Speaker supports pushing food security issues in Asean-Japan summit
MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday voiced support for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s move to put food security at the center of discussions at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Japan Commemorative Summit in Tokyo.
During the summit’s first session, Marcos urged delegates to come up with a 10-year roadmap on new agricultural technologies and climate-resilient plans to ensure food security and sustainability in the region.
Elaborating on the President’s initiatives, Romualdez said in a statement that Marcos’ move to put a spotlight on agricultural technology and food security signals a “commitment to modernizing food production and distribution, boosting efficiency and yielding increased harvests” in the Philippines.
The Speaker, who is part of the President’s official delegation to the Tokyo summit, likewise noted that Marcos’ efforts to secure partnerships would “directly translate to a more stable food supply and stronger economic opportunities for millions of Filipinos.”
According to Romualdez, investing in sustainable agricultural practices would open opportunities for more jobs, improve the economies of rural areas, and improve Filipinos’ quality of life.
The House Speaker further said that the entire House of Representatives is backing the President in his efforts to “prioritize food security on the national and regional agendas.”
On December 12, Romualdez mentioned that the Congress has allocated funds under the P5.768-trillion 2024 national budget for a rice subsidy program called the Bagong Pilipinas Community Assistance and Rice Discount (CARD).
READ: Hunger in Filipino families slightly falls in 3rd quarter of 2023 – SWS
Under this program, low-income families will be able to buy rice using CARD as a discount voucher.
READ: Drilon: Put funds on programs solving malnutrition in PH, not on CIF
These, on the backdrop of 9.8 percent of Filipinos who faced involuntary hunger in the third quarter of 2023.
Former Senator Franklin Drilon likewise recently urged the government to prioritize solving malnutrition among Filipino children saying the country is grappling with a “pressing health and socio-economic problem.”
