PHILIPPINES: ABORTED PROGRESS VERSUS IMPOSED POVERTY In May 1973, the Green Revolution was launched by then Philippine Martial Ruler President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda, under the name of Masagana 99. Masagana means bountiful in the Tagalog language, while 99 represented the goal of producing 99 sacks of rice (almost 5 tons) per hectare, which was necessary to make the Philippines self-sufficient in rice production. Working with the ex-US President FDR-inspired IRRI in the Philippines, Marcos built irrigation systems, provided fertilizer, pesticides, and cheap agricultural credits which were 85% guaranteed by the government, as well as a network of agriculture extension stations across the country, while introducing high-yield varieties of seed. Mechanization became widespread, replacing carabaos (water buffaloes). He also passed laws forbidding rice land from being converted to any other uses (as China has recently also done). By 1975, more than 500,000 farmers were participating in the program. Fertilizer usage doubled, irrigation use tripled to one-half of the arable land, and 81% of the rice planted was so-called miracle rice—up from zero in the 1960s. Productivity doubled, and by 1977, the Philippines was self-sufficient in rice for the first time in its modern history. Similar government support made the country self-sufficient in corn, and one of the worlds leading coconut oil producers. Meantime, Marcos had also implemented policies for energy independence, launching oil exploration which revealed significant oil resources offshore, extensive hydropower and geothermal development, and full support for the ongoing 620 MW nuclear project at Bataan. The Third World debt crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s, brought on by the manipulated leap in oil prices by the Anglo-Dutch cartels sent the Philippines into a financial crisis, forcing Marcos to sign deals with the World Bank and the IMF to meet debt payments. The conditionalities of these agreements forced the Philippines to lift their protective tariffs on food and other goods by one-third, and lift import restrictions on thousands of items. The Masagana 99 Green Revolution was undermined under the cover of the global financial crisis. In the early 1980s, fertilizer usage fell by 15%, acreage in rice fell by 2.4% annually, irrigation projects were abandoned, and the credit flow to farmers collapsed. Marcos was deposed in 1986 under the direction of the Opposition Powers behind (The Church, Oligarchs and Media ). Immediately, the nuclear facility, which was ready to turn on, was scrapped, as was the Green Revolution. In its place was globalization, which replaced a production orientation with dependence upon trade for food supplies. The protective tariffs were further removed, as US Federal support for infrastructure was slashed under the newly installed Revolutionary Government of Mrs. Cory Aquino. Agricultural production shifted to export crops, while importing cheap rice from abroad for national consumption. Production, by 1996, had fallen to 1960s levels in many parts of the country. The Philippines has never recovered todate. Source: Confidential
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 22:10:30 +0000