly Filipino Week
Week 2: National Health Education Week
Local Government Week
National Mental Health Week
October 17-23:
National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty
October 18 – 24:
United Nations Week
Last Week:
Nurses’ Week
Consumers’ Protection Week
Week of the 4th Sunday:
Barrio Farmers’ Week
Daily Observances:
First Monday (Oct 4): Universal Children’s Day i
n the Philippines
Oct 5: National Teachers’ Day
Oct 10: Local Government Day
Third Thursday (Oct 14): Conflict Resolution Day
Oct 21: Tenants’ Emancipation day
Oct 24: United Nations Day
Oct 29: National Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Day
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