Ateneo holds 21st Jaime V Ongpin Annual Memorial Lecture on Food Security

Ateneo de Manila University successfully concluded the 21st Jaime V Ongpin Annual Memorial Lecture on Public Service in Business and Government on October 21, 2022 at its Rockwell campus in Makati.

The event gathered professionals, government officials, and media practitioners. It was the university’s first in-person JVO lecture since 2020.

This year's lecture was delivered by Raul Q Montemayor, Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives Inc. National Manager. With a title "Farmer Security is Key to Food Security," his address highlighted the importance of empowering farmers in ensuring the country’s food security.

Explaining why the country remains food insecure despite of government programs like fertilizer subsidies and giving of ayuda, Montemayor noted “this production oriented approach does not seem to be not working… because this approach is directed toward the commodity and not the farmer who is producing the commodity.”

Policy of controlling farm gate prices, for example, simply places the burden of making food products affordable on the backs of the farmers, he noted. 

Montemayor also expressed disagreement on government policy of importation saying that the promise of cheaper prices for consumers and farmers adopting and improving due to competition are not realistic.

Citing his organization’s analysis of the impact of the 2019 Rice Tarrification Law, he noted, “If farmers average income dropped by PHP4,650 per hectare during each 6 months crop cycle, consumers saved only 26 pesos during the same 6 months period… The benefits [were just] captured by market intermediaries with practically no gains for the consumers and at huge cost for millions of rice farmers.”

Montemayor ended his message by emphasizing the need to support our farmers as they are the most important resource to achieve food security in our country. “If they leave their farms, where will they go? And where will we get the food that we need?,” he noted.

The keynote speech was followed by sharing of insights from the panel of reactors — Ka Rene Cerilla (Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka),  Edgardo Valenzuela (Ateneo School of Government and Loyola Schools) and Ernesto Ordoñez (Alyansa Agrikultura). The panel also responded to questions from the audience on site and online.

The event was concluded by a closing remarks from Maria Isabel Ongpin.  “We have to fight (and) one of the first fights is to make our government listen. Farmers are the backbone of any country, rich or poor… Why are we ignoring this?,” said Ms. Ongpin as she underscored the crucial role of government support to farmers to improve the agricultural sector and achieve food security.

The lecture is now accessible to watch at the Ateneo de Manila University’s official Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKIQln0RseY). For questions for the panel, you may email development@ateneo.edu.

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About the Jamie V Ongpin (JVO) Annual Memorial Lecture

The JVO Annual Memorial Lecture is a program of the Jaime V Ongpin Center for Business and Government (JV­­O Fund) and the Ateneo School of Government. The JVO Fund was established to help raise awareness of the Filipino people about pressing national development issues, in order to empower them to actively engage in nation-building.

The Jaime V Ongpin Annual Memorial Lecture on Public Service in Business and Government was inaugurated in 2001 to help raise the awareness of the Filipino people about pressing national development issues, in order to empower them to actively engage in nation building.

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Philippine Star's article on the 21st JVO Annual Memorial Lecture (https://www.philstar.com/business/2022/11/02/2220818/farmer-security-key-food-security)