We reject Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. as agriculture chief.

At the very least, Marcos Jr. assigning himself as agriculture chief “for now” further exposes the unpreparedness of his coming administration. Why is a president-elect with a supposed 31 million-strong mandate seemingly left alone to handle the lingering crisis of our local agriculture? Wala na ba talagang iba?

Or worse, Marcos Jr. is beginning to show his power-hungry nature. The agriculture department is a central destination of foreign loans and investments from the World Bank and other financial institutions. It also holds power over the billions worth of importation and smuggling of agricultural goods. Expectedly, the agency has repeatedly been the center of various corruption issues. Indeed, there is money in agriculture, but not for farmers.

In both cases, Marcos Jr. is grossly unqualified to face the food crisis which various experts have warned will worsen. He has no track record whatsoever in agriculture to stand upon. In his many years as a legislator, he has not authored or co-authored any law beneficial to farmers. He has ignored even the Free Irrigation Services Act (FISA). Despite his many years in the local government of Ilocos, its farm lots remain among the smallest, and its farmworkers receive among the lowest wages.

In his statements and materials, he tries to put upfront supposed “successes” in agriculture by his father. There is however no golden age of agriculture under Marcos Sr. – “golden kuhol” lang ang meron!

How can a Marcos Jr. who is inexperienced, or unremarkable at best, in agriculture face the unprecedented crisis Philippine agriculture faces today?

What can we expect from Marcos Jr. as both Agriculture Secretary and President? Worsening peasant poverty and nationwide hunger, and definitely more “golden age” posturings – na hindi naman makakain! #