Vice-presidential aspirant Senator Kiko Pangilinan visited the trading post of La Trinidad, Benguet to dialogue with select vendors who were directly affected by the brazen smuggling of vegetable products in the country.
Markets in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro have reportedly been selling smuggled vegetable products from China since last year, affecting the local livelihood of farmers, vendors, and traders in the Cordillera region, one of the country’s top producers of cabbage and carrots.
“Ang panawagan natin: Baklasin ang mga smugglers, huwag ang mga tarps at posters ng TROPA,” Pangilinan said in a separate statement referring to the Baklas Tarps operations of the Commission on Elections and the Philippine National Police inside the private property of Team Robredo-Pangilinan (TROPA) volunteers.
“Nag-dialogue tayo. Nakipag-usap sa ilang mga lider ninyo rito tungkol nga sa smuggling tsaka yung problema ng farm inputs. Mahal na ngayon ang pataba, ang fertilizer dahil nga tumataas ang presyo ng krudo sa buong mundo,” the veteran legislator said.
The seasoned lawmaker promised to take the matter to the right venue and compel various government agencies to explain this unfair practice of favoring imported farm produce.
“Number one dun sa usapin ng smuggling, i-fo-follow up natin. Tayo ang senador na unang naghain ng resolusyon last year pa July para ma-imbistigahan ang smuggling ng carrots at iba pang mga vegetables galing China,” the senator promised.
“I-fo-follow up natin yung unang hearing na naganap noong January. Magkakaroon dapat sana ng pangalawang hearing. At ito’y idudulog natin sa ating Senate President para mag schedule ng pangalawang hearing,” he said.
“Susulatan din natin si Secretary Dar para hilingin ang isang dialogue meeting kasama ang inyong mga lider para mas lalong pang [maintindihan] ang problema ng smuggling,” he added, referring to Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
Pangilinan feels for the farmers of Benguet whose primary source of livelihood is farming and selling their produce.
“Talagang hindi tama ito. Inuuna yung interes ng mga dayuhan.”
“Talagang hindi tama ito. Inuuna yung interes ng mga dayuhan…Chinese vegetables yan. Di rin natin alam kung ligtas, kung merong kemikal yan…Maaaring nakakabigay ng cancer o ano pang sakit sa ating mga kababayan kaya talagang di dapat nating hayaan ang ganitong sistema,” he said.
“At makakaasa kayo na tayo ay tuloy-tuloy na gagawa ng koordinasyon sa inyong mga lider…para sama-sama nating hanapan ng solusyon itong smuggling at nawa’y maging matagumpay tayo,” Pangilinan added.
The smuggling issue has caused a downward trend in the earnings of farmers, including Jackie Habit and Christina Suplino.
Habit and Suplino, both vendors in La Trinidad market, said they are elated with Pangilinan’s visit, saying they are putting much of their trust on the senator’s promises to put an end to smuggling.
“Sana matigil na talaga ito para mabuhay naman kami nang maayos.”
“Talagang maganda makarinig na may mga senador pa rin na nagmamalasakit sa katulad naming mga vendors na humihina ang kita dahil sa smuggling. Sana matigil na talaga ito para mabuhay naman kami nang maayos,” Habit said.
Suplino agreed with Habit: “Kung maititigil ang smuggling, talagang malaki ang magiging utang na loob namin kay Senador [Pangilinan]. Sana naman unahin na kaming mga nagtatrabaho nang patas at huwag iyong mga nandadaya ng kanilang kapwa.”
