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Mayor Raffy Alipio Andaya has temporarily suspended visits to the Manjuyod White Sandbar after the collapse of the Lagoon dike at the URC-SURE Bais Distillery caused water discoloration in the coastal area.

The mayor issued an executive order on Monday, stating the Lagoon Dike at URC-SURE Bais Distillery failed due to earthquake-induced cracks and continuous heavy rainfall.

The collapse released wastewater effluent into nearby waterways, causing water discoloration that affects the coastal waters and marine environment of Manjuyod, including the vicinity of the White Sandbar, he said in his order.

Andaya emphasized that the contamination poses potential health and environmental hazards, necessitating immediate preventive action to ensure the safety of visitors, residents, and stakeholders.

The Municipal Government of Manjuyod deemed it necessary to halt tourism activities at the sandbar until competent authorities can properly assess and clear the situation, he said.

The mayor’s order includes: Temporary Suspension of Visitor Acceptance Effective immediately, the acceptance of visitors and all tourism-related activities at the Manjuyod White Sandbar are temporarily suspended until further notice. Coordination With Relevant Agencies The Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), Municipal Tourism Office, and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) are directed to coordinate with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other concerned agencies for immediate water quality testing, assessment, and monitoring. Public Information and Enforcement

The Municipal Tourism Office, in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard, Barangay Alangilanan, and concerned coastal barangays, will ensure the public and tour operators are properly informed and that access to the affected area is restricted during the closure.

Tourism operations at the Manjuyod White Sandbar will resume only upon clearance and recommendation from the concerned regulatory and environmental agencies, confirming the area is safe and free from contamination, the mayor said

The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) will be on heightened security alert from October 30 to November 4 in light of the upcoming Undas.

‘MRT-3 will raise its security to heightened alert from October 30 to November 4 to ensure passengers’ safety during the upcoming Undas,’ the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

In anticipation of the expected surge in passengers during these dates, additional security and station personnel will be deployed to guide and assist commuters, the DOTr said.

The agency added that it is planning to establish police assistance desks at train stations in coordination with the Philippine National Police.

It also assured that sufficient four-car and three-car trains will be deployed during the Undas weekend.

Meanwhile, the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) is also on alert despite an expected decrease in passengers, LRT Authority Administrator Atty. Hernando Cabrera told the Inquirer.

Cabrera said they are expecting ‘low ridership’ because there are no classes during Undas and no cemeteries near LRT-2 stations.

FPJ Panday Bayanihan Lawmaker Representative Brian Poe has urged stronger national action to ensure emerging technologies lead to inclusive growth and public accountability, as he addressed innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders at the Global Emerging Tech Summit (GETS) 2025 held at the Bataan People’s Center.

With this year’s theme focused on ‘Driving Innovation Through Digital Bayanihan,’ Poe emphasized that the country’s digital progress must be guided by shared responsibility and reinforced democratic values.

‘Our prosperity in this new era will depend on our ability to lift each other up-not by carrying homes on our backs, but by carrying ideas, opportunities, and the burden of governance together,’ he said.

‘Innovation must always have a soul, and that soul is bayanihan.’

Poe outlined a three-pillar legislative approach aimed at building a secure and human-centered digital economy:

* Philippine Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (HB 01196)

Establishes the Artificial Intelligence Development Authority to ensure ethical, transparent, and people-first AI deployment.

* Career Transition Assistance Act (HB 02766)

Supports workers impacted by automation through reskilling programs, wage subsidies, and guaranteed job reintegration, particularly for those in the BPO and creative sectors.

* National Budget Blockchain Act (HB 04489)

Introduces a tamper-proof public ledger to track government spending in real time, enhancing transparency and eliminating opportunities for corruption.

He noted that the blockchain transparency initiative is aligned with broader national efforts, including parallel proposals in the Senate such as SB 1330, known as the ‘Blockchain the Budget Bill,’ which seeks to place the entire national budget on-chain for public visibility from release to auditing.

Poe also commended the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for advancing government digitalization programs such as eGOVchain, which promotes blockchain use in public services to improve transparency, efficiency, and cybersecurity safeguards.

Highlighting Bataan as a case study for regional innovation, he pointed to the province’s thriving economic zones, expanding digital economy, and strong collaboration among local government, national agencies, and private firms in building a future-ready startup ecosystem.

‘The Philippines is ready to move beyond isolated pilots toward integrated partnerships that deliver undeniable national impact,’ Poe said.

‘No institution can achieve this vision alone. True innovation happens when we combine technology and solidarity.’

He also reiterated that emerging technology must always uplift Filipino communities rather than leave them behind.

‘It is not how fast we innovate, but how fair and ethical that innovation becomes,’ he said.

‘The future will not wait, but it will belong to those who choose to build it together.’

Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc are seeking a House inquiry into the allegedly anomalous investments made by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), including its P1-billion stake in an online gaming firm.

The lawmakers said the House should scrutinize the state pension giant’s ‘high-risk and speculative investments’ using contributions of at least 2.6 million members and pensioners, who are hoping to receive benefits whenever they need them.

The GSIS has nearly P2 trillion in assets.

ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Rep. Renee Co singled out the GSIS’ more than P1-billion stake in DigiPlus Interactive Corp., an online gaming firm.

The firm recently lost about ‘69.7 percent of its value due to heightened regulatory risks in the e-gaming sector,’ they said in House Resolution No. 415, calling for an investigation.

‘The House of Representatives must scrutinize these and many other questionable investments made using the fund entrusted by GSIS members and pensioners, weigh these ventures against existing laws and rules, and strive towards greater safeguards against dissipation of funds in favor of high-risk and speculative investments, more conscientious corporate management, and accountability for violations of GSIS executives and officials of their fiduciary trust,’ they said.

Alternergy deal

The lawmakers also mentioned the GSIS’ purchase of 100 million shares of renewable energy pioneer Alternergy Holdings Corp. worth P1.45 billion.

The GSIS has been wracked by an internal rift, with three members of the board stepping down after calling for the immediate resignation of president Jose Arnulfo Veloso over his investment strategies, which they claimed had resulted in losses of P8.8 billion.

GSIS trustees Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez, Emmanuel Samson, and Rita Riddle tendered their resignations, effective upon the appointment of their successors.

The resignations came days after the three, along with another incumbent member of the board, sent a letter to Veloso demanding his ‘immediate and irrevocable’ resignation over ‘poor investment decisions’ that were ‘marked by a disturbing lack of transparency.’

They cited what they described as ‘a pattern of actions seemingly designed to bypass proper governance,’ including the alleged practice of splitting investment transactions-a ‘clear tactic,’ they wrote, intended to evade the mandatory board review for investments exceeding P1.5 billion.

‘Calculated risks’

They accused Veloso, who recently returned to his post after a preventive suspension ordered by the Office of the Ombudsman, of ‘fabricating issues and weaponizing administrative procedures to retaliate against [board] members exercising their fiduciary duty of oversight.’

Veloso had defended the GSIS’ investments. He said that the GSIS had already made P139 million from its exposure to DigiPlus, while its P1.45-billion investment in Alternergy, a renewable energy developer, could yield P2.22 billion within seven years.

‘When you are in the investment business, you make calculated risks; you do research; you study. We invested in a [legally] listed corporation in the Philippines,’ Veloso said during a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum last September 24. ‘When you invest in equities, you need to understand that they have volatilities,’ he added.

For Greenfield Development Corporation (GDC), wellness begins with its people. This commitment took shape last September with the launch of Fit Fridays, the company’s pioneering wellness programme at Greenfield Tower Pocket Park. It is a weekly event held at the end of the week aimed to encourage its employees to reenergize for the weekend.

With the theme ‘Live, Breathe, Move – Together for Wellness,’ the program is designed to give employees the gift of time for fitness: a break from the workweek grind to focus on health, fitness, and balance. Every Friday at 4PM, teams set aside deadlines and meetings to get together for company sponsored activities around the office that re-energize both body and mind.

Employees can choose from a variety of activities, from padel and basketball, to rooftop HIIT workouts, dance classes, runs, and obstacle courses, each one encouraging camaraderie, teamwork, and fun. The program is supported by wellness partners such as Yoli, HealthFirst, and Krieger’s, every session combines fitness with celebration, creating an atmosphere where colleagues can connect outside the workplace.

‘We believe that wellness is at the core of productivity and happiness. Fit Fridays is one of the many ways we bring this belief to life for our team,’ says Atty. Duane A.X. Santos, President of Greenfield Development Corporation. ‘Our company’s mission is to promote health and wellness in our communities and we believe it should start with our employees.’

More than a one-day event

Fit Fridays is not just a launch event but the start of a continuing wellness movement within GDC. Plans are already underway to expand the program with more classes, wellness talks, and activities that employees can look forward to week after week.

By giving its people the opportunity to reset, recharge and reconnect with each other, GDC strengthens its culture of care, building not only healthier employees but also a stronger, more motivated workforce.

A culture that extends to the community

This employee-driven wellness program also reflects GDC’s efforts to foster culture of care, balance, and belonging by supporting the employees’ physical, mental, and social well-being. It aims to create a workplace where people feel valued, healthy, and inspired- an environment that mirrors GDC’s broader philosophy: to design townships that support healthier lifestyles for everyone. Across its developments, Greenfield has made wellness a central pillar, with unique lifestyle hubs such as Play Padel, Gameville Ball Park, Obstacle Central, and Climb Central.

The same commitment is brought to life through Live Well activities at Greenfield District, a free and ongoing series of classes that welcome the public to move, recharge, and connect. From fencing and yoga to taekwondo, dance fitness, jump rope, and community workouts, Live Well ensures that wellness is accessible to all whether families spending weekends together or individuals looking for a midweek energy boost.

Wellness also thrives through the Greenfield Runners, the official running club that has grown into a supportive space for people of all fitness levels. With weekly runs at the Greenfield Tower Pocket Park, surprise drops from wellness partners, and monthly ‘Runners Rave’ socials, the club has turned exercise into both a habit and a celebration.

In Greenfield, wellness is more than an initiative-it’s a way of life.

Cebuana Lhuillier is giving Filipino consumers unparalleled confidence in luxury purchases through its ongoing partnership with Entrupy, the global leader in AI-powered authentication. This collaboration is a testament to Cebuana Lhuillier’s commitment to providing Filipinos with authentic premium products and ensures that every purchase at Re-Find, its latest retail venture at Festival Mall, Alabang, delivers genuine, verified pieces. By integrating Entrupy’s proprietary AI authentication with Cebuana Lhuillier’s in-house expertise in verifying jewelry, gold, and diamonds, Re-Find combines technological precision with the brand’s decades-long reputation for credibility.

The partnership was further cemented through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), signed by Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO; Philippe André Lhuillier, Senior Vice President; Rob Afzelius, Retail Business Head; and Vidyuth Srinivasan, President and CEO of Entrupy. This initiative reflects both companies’ shared vision of innovation, transparency, and consumer protection.

Through this collaboration, Cebuana Lhuillier underscores its commitment to Filipino consumers-ensuring that authenticity, integrity, and trust remain at the heart of every Re-Find purchase. Clients can shop with confidence, knowing that every verified pre-loved designer handbag or leather good is genuine and of the highest quality.

‘Authenticity and trust are the foundation of Cebuana Lhuillier,’ said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO. ‘Through Re-Find and our partnership with Entrupy, we are setting a new standard for luxury retail in the Philippines. Every verified designer handbag or leather item is a promise kept to our clients-a guarantee that what they invest in is genuine, high-quality, and worthy of their trust.’

Vidyuth Srinivasan, President and CEO of Entrupy, added, ‘Partnering with Cebuana Lhuillier allows us to deliver the highest level of authentication to Filipino consumers. Shoppers can purchase designer handbags and leather goods with total confidence, knowing they are getting verified, authentic luxury every time.’

Through Re-Find and its ongoing partnership with Entrupy, Cebuana Lhuillier continues to extend its legacy of trust-driven innovation beyond financial services, providing Filipinos access to authentic luxury products backed by technology, expertise, and decades of credibility.

A field of dreams is rising in the heart of Pasig.

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) took a bold step toward its future on Friday, Oct. 24, breaking ground for what will soon be its permanent home-a sprawling 8,000-seat arena set within a 1.8-hectare property along Amang Rodriguez Avenue.

UAAP partner and Akari Lighting and Technology Corporation CEO Christopher Tiu led the ceremony, joined by top league officials and representatives from the eight member schools.

‘Three years ago, when we first set foot here, it was a massive parcel of land with very tall grass,’ Tiu recalled. ‘Little did we realize that one day it would turn into a field of dreams for thousands of student-athletes.’

‘Cement and steel will build this structure, but it is the dream and hope of every athlete that will complete this and bring it to life,’ he added.

Fr. Rodel Cansancio, OP, UAAP Season 88 President, hailed the development as a landmark moment. ‘On behalf of all eight member schools, we are deeply grateful to our partner Akari for making this vision a reality.’

In this coastal town constantly battered by tidal waters from Manila Bay, even the dead are not spared-their resting places relocated time and again to escape the floods.

For Israel Saguinsin, 34, a Bulacan State University professor and one of the leaders of Tindig Hagonoy that protested anomalous flood control projects here, high tide flooding is not just a nightmare exclusive to the living.

From the flooded Hagonoy Catholic Cemetery on Mabini Street in Barangay San Sebastian, Saguinsin’s family transferred the remains of his grandparents to Raymundo Memorial Park in 2010.

But years later, that private cemetery also began sinking under floodwaters, forcing the family to relocate their loved ones again in 2022-this time to the flood-free Cherubim of Heaven Memorial Park in Barangay San Pedro.

Still, not all of the remains of Saguinsin’s dead relatives have been moved.

‘It is even harder for those in the ordinary cemetery or whose tombs are in the grounds because they are deeply soaked in floodwater, unlike those in the mausoleums,’ he told the Inquirer on Monday.

Tidal schedule

Saguinsin said that even the relocation of remains from a submerged cemetery depends on the tidal schedule, as graves can only be exhumed when waters temporarily recede.

For Mac Vengco-Bergantin, 39, visiting her departed loved ones has also become impossible. This year, she will light candles for her grandparents and cousin at her home in the City of Malolos instead of at their graves in Raymundo Memorial Park in Sto. Niño-Poblacion, which has been inundated for months.

‘There are times that the ground surface is seen when the tidal level is low and if the waters are pumped out, but we don’t know if that will happen this coming All Saints’ Day. We also need to relocate our loved ones for good. But we don’t see it happening this time because that would be costly,’ she said.

According to Jerome Crisostomo, Hagonoy’s disaster response officer, both the Hagonoy Catholic Cemetery in Mabini and the Peralta Cemetery in San Sebastian remain submerged under tidal floods nearly all year long.

‘These two cemeteries in Barangay San Sebastian are located in the far end. Even the streets and the approaches are flooded. If it is not high tide, the flood leaves mud and other debris. Visiting the dead is as messy and as troublesome as the daily encounter with high tide,’ Crisostomo said.

He said road upgrades had not helped, worsening flooding in low-lying areas.

This year, he noted, the high tide level on All Saints’ Day is expected to reach about a meter (3 feet), and water has receded more slowly in recent years.

While several public cemeteries remain flood-free, families in San Sebastian continue to endure the brunt of the town’s worsening subsidence and tidal intrusion.

For the family of the late Bulacan journalist Dino Balabo, the decision to bury him outside their hometown was prompted by necessity.

When Balabo died on Sept. 1, 2014, his family interred him at Paombong Memorial Park and transferred the remains of their father there as well. When their mother passed away the following year, she was buried in the same cemetery.

‘It is really terrible to live here now. Boat is almost the regular means of transportation,’ said Joyce, Balabo’s widow.

Another lawmaker has called on the House of Representatives to investigate the allegedly ‘risky’ investments made by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), which led to losses of over P8.8 billion.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said she has filed House Resolution (HR) No. 414, asking the appropriate House panels to investigate the issues.

‘There is an urgent need to immediately investigate the questionable investment decisions of the GSIS and to undertake a comprehensive review of the policies, procedures, and guidelines governing its investment operations, as well as those of similar institutions, in order to strengthen compliance and oversight mechanisms, enhance transparency and accountability, and address policy gaps and ambiguities that have allowed such risky and imprudent transactions to occur,’ de Lima said.

‘The House of Representatives, in the exercise of its oversight functions, should conduct an investigation into the transactions and investments made by the GSIS to determine whether these comply with the fundamental requirements of liquidity, safety, and yield necessary to maintain the actuarial solvency of the fund,’ she added.

De Lima’s resolution, filed on Monday, also cited the letter from current and former high-ranking officials of GSIS who have called for the ‘immediate and irrevocable’ resignation of GSIS president and general manager Jose Arnulfo ‘Wick’ Veloso due to ‘poor investment decisions.’

At one point, de Lima showed the investments mentioned in the letter:

Monde Nissin Corporation Four large trades between March 15-20, 2023, totaling P4.8 billion, structured to evade oversight. The investment has lost P1.4 billion

Nickel Asia Corporation – Two trades on April 12-13, 2023 worth P1.5 billion, resulting in P618.6 million in losses

Bloomberry Resorts Corporation – A P1.45 billion investment on a single day, divided into two transactions, now down by P901.9 million

DigiPlus Interactive Corp. – Two trades in June 2025 totaling P1.2 billion, with current losses of P749.5 million

Alternergy Holdings Corporation – COA found violations of the GSIS Charter, citing lack of profitability history, missing approvals, and non-traded stock purchases.

Figaro Culinary Group, Inc. – Proposed P456 million investment violated the Investment Policy Guidelines (below P15B market cap, excessive exposure). The responsible officer allegedly attempted to pressure the Board for approval

Private Equity Investments – Proposed participation in funds by Neuberger Berman and Nightdragon deemed impermissibly high-risk and illiquid, violating the GSIS’s fiduciary duty to preserve capital

Udenna Land, Inc. – Proposal to fund Clark Global City was viewed as a corporate bailout, contrary to the GSIS’s mandate to pursue prudent, low-risk investments

8990 Housing Development Corporation – Plan to purchase condominium units in bulk for resale was described as speculative and outside GSIS’s mandate, exposing members’ funds to real estate market risks

Acquisition of The Centrium – The proposed purchase was marred by fiscal, legal, and valuation irregularities: (a) Overvaluation errors by the Parañaque Assessor’s Office (P2.6B) and COA Technical Audit (P6.4B), (b) The lease purchase scheme was deemed an attempt to circumvent procurement laws, and (c) Overall, the deal was considered legally and financially indefensible, exposing GSIS to severe liability

‘Reports from the GSIS Board revealed that certain investment transactions were deliberately divided into smaller tranches to evade board oversight exceeding P1.5 billion, with others exceeding allowable exposure limits in violation of GSIS investment rules,’ de Lima noted.

Aside from de Lima, lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc have also filed a separate resolution, calling on the House to probe the matter, particularly GSIS’s investments in an online gambling site.

According to HR No. 415 filed by ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co, government employees like teachers and health workers have been contributing to the GSIS fund only for the management to invest these money into activities that are supposedly detrimental to society, like online gambling.

‘While teachers, education support personnel, public health workers, and other government employees sacrifice portions of their already meager salaries for their GSIS contributions, trusting that their money will be invested wisely and ethically so that they can receive their benefits whenever they need them, it turns out that the GSIS is funding an industry that destroys families and communities through gambling addiction,’ they added.

Last October 14, the following GSIS officials called for Veloso’s resignation:

Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez, chair of the legal oversight committee

Emmanuel de Leon Samson, chair of the risk oversight committee

Rita Riddle, chair of the audit committee

board member Evelina Escudero

former board members Jocelyn de Guzman Cabreza and Alan Luga

According to the letter dated October 14, 2025, Veloso was accused of pursuing risky investments ‘marked by a disturbing lack of transparency.’

Gutierrez, Samson, and Riddle eventually submitted their respective resignations to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., citing deep divisions over Veloso’s investment strategies.

Last October 20, Palace press officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said that Marcos is well aware of calls to remove Veloso and issues hounding GSIS, adding that the Chief Executive is studying allegations against the GSIS head.

Despite the issues raised, Veloso has defended the GSIS’ investments, noting that GSIS had already made P139 million from its exposure to online gaming firm DigiPlus, while its P1.45-billion investment in Alternergy, a renewable energy developer, could yield P2.22 billion within seven years, ‘or a 56 percent return.’

‘When you are in the investment business, you make calculated risks; you do research; you study. We invested in a legal listed corporation in the Philippines,’ Veloso said during a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum last September 24.

‘When you invest in equities, you need to understand that they have volatilities,’ he added.

Ours is a country with a serious learning disability. Signs of it are all around us, both at macro (aggregate) and micro (individual) levels. For one, we elect leaders who promise us heaven but keep giving us hell-and we keep voting them into power anyway.

We shake our heads over problems that haunt us daily: costly food, time-wasting traffic, perennial floods, rising criminality that has moved on from the streets into cyberspace, malnutrition with impaired learning in our children, woeful public health facilities, garbage and litter everywhere, growing political dynasties, massive theft of our hard-earned taxes that should be funding our nation’s path to prosperity, and more. You’d think that through decades of grappling with all these, we would have learned how to overcome them better by now. But learning from both our own failures and our neighbors’ successes seems something we are simply incapable of. So we’ve found ourselves getting worse, not better, with each passing decade. Indonesia overtook us on average income (and everything that comes with it) in the first decade of this century. Then Vietnam went past us by the end of the second. Will Cambodia do the same within this current one?

Learning disability due to severe malnutrition and stunting is very real for too many Filipino children, putting their futures and that of our nation at risk. And I’m convinced that most of our country’s woes ultimately trace back to how we have failed our farms and farmers. This is why I call agriculture our economy’s backbone. I’ve offered three reasons for this before (see ‘The economy’s backbone,’ 4/4/23). I’d argue further that if only we could fix agriculture to perform like it does in our neighbors such as Vietnam and Thailand, fixes to a lot of our nation’s problems would fall into place.

But a severe case of learning disability lies at the core of our government’s handling of agriculture. We simply refuse to learn age-old lessons from the sector, believing that approaches, policies, and practices that never worked for us before can somehow yield different results. Einstein had a stronger word for it: insanity. Across four decades and 18 agriculture secretaries, I’ve said and written much on what’s wrong with how we’ve governed Philippine agriculture, and how we can fix it. Nearly everything other frustrated researchers and I have said for 40 years remains applicable to this day. At times, I feel tired and tempted to give up on the sector. I get the same exasperation voiced by National Scientist and respected guru Dr. Emil Q. Javier who, asked why he ceased writing his regular agriculture commentaries in another newspaper, replied, ‘I’m tired, as no one listens anyway.’

Let me cite specifics. I wrote about our seven failures in agriculture three years ago (see ‘Seven deadly sins,’ 6/14/22), and will not repeat them here. I will just mention one with far-reaching implications that relates to the other six: the Department of Agriculture’s inordinate focus on farm production, versus the entire value chain, including consumers. It’s a failure in systems thinking, and leads the DA to keep behaving as if farmers were their only constituency, forgetting their accountability to food consumers, and everyone in the value chain in between, especially food manufacturers and other agri-based industries whose well-being is important if farmers are to thrive. In DA’s traditional mindset, anything beyond the farm gate was someone else’s problem. But for as long as they fail to balance the interests of farmers with food consumers and the key players in between, they’ll never get it right.

Trade policy is a case in point. Shielding farmers from competition via import restrictions and high tariffs indeed helps them, but inflicts wide collateral damage of higher costs on food manufacturers, agri-processors and all consumers. Yet, the government can opt to give focused help to farmers, including interim cash if need be, without senselessly hurting all the above who far outnumber them. The government must instead help them compete better, until imports need not be a threat, by reducing costs through higher productivity-via public goods with long-term benefits like reliable irrigation, postharvest, transport and logistics systems; not by giving private goods with a one-time benefit like seeds and fertilizers.

A productive farm sector yields lower-priced, hence widely accessible food. This will translate into improved nutrition for the poor, thus healthier brains and better learning outcomes in children. The eventual result is a healthy, well-educated populace better-equipped to create wealth and more likely to elect righteous leaders to perpetuate a virtuous cycle of good governance and inclusive prosperity for all. But we must first find a way to overcome the national learning disability that leads us astray today.