DA chief: Marcos remains focused on agricultural sector

MANILA, Philippines —  President Marcos has proven himself on top of the situation when he acknowledged in his State of the Nation Address that prices of rice – ranging from P45 to P65 per kilo – remain high and that greater focus on the agriculture sector is needed, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said yesterday.

“The message of the President is clear. If you saw the details, it just shows how the President is on top of the situation. Although, we have a problem now, he saw all the aspects, from planting to harvest, until the selling, including the fisherfolk, ports are needed and all. He knows that we are focused on these things and the most important is the support of the President to the agricultural sector,” Laurel said during the post-SONA discussions.

In his speech, Marcos said that the hard lesson of last year had made it very clear that whatever is glowingly said about the Philippines including its being among the best-performing economy in Asia, means nothing to a Filipino, who has to deal with high cost of rice.

Tiu Laurel added that the Kadiwa program, launched during the time of the President’s late father and namesake, was a very good program but was neglected for many years.

“Hopefully, we will try to achieve 1,500 sites in the next three years, to be able to serve almost all the municipalities and cities in the entire country,” Tiu Laurel pointed out.

He added the Department of Agriculture plans to make Kadiwa outlets run by cooperatives.

“This will ensure that the farmers and fishermen can go directly to the consumers, to increase their income and bring down the retail prices for consumers. That’s the basic idea there and of course, it is also done in order to keep our retailers and wholesalers honest, to prevent profiteering if possible so that we can bring down inflation,” Tiu Laurel added.

He said the DA is on track to help Marcos in his advocacy of ending hunger in the country and improving the economy through timely and appropriate interventions.