(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said that there is enough rice stock despite the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.
In an ambush interview in Occidental Mindoro, Marcos was asked what the government could do to ensure food security amid the droughts plaguing the country.
“Well, kung ang pag-uusapan natin ay bigas, sapat naman ang ating supply. Hindi kailangang mag-alala ang tao. ‘Yung mga area. Sa katotohanan, ‘yung mga area na may patubig, tumaas pa ‘yung ating naging ani, ‘yung tons per hectare natin,” said Marcos.
(Well, if we are talking about rice, there is a steady supply. People do not need to worry. In truth, areas with irrigation have increased their harvest.)
Agricultural loss due to the El Niño phenomenon has reached P1.2 billion, as per the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
According to the President, parcels of land not irrigated in Occidental Mindoro need more government attention, pointing to the dams that the National Irrigation Administration is planning.
Marcos also said that the government is fast-tracking the installation of solar pumps in upland non-irrigated areas.
“Marami tayong binigay, dinadala na post-harvest facilities para imbes na ginigiling pa ‘yung palay — malayo pa ang dinadalhan, kung saan-saan pa dinadala — dito na gagawin para malaki ang kikitain ng farmer,” Marcos said.
(We have given many post-harvest facilities so that rather than manually processing the rice and bringing it to distant facilities , they could do it here.)