LGUs urged to ensure stable food supply

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture is calling on local government units (LGUs) to ensure that all operations related to food production is sustained to ensure a stable food supply in Metro Manila amid the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar is appealing to LGUs to make sure that food production, processing, manufacturing, transport and delivery are unhampered.

“We appeal to the provincial governors, city and municipal mayors in Luzon, including the Visayas and Mindanao, to allow their respective farmers, fishers, and workers in food processing and manufacturing facilities to continue to do their jobs, provided they adhere to the social distancing protocol and follow health and sanitation measures,” Dar said.

The appeal includes drivers and those involved in the transport and delivery of farm and fishery goods, processed food products, and farm and fishery inputs that include seeds, animal feeds and biologics, among others.

“The LGU officials are the real food security czars, who must deal directly with farmers, fishers and other agri-fishery industry stakeholders in their respective communities,” he said.

Dar emphasized that as food security czars, local chief executives and their barangay leaders play a key role in the food value chain — which the country needs right now to deliver needed basic food commodities to urban communities, particularly Metro Manila.

The DA issued the appeal following reports that certain LGUs made unilateral decisions regarding the enhanced community quarantine.

For instance, a mayor prevented workers of a food processing facility from reporting—a move that endangered food supply not only in their locality but in neighboring areas as well.

However, the facility has already resumed operations following the appeal by the DA.

Under the Malacanang-issued guidelines on the Luzon-wide quarantine, “all manufacturing, retail and service establishments are advised to remain open, but strict social distancing measures are required to be observed by respective managements.”

Under the guidelines, private establishments providing basic necessities and such activities related to food and medicine production such as public markets, supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies and drugstores, food preparation and delivery services, water-refilling stations, manufacturing and processing plants of basic food products and medicines, banks, money transfer services, power, energy, water, and telecommunications supplies and facilities shall be open.