Marcos administration to prioritize food security

On Thursday, the Department of Agriculture said the country is now feeling the impact of the food crisis, as prices of goods continue to soar. (Pexels Photo)

MANILA – The incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will exhaust all efforts to ensure food security in the country, Press Secretary-designate Beatrix Rose “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles said on Saturday.

This, after the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Food Programme warned of a global food crisis affecting poor and developing countries.

In a statement, Angeles-Cruz assured the public that the Marcos administration is ready to stabilize the food supply and improve food production.

“Gaya nang nasabi na ni President-elect Marcos, mangangailangan ‘yan ng agarang tugon, at dapat agaran ding simulan ang pangmatagalang mga solusyon (Just like what President-elect Marcos said, that will be immediately addressed by looking for long-term solutions),” Cruz-Angeles said.

Cruz-Angeles acknowledged that the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, climate change, and oil price hikes are among the factors driving global food insecurity.

She said other countries affected by the looming food shortage might be compelled to adopt the measures undertaken during the 2007-2008 global food crisis, including the restrictions on food exports, to deal with the problem.

She admitted that it would be a challenge for the Philippines to take similar action.

“May mga bansang mapipilitang magsuspinde ng export ng kanilang produkto upang matiyak ang sarili nilang suplay ng pagkain at agapan ang pagtaas ng domestic prices sa gitna ng pagsipa ng world prices (There are countries which might be forced to suspend exports of their products to ensure food stability and prevent the possible increase in domestic prices in light of rising world prices),” Cruz-Angeles said.

In May, outgoing Agriculture Secretary William Dar warned that the country could feel the looming food crisis in the second half of 2022 because of various global economic challenges that caused an uptick in the prices of domestic food, both locally produced and imported.

On Thursday, the Department of Agriculture said the country is now feeling the impact of the food crisis, as prices of goods continue to soar.

Marcos earlier vowed to come up with a plan to attain food security and stabilize the prices of agricultural commodities.