Marcos admin to prioritize food security

MANILA – According to Press Secretary-designate Beatrix Rose “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles, the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will do everything to prioritize and guarantee food security in the country.

The statement came 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.

Angeles-Cruz gave the assurance to 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 recognized that the ongoing 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 stated that other countries affected by the impending food scarcity may be compelled to follow the measures taken during the 2007-2008 global food crisis, including food export limits, in order to address the issue.

She conceded that it would be difficult for the Philippines to take such 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.

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

The Department of Agriculture on Thursday stated that the country is currently experiencing the impact of the food crisis, as prices of goods continue to increase.

Earlier, Marcos promised to come up with a plan to ensure food security and stabilize the prices of agricultural commodities.