An annual Christmas tradition at INFARMCO is when children of the employees flock to visit the officers of the company and seek yuletide blessings. Chairman Tony N. Chua is shown here enjoying happy moments with some of the kids.
Grassroots Awakening
By Danny S. Venida
The move in Congress to reimpose the death penalty is one issue that requires mobilization to reach out to the grassroots where poverty thrives. The death penalty and the “shoot to kill” directive in the war on drugs are loaded against the poor. Poverty and crime are connected. Poverty has to be addressed in order to confront crime. Killing and the death penalty will never do the job.
A fundamental flaw in justifying the death penalty is treating the criminal as less than a human being. Admittedly, criminals treat their victims inhumanely. But that is no justification for anyone else or the state to do likewise. Being human is a continuing challenge for every human being. The state must do no less.
One comical argument for the death penalty reported in the news goes: “If you see in the criminal Satan himself, will you not want to give him death?” But who can kill Satan? Evil will always continue as long as humans desist from being human, as long as they feign having power over other human beings and consider the latter less human than they. The Bible says: “…[W]ho is sinless among you cast the first stone” (Jn 8:7). In the end, hypocrisy can be the greater crime.
The poor must become aware that it is imperative for the government to have absolute respect for human life. That is the most important value they possess. The unabated killings in the war on drugs and the potential reimposition of the death penalty are antipoor policies.
In May 2009, Pagbabago: People’s Movement for Change was launched with an 11-point agenda focusing on propoor initiatives under good, competent, principled and just governance. Where is this movement today?
Recently, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. launched the Kilusang Pagbabago (KP), aimed at backing the Duterte administration’s war on drugs and crime, corruption in government, the oligarchy, and foreign intervention. It is reported that an executive order will be issued creating the Office of Participatory Governance, with the KP expected to be working with it. Together with the National Anti-Poverty Commission, the proposed office working with KP can be a powerful outreach tool to the grassroots and a counter movement.
It can begin with the principle of absolute respect for life as its core. The crusade must transcend politics. Fundamental values are involved, and life-and-death issues are on the table. The need to stamp out the drug menace and fight crime is recognized, but there can be basic differences in how they may be addressed, particularly with respect to killings.
The counter movement will have to be anchored on a prolife agenda. Prolife is not antichoice. It is prochoice, too, and life is the rational choice. A grassroots-based movement can evolve from this prolife, prochoice, propoor agenda.
Movements have come and gone but the masses continue to wallow in poverty amid unprecedented wealth generation in the country. Ferdinand Marcos’ Kilusang Bagong Lipunan was his failed promise to build a “New Society.” Cory Aquino’s “Yellow Revolution” was a movement of sorts that was running on empty by the 2016 elections. FVR’s “Kaya Natin Ito” was an attempt to make the country a tiger economy. “Jeep ni Erap” for the 2000 presidential campaign and the Partido ng Masang Pilipino were meant to mobilize the grassroots for Joseph Estrada’s win, then to hurdle the poverty bar. GMA had the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino that subsequently merged with Lakas-CMD.
P-Noy had “Yellow Revolution Part II.” Yet the grassroots are wanting.
Kilusang Pagbabago is Du30’s likely vehicle to push his governance agenda. The state machinery will be a resource for this movement, and the nationwide barangay network nationwide a ready venue for pushing the initiative. If Charter change moves forward and a new constitution is presented for ratification, Kilusang Pagbabago will be an effective vehicle to get it done.
This movement can be very powerful to project the popular support Du30 needs to push his agenda. If he effectively keeps Congress and the armed forces in check, a virtual one-man rule can be operative. Will he be able to serve the poor and bring them finally to prosperity? Must democracy with the rights enshrined in the 1987 Freedom Constitution be put at stake for the country he would like to make of the Philippines?
The challenge to launch an authentic grassroots-based non-government initiative now rests on the youth. They have to seize the moment and harness their idealism to reach out to the poor and offer a real alternative to what the administration will provide when its approach runs counter to the prolife, prochoice, propoor agenda. This is the “opposition” that seeks the leadership of Vice President Leni Robredo now that she is out of the Cabinet. The Liberal Party is not a real opposition party at this time, with its politics outdated and overwhelmed by the Du30 juggernaut. It has not served the grassroots.
The millennials must mobilize. A real alternative movement must get organized. Grassroots awakening can happen when the youth respond to the challenges in their milieu. They can go beyond politics as usual.
This article was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on December 24, 2016
INFARMCO Christmas Party 2016!
The INFARMCO Group held its Christmas party last December 22 at the North Greenhills Clubhouse. The event was highlighted by a music band who also were the emcees for the evening. The night of fun composed of games, raffle prizes, sing-alongs and dancing. The night was capped with service awards for long serving employees and the coveted Chairman’s Award 2016. The Chairman’s Award went to Infarmco Farms Corporation (IFC) while NBCC/Exim got 2nd place.
CHAIRMAN’S AWARD 2016
Second place for Chairman’s Award for 2016 goes to NBCC/Exim. Here represented by Danny Chua and Nedy Santos.
EMPLOYEE SERVICE AWARDS
PARTY TIME!
IFC Christmas Party 2016!
IFC held its Christmas Party last December 22 at the farm grounds in Cabuyao Laguna The highlights of the evening were employee Christmas presentations, raffle prizes, employee service awards.
ESGI spreads the season to be merry to school kids in Ibaan!
Christmas is about sharing your blessings. So for the second year in row Europhil Swine Genetics, Inc. (ESGI) spread the Christmas cheer among the students of Sto. Nino Ibaan Elementary School in Ibaan, Batangas. ESGI distributed hundreds of gifts to many elated children at the school.
To welcome the ESGI group was school principal Gina Cayetano and the rest of the teaching staff who also presented a plaque of appreciation to the INFARMCO Group. The children, on the other hand, performed some dance numbers as a gesture of appreciation and gratitude. The ESGI group was led by Leo T. Apo, Operations Manager; Nedy Santos, Executive Assistant to the President Infarmco; Rachel Villareal, OM MS Schippers; and Gary D. Veloso, Corporate Communications.
Nedy Santos, Executive Assistant to the President, INFARMCO
INFARMCO joins MS Schippers in celebrating 50 years
The INFARMCO Group spearheaded by Schippers Philippines, Inc. joined in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of MS Schippers in the Netherlands from October 11-16. The INFARMCO contingent was composed of Mr. Jimmy N. Chua, President; Ms. Natalie Teng, GM Schippers Philippines, Inc. and Mr. Danny Chua, National Sales Manager.
On hand to welcome the INFARMCO Group were its founder Martien Shcippers, his wife Maria, his sons Mark, Harrie and Guus. They were given a tour of the MS Schippers headquarters in Bladel, the Netherlands and their 20,000 sq. meter warehouse in Lommel, Belguim.
On October 14. MS Schippers held an appreciation night for their suppliers and country managers. In that event, Martien Schippers was awarded the Order of Orange Nassau, a chivalric order given for special merits for society, by Netherlands King Willem-Alexander. The celebration also coincides with the 50th wedding anniversary of Martin and Maria Schippers.
Then on October 15th they joined the Schippers Family Day 2016 at the Beekse Bergen Safari park together with all employees and their families.
As a gesture of appreciation for the fruitful partnership and in commemoration of their 50th anniversary celebration Mr. Jimmy N. Chua presented a juniper wood sculpture of a smiling pig to Mark Schippers.
Happy Birthday Mang Juan!
Juanito Prado or better known as Mang Juan was given a surprise birthday celebration to commemorate his 65th birthday. The party was organized by Mang Juan’s co-employees as their show of affection and appreciation for the many years of friendship. Mang Juan has been with the company for the past 30 years. The celebration began with messages and greetings from managers and colleagues. The party was then capped with a big boodle fight and karaoke singing which everyone thoroughly enjoyed.
DA chief orders total recall of import permits for meat, poultry products
QUEZON CITY, Nov. 24 – Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol ordered starting Nov. 22, 2016, a total recall of all permits issued for the importation of meat and poultry products in the wake of the proliferation of recycled permits that he said are being used in the technical smuggling of such products.
A technical working group, he said, has been created to assess and handle the issuance of new permits effective upon the issuance of an order.
Piñol made the move based on a United Nations report on the volume of meat and offals imported by the country over the last few months. He also said the DA and the Bureau of Customs were alarmed by reports that companies with import permits issued under the previous Administration were caught “recycling” such permits twice or thrice to facilitate smuggling.
“We are not saying that we are stopping all importations. What we just want is to clean up the issuance of permits. As long as they are legitimate importations, hindi natin pipigilan yan. We want a uniform imposition of tariff. Ibig sabihin wala ng offal ngayon,” he added.
The UN report, on the other hand, indicated that there is a tendency to declare good meat as offals resulting in a 30 percent reduction in the tariff paid by importers.
“Ibig sabihin nito may mga good meat na dine-declare na offal pagdating sa Pilipinas Now if there is a misdeclaration and they’re able to succeed in bringing in these goods, malaki mawawala sa gobyerno,” Piñol said. (DA)
Source: Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
New INFARMCO Group Employees for 2016
Listed below are employees who joined the INFARMCO Group this 2016. Let us all welcome them to the INFARMCO family. The dates indicated are their date of hiring.
IMC
April 19, 2016 – Jennifer Malabanan (HR Assistant)
June 24, 2016 – Fatima Joy Volante (Bookkeeper ISGI)
August 1, 2016 – Jesus San Jose (Audit Supervisor)
September 5, 2016 – Rachel Dequiña (Admin Assistant)
September 6, 2016 – Ronalyn Severo (HR Assistant)
September 28, 2016 – Mary Rose San Juan (Bookkeeper IFC)
October 19, 2016 – Mary Joy Velasco (Purchasing Staff)
PIXELKIT
January 11, 2016 – Maria Audrey Sabrina Manuel (Multi-Media Artist)
LEXUS
June 26, 2016 – Augusto Bobis Jr. (NPD Helper)
June 26, 2016 – Daniel P. Presado (Caretaker)
August 24, 2016 – Gualberto Hitungo
August 24, 2016 – Jerry Panlimutan
August 24, 2016 – Jonel Remoto
August 27, 2016 – Cesar Endico
September 3, 2016 – Dennis Formoso
WONDERZYME
January 4, 2016 Lilibeth I. Decena (Account Executive)
IFC
Feb 26, 2016 – Remar Balanquit – (caretaker)
Feb 26, 2016 – Roniel Estrella – (caretaker)
Feb 26, 2016 Remar Balanquit – (caretaker)
March 7, 2016 – Eliasar Modar (caretaker)
May 9, 2016 – Victor De Jesus (caretaker)
March 29, 2016 – Victor Baldeo – (caretaker) PCW
April 11, 2016 – Joven Corocoto (caretaker)
April 11, 2016 – Lawrence Rebay (caretaker)
April 21, 2016 – Romel Merabete – (caretaker)
Aug 24, 2016 – JOnathan Castillo – (caretaker)
April 26, 2016 – Aldrin Bartolata – (caretaker)
June 19, 2016 – Emerson Butiog (caretaker)
July 11, 2016 – Rolando Dioquino (caretaker)
July 11, 2016 – Arnold Lus aura – (caretaker)
July 12, 2016 – Jayson Diaz (caretaker)
July 26, 2016 – Emilio Mercader – (caretaker)
July 27, 2016 – Carwin Sotomayro – (caretaker)
July 27, 2016 – Mark Lucip – (caretaker)
July 27, 2016 – Severino Lomboy (caretaker)
July 28, 2016 – Mark Daniel Resurrecion – (caretaker)
August 16, 2016 – Francisco Garcia – (caretaker)
August 17, 2016 – Anisa Billones – (Farm Technician)
August 25, 2016 – Patrick incomio – (caretaker)
September 13, 2016 – Janet Pontanes (Farm Technician)
September 13, 2016 – Cynthia Andes (Farm Technician)
Sept 13, 2016 – JUlie Lodronio – (farm technician)
INFARMCO at Agrilink 2016
Bitrade, Schippers and Primevet took part in Agilink 2016. It is an annual event organized by the Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development, Inc. (FRLD), a non-stock, non-profit, non-governmental organization that addresses the needs of agribusiness sector.
Displayed prominently were Bitrade’s Agrotop Pre-Fabricated Double Deck Housing and other equipment. While Schippers and Primevet had on display various products for the livestock industry. The event was held from October 6-8 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
