SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said that food security is crucial for the country to achieve inclusive economic recovery as he urged authorities to address other issues besetting the agriculture sector.
“For me, whether President Marcos will stay as head of DA or he will appoint a full-fledged secretary, what is important is that we immediately provide a solution to the issue of soaring prices of farm products, lower farm gate prices and agricultural smuggling. Smuggling should stop,” he said.
“The most important issue now is food security. It’s essential to our full and inclusive economic recovery. And we should immediately address the continuing price increases,” he added.
Go stressed that ordinary Filipinos, not smugglers, should reap the benefits of agriculture the most.
He urged authorities to prioritize the welfare of Filipino farmers to ensure a productive agricultural sector while providing economic opportunities in rural areas.
In addition, the senator sought greater investment in agriculture to increase farmers’ productivity. If the country’s economy is to continue growing, food security must be guaranteed and inflation must be addressed, the senator emphasized.
Go has been advocating for other programs to support farmers and fisherfolk. Previously, he pushed for the enhancement of the irrigation of farmlands and expansion of the National Rice Program and Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, among others.
He earlier emphasized the need to invest heavily in the establishment of regional and big provincial storage facilities to prevent wastage of farm produce. The senator also stressed the need to promote agripreneurship.
Moreover, he reiterated the need to give more incentives to the farmers’ children, such as scholarship grants, to encourage them to continue pursuing the growth of the agriculture sector.
Go also co-authored a Senate measure which became Republic Act 11901 or the “Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Financing Enhancement Act of 2022.”
The law provides for an agriculture, fisheries and rural development financing system to improve the productivity, income, competitiveness and welfare of the rural community beneficiaries, such as farmers and fisherfolk, as well as their cooperatives, organizations and associations, through government and private banking institutions.
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