Rising prices: Main Political Issue in 2010 Elections

A rainy Sunday and what a way to spend time just blogging. Yesterday, I had a chance to spend quality time with my family by just going to the Pasay City public market. Every week, we buy our stuff there and it's an opportunity for me to know first-hand, if prices of goods are rising or stayed the same. And boy, it is definitely rising in such ridiculous fashion.

If you have 1,000 pesos, what that could buy are a few seafoods (I bought octopus for 90 per kilo), a kilo of chicken, a kilo or two of beef, some veggies and eggs. And this would only last for a week. So, for food stuffs alone, you need at least 4,000 pesos per month and this does not include grocery items. For groceries, I normally spend 4-5,000 per two weeks.

I admit that prices are dependent on market forces. It's a push and pull thing, meaning if stocks are plenty, then, lower prices. If stocks are limited, prices are higher. Marketers always make a killing during rainy season, rationalizing that stocks are limited due to difficulties transporting goods from the farm to the market. Of course, they also make those reasons during xmastime. They say people buy so many things and that makes them pricey.

What government does not admit is, they failed in their duty to modernize our food terminals. In fact, we don't have a national food terminal anymore, because government just sold one to a private company a few weeks ago. So, we are left at the mercy of big-time food suppliers who manipulate market prices and the flow of commodities.

So, expect our food prices to go way up, and not down, perpetually. It's the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, specifically its lead agency, the National Food Authority, to at least ensure that we have enough food stocks. The inability of this agency of government to ensure a steady flow of basic commodities like rice is really revolting. In fact, NFA tolerates those food cartels which sabotages market forces so that we buy these stuff higher than what our Asian neighbours do. So, the proliferation of these food cartels are reasons why we buy food higher than other Asian markets.

That is why the next president should ensure that the security of our food stuffs should be in order. Next year's election is not about democracy nor freedoms. No.

Next year's elections should be decided on the best agenda or platform for food security. There are ways on how to lower prices of goods, like food stuffs and energy (oil, electricity and water) but the Chief Executive simply do not do what is necessary because of political expediency.

So, the mantra that definitely would appeal to the electorate this elections is this---lower prices of basic commodities. (By the way, 49% of Filipinos especially those of voting age, consider this the main issue, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board)