Ka-ching

Ka-ching | Daily Tribune

From the El Niño damage to agriculture to the P350 wage hike to the Expanded Centenarian Law, it’s been all about the money, money, money lately — so much so that we could forget about the cha-cha plebiscite talks, for a moment at least.

The extreme weather condition that continues to cause cracks in the government’s plans to transform our agricultural sector has recently cost the latter some P357.4 million in losses, “affecting nearly 8,000 farmers,” an Agriculture report says.

Areas that El Niño has devastated are the Ilocos Region, MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula, the department adds.

Rice, corn, and high-value crops have been most affected.

A broadsheet report quotes the DA: “Potential production losses from 6,523 hectares affected by the dry spell are estimated at 11,480 metric tons for palay, 2,897 MT for corn, and 225 MT for high-value crops.”

With many more months ahead bringing the expected dry spell, will the government reach its target rice sufficiency by 2028?

It seems our irrigation chief Eduardo Guillen, in another news, offers a spark of hope by saying the target of 97.4 percent rice sufficiency is “achievable,” implying that we cannot just survive but thrive because the government has prepared well for the El Niño phenomenon.

Hope is also high among wage earners lately. Finally, the wage bills gathering dust in the House of Representatives will be shaken out and discussed starting today.

There are “nine proposed measures seeking to increase wages across the country,” a report says.

The proposed wage hike of P100 daily may seem “minimal” to some, but some think the small-scale enterprises may be unable to handle the increase.

Two economist-lawmakers brought up the possibility that the hike could “hurt” micro, small and medium enterprises or MSMEs, whose role in boosting the economy has been acknowledged as significant.

How does one figure this out fair and square?

A senator said the bill would “benefit 4.2 million minimum wage earners, both in agriculture and non-agriculture industries.” With the increased costs of living in mind, this move certainly goes a long way in making people feel their leaders have their welfare as a top priority.

Still, at this juncture, most MSMEs are revving up to get stronger, and these employers may not be prepared for increased salary outflow.

So, a thorough study of the measure is yet again proposed — but how long will this stay on the shelves this time around?

Heaven forbid it will take a hundred years, although, for those who live long enough — to be 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, and beyond, the cash gift from the government — now a law via Republic Act 11982 — should be enough to give your creaky bones a little reprieve.