CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- “Agriculture and fishery workers should be protected.”

Thus said 3^rd District Board Member Johnny “JQ” Quiambao as he filed Resolution No. 1500 Series of 2010, known as “Magna Carta of Agriculture and Fishery Development Workers.”

The resolution seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of agriculture and fishery development workers as well as their working condition and employment status.

"The Magna Carta will put the salaries and benefits of local extension workers at par with those of their national counterparts and I am glad about this. The agricultural extension workers are crucial in the transfer of scientific knowledge and know-how and in strengthening the linkage between the agriculture and fisheries producers and processors and the market and credit providers

Quiambao said the devolved agriculturists are floated and non-agriculturists are appointed as Municipal Agriculturists by the local chief executives. “Many cases have been documented where the agriculture personnel are asked to perform non-agriculture functions to the neglect of their core functions. In these cases, the provision of agriculture services, especially extension, is neglected to the detriment of the poor who need it most," he said.

Quiambao’s resolution is also giving full support to Senate Bill 3039 or the Magna Carta of Agriculture and Fishery Development filed by Senator Edgardo Angara, which seeks to accelerate the development and modernization of Philippine Agriculture.

Quiambao, who is running for his 3rd term as board member, said his resolution which he filed yesterday also affirms the rights of workers identified as follows: security of tenure; prohibition of discrimination; safeguards in administrative privileges; normal working hours and overtime work; training and scholarship; right to join organization; freedom from interference or coercion; and human resource development.

Quiambao said the Kapampangan agri-workers have worked doubly hard to bring the agricultural sector to where it is today. The provincial government, as well as the public, must recognize their efforts.

Inspired by Angara’s Senate Bill, Quiambao said he is also seeking the provision of incentives and rewards system to further accelerate countryside development.

He also mentioned the need to boost economic development in the countryside as the country faces the challenge of achieving food security under the looming threat of a global food crisis.

In statement issued by Senator Angara, he said the backbone of the Philippine economy remains to be the agriculture and fisheries industry. More than ever before, the country faces the challenge of achieving food security caused by, among others, spiraling fuel and energy costs and the degradation of the world's natural resources," said Angara, who is a former Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) from 1999-2001.

Quiambao said the provincial government is spending millions of resources which otherwise could be allocated to long-term investments to boost our agricultural productivity.

He also said there is a need to initiate a long-term and focused effort to boost agricultural productivity which could result to socio-economic growth and reduce poverty and widespread hunger.

Quiambao said as chair of the Committee on Agriculture, he is fully in support of Senator Angara’s bill that gives a little boost to the men and women who comprise the agriculture and fishery development workers.