(MARK ALVIC ESPLANA / file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the country would be close to attaining self-sufficiency in rice in two years if the government could carry out a major reorganization involving different agencies.
According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Marcos made the comment following a meeting at Malacañang with the officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), who briefed him on the state of the country’s irrigation system.
“From that discussion, we have begun to put in the timetable of what are the things that we need to do. And sa aming calculation, kung magawa natin lahat ng kailangang gawin kasi marami tayong kailangan ayusin, marami tayong ire-reorganize — pero kung magawa natin lahat ‘yan, we will be close to self-sufficiency for rice in two years,” Marcos said, as quoted by the PCO.
(Based on our calculations, if we can do all the reorganization we need — which is a lot — we will be closer to rice self-sufficiency in two years.)
“There’s a great deal of work to do pero nakikita na namin kung papaano gagawin. So that’s what we will work on for now,” Marcos added.
(There’s a great deal of work but we can see now how we can do it.)
Marcos said it requires cooperation, convergence, and coordination with other agencies such as the DA, NIA, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
he plants to recover and produce a fresh crop in the next season.
gsg