ENI – The rice shortage, which the Philippines, an agricultural country, has been experiencing since March, is not only a matter of scarcity but also the result of a spiritual crisis, says an activist Roman Catholic priest.
“The rice crisis is not only an issue of supply and demand,” said Rev. Robert Reyes. “It is a subtle problem of connectivity between nature and us, between and amongst us Filipinos, between us and our leaders, and between us and God.”
During May Day workers' rallies throughout southeast Asia, calls came for lower food prices, especially for rice, throughout the region. In the Philippines, some activists urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign. Ousted former president Joseph Estrada blamed Arroyo's administration for a “lack of foresight” regarding agriculture.
Reyes says the loss of “connectivity” is apparent in what he describes as the Philippine government's “lopsided policy” of serving the demands of the global market first rather than giving priority to the agricultural productivity and food security of this southeast Asian country of more than 92 million.
