Duterte promises free irrigation for farmers

“Anybody in government who does not share President Duterte’s vision for the Filipino farmer is free to leave and find another job,” I told Shyla Francisco of Bloomberg TV PH.

By Manny Piñol

People in government who still do not know President Duterte’s character better read this.

When Duterte makes a commitment, it is a promise which must be fulfilled and i as his alter ego in the agriculture department will make sure that it will be realized.What got my goat last night was the fact that the issue of the Presidential promise of free irrigation was already discussed during the transition meeting I had with the heads of the four agencies under the Office of the President on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization (OPAFSAM) which was also attended by outgoing Presidential Adviser Edel Guiza.In fact, I remember clearly telling NIA Administrator Wencie Padernal to come up with a strategy on how to ensure that the Presidential promise is fulfilled.

“The issue of free irrigation for the Filipino farmers is a Presidential commitment and it is non-negotiable. Find a way to make sure it is implemented by 2017,” I remembered telling Padernal.

To hear a statement from the NIA questioning that commitment is not only irritating but also a manifestation of the malady afflicting people in government – that is the failure to think outside the box to help people.

“Kung gusto, maraming paraan; Kung ayaw, maraming dahilan,” goes an old Pilipino saying.