PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he has three “dreams” for the country’s agriculture sector — sustainable livelihood for farmers, food security and affordable food for all.

Marcos, who also heads the Department of Agriculture (DA), bared these goals in his weekly vlog uploaded on Sunday night.

He said ensuring that farmers have a sustainable livelihood would motivate others to pursue the field of agriculture.

“Simple lang naman ang pangarap ko: Kailangan magkaroon ng kumikitang kabuhayan ang ating mga magsasaka ng sa ganon ay maengganyo ang susunod pang mga henerasyon na ipagpatuloy ang industriyang ito,” he said.

Marcos said he would also want the country to attain food self-sufficiency by prioritizing local production over food importation.

“Pangalawa, magkaroon tayo ng seguridad sa pagkain na ‘di umaasa hanggat maaari sa ibang bansa,” he added.

Finally, he said he wanted food to be affordable for all Filipinos amid rising food prices and impending shortages.

“At pangatlo, ang magkaroon ng murang pagkain para sa lahat. Ang pangarap ko ay wala nang gutom na Pilipino. At tiyak ko na pangarap rin ng bawat isa sa atin ‘yan,” he said.

Marcos said his experience as Ilocos Norte governor for 12 years brought agriculture close to his heart.

“Nakita ko ‘yung aming nagawa, nakita ko ang maaring gawin kaya alam ko na kaya nating ayusin itong mga problemang hinaharap ng ating mga magsasaka at ng buong agrikultura na sektor,” he said.

He said the problems being faced by the agriculture industry do not only affect farmers and fisherfolk, but also every Filipino family.

“Ang ating ekonomiya ay nakasalalay sa mga malulusog at malalakas na manggagawa. Higit pa sa anong gamot at bitamina, ang masustansya at kayang bilhin na pagkain ang siyang hindi dapat mawawala sa hapag kainan ng bawat tahanan,” he said.

Marcos assured that the government would strive until these goals are met.

“Patuloy ang ating pagpupursigi na ibangon at ilaban ang industriyang ito hanggang sa makamtan natin ang mga pangarap na ‘yan,” he added.

Last week, Marcos directed the Department of Trade and Industry to provide cheaper fertilizers for farmers.

The government is currently looking for “non-traditional” sources of fertilizer to help ensure that affordable fertilizers are available in the market.

Following the rising prices of sugar, Marcos emphasized the need to prioritize efforts to boost local production of the commodity.

He also stressed the need to cut down food imports to the barest minimum. Philippine News Agency