QUEDANCOR De-Activation: Are they deserving?

Word came out that the country’s premiere credit and guarantee company, the Quedan & Rural Credit Guarantee Corporation (QUEDANCOR), has been recommended by the economic managers of this administration for de-activation.

The Quedan Guarantee Fund Board (Quedan Board), predecessor of the QUEDANCOR, was established in 1978, during the peak of the Masagana 99 program of the Marcos government, to help farmers cope with the lowering prices of palay brought by bumper harvests and over-supply of rice. It was mandated to provide guarantee for bank loans of farmers with only palay stocks for collateral. The office has successfully provided the farmers a breather for their financial woes. Since then the corporation has evolve to where it is now, providing not only guarantee but extending direct credit to palay and other agricultural commodity producers and sellers.

It was only recently that the corporation experienced losses which could have been brought by mismanagement or misjudgement by its handlers. The corporation borrowed huge amounts and expanded its network in an attempt to extend its services to more beneficiaries. Today, interest and overhead expenditures are eating up its funds.

Recently a subject of legislative investigations due to issues from its programs and findings by COA audits

Whatever happened to the investigations...graft? ...channeling of funds? ... mismanagement? And how about the COA Reports? Isn’t there anybody interested in pursuing these issues? Will killing the Corporation that provided credit at the reach of our deprived agri-workers for the past 30 years answer these concerns?

As our Asian neighbors gives value to its agriculture industry by providing subsidy. Our government , aside from the seed capital provided during the corporation’s inception, has not provided any additional funds to QUEDANCOR. The office pursued its mandate for three decades. 30 years of operation which could very well justify its efficiency. And yet, the government chooses to turn off the switch to its operation at a tiny instance.

De-activating QUEDANCOR will leave millions of its beneficiaries, direct or indirect, hanging on a blank wall. It will be creating vacuum on our struggling agriculture industry craving for financial assistance.

De-activating QUEDNACOR could also result to the displacement of more than a thousand of its manpower. Government could be handing down sentence to the wrong guy, the lowly workers who were simply mismanaged for a short period or just following orders.

If ever this plan of de-activation materializes. who’s at a disadvantage? The managers who have at least enjoyed their stint with fat pay checks and/or allowances? or the lowly workers who could barely make ends meet? Who among them enjoyed the big chunks of benefits, privileges and probably popularity. And how about accountability? Who will be pointed as answerable for the predicament the corporation got into?

Who are the people who decided the fate of this corporation or at least are in the know or was supposed to be aware of what was happening to it but did not lift a finger to arrest the circumstances?

Looking at the numbers, the ranks and the beneficiaries of this humble corporation has it! But they seem to be unconvincing and powerless. Something must be missing. Or are they also mishandling the bid for continuance?

Do they deserve to be de-activated?

Reaching Out

Last October 11, 2008, the Flickristasindios, an online photo-sharing community (Flickr) group, in cooperation with the Red Cross - Rizal Chapter held a gift giving and feeding activity to 100 pupils of Pantay Elementary School in Teresa, Rizal. A first in its many group activities. It is the group's way of sharing the blessings received by many of its members, some of whom are Filipinos abroad, and at the same time doing its civic and social share to the nation.

The activity started with lectures on hygiene by Red Cross Volunteers to the selected pupils, after which, each of the kids were given gift bags containing hygiene products like soap, tooth-paste, tooth-brush, etc. Each child was also given an English grammar book.

Before leaving, each child was treated with a glass of milk and a bowl of hot porridge.

A speck of salt in the ocean - meager as it may, but if it could be replicated a dozen folds, this act by a small group of photographers could make a significant impact to communities longing for social support.

Kudos to the organizers of this endeavor, the Flickristasindios, and the Red Cross!!!

Shoot from the Gut. Capture and Share. Have Fun along the Way. - Flickristasindios

QueMAS Action

Saan Na Patungo?

Kamakailan lang ay naibalita ng namumuno ng aming opisina ang plano ng mga economic managers ng kasalukuyang administrasyon ng pamahalaan na i-deactivate na ang aming korporasyon. Kulang na lang na sabihing isasara na kami.

Sa pagsasakatuparan ng nasabing plano, milyong benepisiaryo sa nayon ang mawawalan ng pag-asa sa karagdagang puhunan na ipinauutang ng aming opisina para kanilang mga gawain at kabuhayan. Mahigit 1,000 empleayado din, ng aming opisina, ang mawawalang ng trabaho, karamihan dito mga rank-and-file na tulad ko, na umaasa lamang sa kinsenas na sahod.

Bakit ide-deactivate?

Dahil sa laki ng pagkakautang, hirap kami ngayong magbayad ng aming pagkakautang, Sa ngayon, hindi matugunan ng aming ahensya ang interes sa pagkakautang.

Mula’t Sapul

Ng itinatag ang aming opisina, paunang pondo lamang ang iginugul dito ng pamahalaan. Sa naturang pondo, mahigit 30 taon tumakbo ang ahensya ng walang karagdagang ayuda. At makailang ulit din naipautang ng aming korporasyon, sa mga mahihirap sa kanayunan, ang pondo na sa ngayon ay umabot na ng kung ilang bilyong pautang. Sa hangaring makatulong pa sa mas higit na bilang ng mahihirap na umaasam ng tulong mula sa pamahalaan, umutang ng karagdagang puhunan ang aming opisina . At dito na nagsimula ang aming kalbaryo.

Kung management failure ang nangyari, bakit di hanapan ng solusyon? Alamin kung saan nagkamali at iwasto. Sayang naman ang 30 taong pinagsilbi ng opisina sa pagpapaabot ng tulong pinansyal sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda at iba pang mamumuhunan at manggagawa sa kanayunan na alam natin na hindi basta mabibigyan ng pautang sa mga bangko.

Malaki ang maitutulong ng kasalukuyang administrasyon ng gobyerno at mga namumuno ng aming opisina para maisalba ang aming korporasyon, kung aalamin lang ng wasto kung sino, saan at ano ang mga puno’t dulo ng pag hina ng kumpanya at pagbigay ng nararapat na katugunan. Hindi mangyayari ang mga ito ng hindi man lang nalaman ng mga namumuno at namamahala. Hindi inalam? Hindi pinansin? o hindi alam? Mga katanungan na pag-sinagot ay magpapakita sa kung anong klase ng pamumuno ang ipinatupad sa korporasyon.

Sa pamamagitan ng karagdagang puhunan, upang makaahon at matugunan ng aming opisina ang mga obligasyon, at sa pagwawasto ng pamamalakad at pamamahala ng aming ahensya, naniniwala ako na kaya pa nito muling pumalaot ng nag-iisa at tumulong sa mahihirap, ng walang gaanong ayuda, ng makailang ulit pa sa 30 taon na pinamalagi nito.

Ang dating nagpapa-abot ng puhunan sa kanayunan,

ngayon ay kumakatok upang mapahiram, mabigyan,

ng karagdagang ayuda.

Pagkatapos ng ilang taong pagsisilbi,

sana ay tugunan at huwag ipag isang-tabi na lamang.