The largest and most militant peasant movement in the Philippines Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) again lambasted the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the rising cost of beef and other basic commodities. “Our local cattle and hog raisers are also being pushed to the wall by the policies of liberalization of the regime as well as the planned tax measures. These moves of the government essentially causes the rise of basic products in this case beef and next month pork, eventually chicken and fish will follow, thereby compromising the ability of the populace to have a balanced diet,” said Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of the group.

“Actually statistics show that 16 million Filipinos do not take breakfast anymore due to the increases in the cost of food stuff. Now, it is further compounded by the government, depriving us of much needed proteins and pushing us to malnourishment,” added the peasant leader

On Saturday the price of a kilo of beef was jacked up to P200 from its previous price of P180. Hog raisers are now also saying that in September the price of pork will follow the increase. These are the effects of the perpetual oil price increases, and the scare that the new tax measures of Gloria are now creating.

“Maybe before the year ends, we Filipinos will have a no meat diet all year round. It is as if Holy Week has been declared all through-out the year and the eating of meat is prohibited, due to its increasing costliness,” said Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of KMP.

“If this happens we will be lucky if we have tuyo (dried fish) as viand, with the continued increase of meat products and other basic commodities we may well be using salt as our staple viand,” ended Ala. # # #
 

KMP - 23 August 2004