Food security
 17 July 2008

.
THE problems of rising food and fuel prices deter our future growth. This situation mirrors the global crisis that emerges from factors that are mostly beyond our control. Other countries, including the United States, the European community, China and Japan are not spared from the spiral in food and fuel prices.

Food security was one of the main agenda during the second quarter full meeting of the Regional Development Council or RDC for Central Visayas. The meeting constituted the Central Visayas Inter-Agency Committee on Food Security, which will formulate a strategic Central Visayas Regional Food Security Plan.

To ensure food security at the national level, however, the government is already pursuing various strategies to ensure adequate rice supply, such as the promotion of the Fields Program or Fertilizer, Irrigation and infrastructure, Education and extension, Loans and Insurance, Dryers and other postharvest facilities, and Seeds program. Under Fields, are building new irrigation systems and restoring old and broken down ones; we will provide scholarships on agriculture, suspend conversion of rice lands, and even open up rice importation to the private sector, to beef up the grains supply and distribution chain.

For this year alone, Land Bank has allocated R15 Billion for loans and credit for farmers, fisherfolk and other small borrowers. Another R5 Billion is exclusively allocated for rice farmers.

On Farm-to-Market Roads (FMRs), more than R5 Billion has been spent from 2006 to 2008, which translates to 5,303.55 km of roads. This is part of the R15 Billion or 9,227.16 km of FMRs programmed for 2009 to 2010.

To ensure that low priced commodities are equitably distributed, especially to the vulnerable sectors, this Administration is implementing several programs, among them the Barangay Food Terminals and Tindahan Natin (TN) outlets, where rice and noodles are sold at R18.25 per kilo and R6.50 per pack, respectively. In the first quarter of 2008, 1,399 new TN outlets were accredited, bringing the total accredited outlets to 9,533 from 2006 to 2008. For Central Visayas, there are 197 operational TN outlets in Bohol, 72 in Cebu, and 161 in Negros Oriental.

The government is also implementing the Food for School Program. This program addresses hunger in poor families and encourages them to send their children to school, using food subsidy as an incentive. In Region VII, 98 municipalities have already been served by some 2,876 Day Care Centers, covering a total of 79,230 children.

We are also buying palay from farmers through the National Food Authority (NFA) at an unprecedented R17 per kilo. If within six months, the price of the palay increases to more than R17 per kilo, farmers can buy their stocks back and sell it in the open market, which means additional income for them.

To ensure sufficient and affordable supply of agricultural products such as vegetables, the government has also established Barangay Bagsakan Centers (BBCs), which help cut down the cost of food transport. As of May this year, 81 BBCs were established nationwide, two of which are in Cebu City.

To stabilize the prices of other commodities, the Department of Industry (DTI) has enjoined manufacturers to go into cheaper packaging and/or sell econopacks to targeted groups, offering basic commodities at affordable prices. Others, through corporate social responsibility or cross-subsidy, can develop their own programs. There is also a focused effort to fast-track commercialization of cheaper alternative raw materials such as cocoflour, camote or cassava as a substitute for wheat flour. In other cases, cooperatives/labor groups link up with manufacturers to buy in bulk and at lower cost the basic commodities for resale at cost to their members.

DTI continuously monitors prices of commodities in the market, and will prosecute price law violators.

The various efforts of the government, however, will never be sufficient, and we must all help to weather this global crisis. To conserve energy, we may practice energy conservation in our own households, communities and companies. To help ensure food security, we can help by not wasting food and avoiding stock piling rice at home. Domestic hoarding can distort the rice supply situation. We can also help monitor and report food hoarding and price manipulation to NFA or the National Bureau of Investigation.

[TOP] [HOME]