Food crisis is agriculture officials’ fault

According to the CUP report, it is clear that the country’s dreadful food supply situation—from the recent rice shortage to the current runaway prices of vegetables—is the undoing of our very own food managers, particularly the administrators of the Department of Agriculture (DA). Had the DA taken measures to prevent the current food crisis, wage earners would not have demanded salary increases in the first place, and the prediction of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines of extensive layoff of workers would have had no basis. Any economist worth his or her salt knows that when food prices are sufficient at reasonable and affordable prices, there is no discontent among workers and the general public. The clamor for a wage hike or, for that matter, the betterment of one’s life emanates from an empty stomach.

MALAYSIA’S PULL-OUT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MONITORING TEAM: IMPLICATIONS TO PEACE AND THE PEACE PROCESS IN MINDANAO

By Abhoud Syed M. Lingga

Introduction

Last April 21, 2008, the Foreign Minister of Malaysia Rais Yatim made an unexpected announcement that his government will not send peace monitors once the mandate of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) will expire on September 9, 2008. Three days later, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, he is also the defense minister announced that the “phased withdrawal” starts on May 10, and 21 contingents leaving on that date. 2 The schedule of departure of other contingents to be determine later. The announcement causes concern that it might has effect on peace in Mindanao. The uncertainties of the situation once the Malaysian monitors depart were expressed both by the GRP and MILF.

Breaking the impasse

Editorial, Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Philippine Daily Inquirer has supported the search for lasting peace in Mindanao over the years. Part of our support has meant the duty to take national administrations to task when military interests threatened to undermine or overwhelm different peace initiatives. Thus, we view the current impasse in the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)—reflected in Malaysia’s decision to bring its peacekeepers home, some as early as this Saturday—with great dismay. At the same time, we view Malaysia’s apparent taking of sides with great concern too.

The Mindanao Peace Process: On a Carriage with Two Horses

By Julkipli Wadi

 

The analogy seems incongruent. But like any another metaphor whose object it is to describe a phenomenon vividly – characterising the Philippine government’s handling of the peace process with two major separatist movements, namely the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro Islamic Nationalist Front (MNLF), as akin to riding in a carriage pulled by two horses, simplifies the rather complex picture of the peace process in Mindanao.