Speaker pledges House support for food security

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez —file photo/Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday assured the House of Representatives of support to help attain President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s aspiration of rice self-sufficiency for the Philippines, removing the country’s dependence on imports of the staple grain, by 2028.

READ: Affordable ‘Rice-for-All’ available soon, says DA

Romualdez vowed that the chamber would do everything it could to help in achieving Marcos’ agricultural aspiration and end goal, citing efforts by the Department of Agriculture (DA), its attached agencies, and other national government offices toward a more efficient and productive agricultural sector.

READ: PH seen to import more rice as harvest may fall short this year

He noted that a consolidation of efforts by the DA, National Irrigation Administration, and other government offices is being undertaken to ensure that funds allocated for the agencies’ programs are efficiently and optimally utilized.

The Speaker observed a seeming lack of communication between the agencies previously, which is now being remedied by working together toward the country attaining the aspiration of rice self-sufficiency, where the Philippines would no longer have to import the grain, by 2028.

He said it was an “all-of-government approach,” which would involve all the agencies in the Executive branch and Congress to come up with long-term measures to ensure food security for Filipinos.

According to the Speaker, “Food security, is national security … First we want to bring down the price of rice so it is affordable to all Filipinos because the President does not want any Filipino to suffer or go hungry.”