Gov’t to address food security, food production in National Food Policy — Nograles

MANILA, Philippines — The government will focus on food security and food production in its National Food Policy (NFP) coming out in October, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Monday.

Through the NFP, Nograles said the government will be able to address the rise in hunger incidence among Filipino families as shown in the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

“One key result area is to increase the productivity of our farmers and fisherfolk. This will ensure [an] abundance of the food supply that would lead to stable food prices,” he said in a statement.

“However, even at lower prices, food will still be inaccessible to families if their breadwinners are unemployed. This is why we must push for programs like urban gardening and home farming, wherein families can grow their own produce, para kahit kulang ang kita, makakakain ang pamilya,” added Nograles, who also chairs the government’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger.

The latest SWS survey showed some 7.6 million families experienced hunger in the past three months, the highest figure since 2014.

Nograles said the task force is coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Education on how to implement the government’s feeding programs despite the ongoing health situation.

“We want to come out with a policy framework that will not only address the immediate impact of the pandemic on hunger but will also provide a long-term strategy to eradicate hunger by 2030,” Nograles said. [ac]