QUEZON CITY, May 19 Four leading Filipino economists recommend that structural reforms are needed to remedy the plight of Philippine agri-fishery sector and reduce poverty among farmers and fishers, during the first day of the 2021 Food Security Summit organized by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
For one, reforms must be made on the continued bias against agriculture in government budgetary allocation, over-regulation of markets, and monopolies, said Dr. V. Bruce J. Tolentino, current Monetary Board member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and former DA undersecretary for policy and planning.
“In the short term, it is appropriate to organize programs and activities that provide support to farmers and fishers as the reform process takes place,” said Tolentino, as he emphasized the importance of agriculture credit and insurance to ease the plight of agriculture stakeholders.
Yvette Natalie Tan
I was recently asked to give a lay person’s overview on the country’s food security situation for Bahay Kubo Kitchens organized by Mesa ni Misis and FEED (Farmer Enterprise & Economic Development) as part of the United Nations’ Food Systems Summit. Here’s a short, oversimplified version of a complicated situation:
According to the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, food security “means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.”
Respective state universities in Benguet, Mariano Marcos, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, Bulacan, Cavite, Romblon, Palawan, Bicol, Catanduanes, Capiz, Nefros Oriental, Western Mindanao, Central Mindanao, Mindanao, Sultan Kudarat, Caraga;
Mountain Province State Polytechnic College, Pampanga State Agricultural University, Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College, Cebu Normal University, Leyte Normal University, University of Eastern Philippines, Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology, Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology, University of Southeastern Philippines, University of Southern Mindanao, Surigao State College of Technology, and Sulu State College.
The collaboration is part of the initiatives of DA under its Agriculture Dialogue and Information Network Groups (ADING) program that aims to further strengthen and improve public trust and confidence in the Department.