Tag: food supply

I Love Israel: Israeli agricultural center and DILG sign memorandum of understanding (MOU) on food security solutions

I Love Israel: Israeli agricultural center and DILG sign memorandum of understanding (MOU) on food security solutions

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As some of you are already aware, I fully stand with Israel which is directly connected with my uncompromising faith in the Lord. I keep on praying to Him for Israel to overwhelm its enemies, rescue the hostages and recover from the effects of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks committed by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. I can assure all of you that nobody from the evil Islamo-Leftist mob, nobody from the pro-Palestine zealots and nobody from any evil society would stop me from supporting and loving Israel.

Now, on with the news…

Recently here in the Philippines, memorandum of understanding (MOU) on food security solutions was signed by an Israeli agricultural center and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), according to an official announcement. The MOU signing was witnessed by Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the announcement published through the DILG’s website. Some parts in boldface…

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with an Israeli agricultural center aimed at providing intensive training and education to selected local agriculture students on modern food security solutions.

The MOU was signed by DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos and AgroStudies Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Yaron Tamir at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

In his speech, Abalos thanked the Israel Embassy and the AgroStudies for their friendship and partnership, as the agreement will significantly boost the attainment of Pres. Marcos Jr.’s vision of ensuring food security under the Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance.

Agrostudies is an international training center which provides a program for agricultural education to interns from developing countries around the world.

“We thank our partners for this continuous partnership of you transferring the technology and best practices to our Filipino farmers,” he said.

Abalos also thanked the partner national government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agriculture, National Security Council, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for their equal commitment to pushing forth the said program.

The DILG Chief also cited the DILG’s Halina’t Magtanim ng Prutas at Gulay (HAPAG) Program, which complements the national government’s food security measures, and the KADIWA ng Pangulo program, which provides access to quality and safe food items at affordable prices.

Based on the MOU, the DILG will collaborate with LGUs in the selection of eligible students to participate in the 11-month AgroStudies program in Israel, focusing on various aspects of agriculture, including crop cultivation, livestock management, and agricultural technology.

Meanwhile, Tamir explained that the Philippines was the first partner country of Israel over the last 20 years, with some 8,000 Filipinos as scholars in this program, the largest among 15 partner -countries in the AgroStudies internship program.

“Our purpose is for the students and farmers to learn modern technologies in Israel and engage in businesses in the Philippines. I promise that as long as I am the CEO, the Philippines will have the highest quota,” Tamir said.

Posted below is a related news video…

The MOU signed is crucial because food security is a priority under the current government. We Filipinos should be very thankful that Israel – which is an established world leader on agriculture, farming, water and food development – was willing to be a strategic partner as there are over one hundred million people around the Philippines who need to be fed in the long term. Along the way, the Philippines has to keep working hard on boosting agricultural production, expanding the number of government-backed food stores, stabilizing prices of food and cracking down on those who smuggle and hoard agricultural goods.

We should also be thankful to the Lord that even as Israel remains busy fighting the terrorists not only in Gaza but also across the border with Lebanon (Hezbollah), the Jewish state and Israeli companies still value the Philippines as a key partner on economics and social development issues.

To my fellow Filipinos reading this, I encourage you to accept the truth that Israel is the land God designated specifically for the Jewish people (read Genesis 35:10-12) and His command must be followed without hesitation. If you want to be blessed further by the Lord, do so by loving and blessing the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3). I did my part when I was in Israel. Also, let me remind you all that the ties between the Jews and Christians are truly biblical!

We live in a very divided world. Around the world, Leftist forces have been supporting evil forces like the current regime of Iran which is known for supplying and arming the Palestinian terrorists and other terrorist groups around the Middle East. Leftist forces have been supporting the Palestinian Authority and other enemies of Israel. The Leftists and terrorists always go together and their anti-Semitism is clearly obvious. Hamas is purely evil and they are being protected by not only their fellow terrorists but also by mainstream news media outlets who are linked with Leftist forces and people who hate Israel and the Jewish people. Beware of the evil union of the Islamo-Left which is wicked deep within.

With all that said, I encourage you all to pray to the Lord God in support of Israel and believe that He will guide the Israeli forces to another victory which means finishing off Hamas, crushing Hezbollah and forcing Iran and its terror proxies to give up. Read Joshua 11:1-20 in the Holy Bible for relevance and truth.

If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful, you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel and love the Jewish people no matter what. You can do your part supporting Israel by donating to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Do not forget to read the Holy Bible, then pray in tongues to the Lord in the privacy of your room with the door shut.

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your enlightenment.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

The new normal for bread from the local bakeries?

The new normal for bread from the local bakeries?

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Have you been paying more for pandesal at your local bakery? In my experience, I love the pandesal of Mang Pandesal located along Tropical Avenue, BF International in Las Piñas City.  When I first visited them in 2019, they sold pieces of pandesal at P2 each. That is no longer the case anymore. Two days ago, I visited Mang Pandesal ang bought 20 pieces of pandesal at P2.50 each. That’s a total of P50.

Do the math, P2.50 is a notable increase of 25% over the previous price of P2 per pandesal which lasted for years at Mang Pandesal. While I still will buy pandesal from Mang Pandesal (note: they’re still the best in the BF Homes community), I am more conscious about how many pieces to buy each time I visit them.

Even as our country continues to struggle to recover from the COVID-19 crisis socially and economically, we have no choice but to face the new normal of bread from the local bakeries…a new normal of higher prices and/or smaller sizes of bread. There are both internal and external economic forces that have been affecting the many local bakeries around the Philippines. High fuel prices are just the tip of the iceberg, literally.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from a recent Manila Bulletin article. Some parts in boldface…

Expect local bread to get smaller but become more expensive at the same time.

Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda made this rather depressing prediction as wheat, eggs, and sugar–all vital ingredients to breadmaking–have all shot up in price.

Salceda even has a clever word for it: “shrinkflation”.

“Bread will probably be the hardest hit by shrinkflation. Wheat prices have increased by 165 percent. At that point, breadmakers will probably both increase prices and shrink sizes,” the economist-solon said in a statement Sunday night, July 17.

Last March, Salceda warned of higher bread prices amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which affected the trade of wheat.

“Egg prices are also threatening to go out of control. Sugar supply is already problematic, noted the Bicolano.

“What we are likely to see us shrinkflation. Goods getting smaller instead of higher prices,” he noted.

Salceda said that while the government continues to try to control price hikes and resolve supply issues, manufacturers and millers can “fortify their products with vitamins and minerals”.

“Nutrition should be part of Science for Change, which is the DOST’s (Department of Science and Technology) flagship program. This should be one of the most relevant and immediate applications.

“Secretary [Fortunato] dela Pena also asked millers and breadmakers to consider other alternatives and additives to maintain nutritional value without increasing prices or reducing sizes significantly…So, in the meantime, while we solve the structural issues affecting price and supply, we can adapt,” the lawmaker said.

Pieces of pandesal.

Meanwhile, the Malaya Business Insight recently published an article about the struggle of community bakers. Posted below is an excerpt of their article with some parts in boldface…

Community bakers have lost 20 percent of their members due to the twin effects of the pandemic and rising raw material prices.

Princess Lunar, director of the Asosasyon ng Panaderong Pilipino, told the Balitaan sa Maynila yesterday, the fair price of pandesal should be P4 per piece to maintain its quality but bakers continue to sell at P2 to P2.50  but the size has considerably shrank to 18 grams.

Lunar said at P4, pandesal size can be restored to 30 g.

While pandesal is not a regulated commodity, community bakers cannot increase their prices because of competition among themselves as well as with commercial and industrial bakers which have economies of scale.

She said the group plans to come up with variants of pandesal at a much  bigger size  enhanced with more nutritious ingredients from agricultural crops like potato, cassava and other starches. The group plans to sell this at P8 to P10 per piece.

The value-added product can help elevate the stature of the pandesal which Lunar has termed as the “pambansang tinapay.”

She appealed to government to assist the group in conducting trainings to improve further the quality of their breads especially pandesal and ensure its sustainability.

Lunar said prior to the pandemic, about 40 percent of the flour requirements for bread go to community bakers. This has since shrank to 19 percent.

Lunar said from P785 per bag, the price of flour has gone up to P1,000. Since January when the Russia-Ukraine crisis started, the price of flour has gone up by P100 to P150 per bag.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Have you been paying more for pandesal at your local bakery? Does each pandesal piece look smaller in terms of size and content in relation to what you paid for? Are you willing to pay P4 per piece of pandesal? Are there any bakeries in your local community that shut down recently? Apart from pandesal, what other types of bread do you buy from your local community bakery?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others as well as making a donation to support my publishing.. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

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