Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go emphasized the importance of improving the competitiveness and safeguarding of local farmers and industries following the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Go said that the government should provide more interventions and support to local farmers to make them more competitive, especially rice farmers.
“First of all, it is important that our farmers are protected, especially in Nueva Ecija which is known as the rice granary of the Philippines,” he said.
“Let’s make our farmers more competitive. Meaning, the government must come in for more intervention, more support for them.”
Explaining his affirmative vote on the ratification of the agreement, Go said he believes that with open competition as a result of RCEP, the prices of goods should decrease, and ordinary Filipinos, especially the poor, must benefit from it.
The trade agreement was ratified by the Senate on February 21, with a vote of 20-1-1.
It is considered the world’s largest trade pact, covering about 30 percent of the global economy and nearly a third of the world’s population.
It aims to reduce trade barriers and promote economic integration among the signatory countries, which could potentially lead to increased trade and investment flows, as well as more job opportunities and economic growth.
Go emphasized the need to increase the budget for agriculture and to make local farmers resilient and competitive enough to benefit from the opportunities presented by the RCEP.
“We understand the concern and fear of the agricultural sector because their needs were not addressed and attended to for the past many years. We should not forsake them. All the interventions promised to them have to be fulfilled. The budget for agriculture has to be increased,” the senator said.
Go also emphasized the importance of putting an end to agricultural smuggling.
He recently voiced his support for efforts to strengthen the fight against smuggling by implementing plans to modernize and digitalize the Bureau of Customs.
Go likewise backed proposals to convert idle government lands into agricultural areas to boost food production in the country.
