‘Inclusive growth impossible under Noy’s term’

MANILA, Philippines - Inclusive growth and better lives for the poor remain an impossible dream under the Aquino administration, Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian said yesterday.

Gatchalian, vice chairman of the House committees on Metro Manila development and tourism, said the administration lacks the commitment to improve the agriculture sector that led to a less than one percent growth this year, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

He said the agriculture sector, which employs the biggest number of employed persons next to the services sector, only moved by 0.4 percent from a 2.6-percent decline posted during the same period last year.

Gatchalian added the overall performance of agriculture was dismal as hunting, forestry and fishing only grew 1.1 percent for the period 2012-2013 and 1.6 for 2013-2014.

The country’s GDP, meanwhile, grew by 6.8 percent in 2012, 7.2 percent in 2013 and 6.1 percent in 2014.

“The dismal growth of the agricultural sector has undoubtedly contributed to the persistent poverty among fisherfolk and farmers who, despite the country’s economic growth, remain to be among the poorest sectors aside from children, with poverty incidence at 39.2 percent and 38.3 percent, respectively, in 2012,” Gatchalian said.

“Economic growth that neglects the majority of the population, especially the poor, is obscene. The government exists to make sure everyone, especially the poor, has equal access to resources. Nobody should be left behind,” he said.

Gatchalian, a senatorial candidate in the slate of independent presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe, said the next administration should not fail to prioritize the agriculture sector given its potential to mitigate poverty in the country.

He said the government should recognize the importance of agriculture in both economic growth and poverty alleviation.

Gatchalian said under a Grace Poe presidency, “no Filipino will be left behind. ”

“Every Filipino will be afforded the opportunities necessary to partake of the economic gains,” he said.

Gatchalian suggested performance-based incentives in agriculture should be promoted to make our local sector competitive against Southeast Asian neighbors and be prepared for trade liberalization.

He said the government should identify provinces that have the potential to be regionally competitive and provide them with resources so they can keep pace with neighbors in the region.

“Other provinces, meanwhile, should be given adequate support in shifting to alternative cash crops. The government has to focus on identifying comparative advantages. It has to be more strategic in deploying its resources,” Gatchalian said.