President Duterte had promised in previous editions of his State of the Nation Addressed that under his administration, the agriculture sector would be modernized, food prices would be lowered and that the “Plant, Plant, Plant” (PPP) flagship program would jumpstart urgently needed innovations in the vital sector. But with just a year left before he ends his term, hopes of the country’s farmers and fisherfolk that these will be fulfilled have been largely extinguished, lamenting the “antipoor” and “proimportation” policies of the administration. “There’s nothing to be happy about in agriculture,” said Raul Montemayor, chair of the Federation of Free Farmers. “I don’t think we can expect a change in policies that would favor the farmers. We’re just waiting for them to leave office and hope the next one will be better than them.”

Ocampo, K. R. (2021, July 29). Farmers, fisherfolk lament gov’t’s broken promises. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp.B1, B2.