Food security
IT is certainly heartening to know that food security is to be one of the focuses of the crusading administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.
Without doubt, it is a most welcome relief for the millions of Filipinos reeling from food insecurity caused by a variety of factors, including dwindling farm production.
In fact, the people, notably the impoverished farmers and fishermen, rejoiced when President Marcos decided to temporarily head the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“Tuwang-tuwa ang taumbayan dahil alam nilang malaki ang magagawa ni Pangulong Marcos para bumalik sa kanayunan ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” said a rice farmer.
“Maraming magsasaka ang tumigil magtanim ng palay, mais at gulay kasi halos wala na silang kinikita,” according to a former farmer who now works as a messenger in Manila.
Coming from Ilocos Norte, where majority of the people are farmers and fishermen, the 64-year-old Chief Executive is aware of the many problems confronting farm workers.
But with President Marcos orchestrating the day-to-day operations of the agriculture department, we expect the government to win the battle against poverty and hunger.
Hopefully, the new government, which assumed office at 12 noon on June 30 and ends on June 30, 2028, succeeds in modernizing Philippine agriculture.
By modernizing agriculture, we are on track addressing the problem of poverty and meeting the food needs of the Filipino people, who now number more than 110 million.
Attaining food security is a gigantic undertaking, but it is not an impossible mission.
