In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pledged to enhance government efforts and intensify programs aimed at achieving food security in the Philippines.
Marcos emphasized the importance of supporting farmers and fisherfolk, who play vital roles in increasing food production and ensuring economic stability. “Mula nagsimula itong administrasyon, mahigit walo at kalahating milyong magsasaka at mangingisda ang nakatanggap ng tulong. Lalo pa natin paiigtingin ang mga programa ng pamahalaan para mas marami pa ang matutulungan (Since this administration started, more than eight and a half million farmers and fisherfolk have received assistance. We will further intensify government programs to help more),” he stated during his address at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
The President outlined the government’s goal to boost the production of various agricultural products, including rice, corn, pineapple, banana, mango, coffee, cacao, calamansi, sugarcane, onion, and garlic. He noted that thousands of farm machinery and facilities are already benefiting farmers and fishers, with plans to build more Rice Processing Systems and distribute fiberglass boats.
“Lahat ng ito ay sumusuporta sa kanila mula paghahanda, sa pagpunla, pag-ani, pagbiyahe, hanggang sa pagbenta (All of these support them from preparation, to planting, to harvesting, to traveling, to selling),” Marcos explained.
He highlighted the progress made in infrastructure, stating, “Libu-libong kilometro ng farm-to-market road na ang ginawa na at libo-libong kilometro pa ang pinapasinayaan. Libo-libong ektarya ng lupa ay nalagyan na ng patubig sa buong bansa. At libo-libong ektarya pa ang patutubigan (Thousands of kilometers of farm-to-market roads have been built, and thousands more kilometers are being inaugurated. Thousands of hectares of land have been irrigated throughout the country. And thousands more hectares will be irrigated).”
Marcos also mentioned the role of the Department of Science and Technology in employing modern farming methods and strategies, such as inter-cropping and off-season techniques. To address the rising prices of pork products, he announced plans to distribute piglets and sows, as well as the construction of biosecure hog facilities. Vaccination efforts to curb the spread of African swine fever are ongoing, contributing to a significant reduction in meat prices.
The President set an ambitious goal of planting 15 million hybrid and high-quality coconut seedlings nationwide, recognizing the coconut industry as a primary source of livelihood for millions of Filipinos. “At itutuloy natin ito hanggang 100 milyong puno na ng niyog ang ating ma-itatanim sa buong Pilipinas (And we will continue this until we have planted 100 million coconut trees throughout the Philippines),” he stated.
To further invigorate the coconut industry, Marcos announced plans to request Congress to amend the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act to better meet the needs of farmers. “At upang lubos na pasiglahin ang industriya ng niyog, hihilingin natin sa Kongreso na amyendahan ang Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, para naman maging mas angkop sa mga pangangailangan ng ating mga magsasaka (And to fully revitalize the coconut industry, we will ask Congress to amend the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, so that it is more suitable for the needs of our farmers),” he added.