President Marcos Jr. yesterday said there is no need for any additional or special powers to address inflation, saying he has enough authority, such as declaring a state of emergency, to control prices of commodities.
The President in a chance interview at the launch of the Halina’t Magtanim ng Prutas At Gulay, Kadiwa’y Yaman, Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement (Hapag Kay PBBM) at the Rizal Park in Manila, said government has also implemented several measures to mitigate the impact of inflation.
Previously, the President had expressed optimism the inflation rate will eventually go down due to the declining prices of fuel and the importation of agricultural products after the country’s inflation rate rose 8.7 percent in January 2023 from 8.1 percent in December.
Marcos said to cushion the impact of inflation, the government has implemented programs such as the Hapag Kay PBBM or an urban agriculture initiative – likening it to the revival of his father’s Green Revolution – that seeks to increase sustainable agriculture activities and improve sustainable food practices at the barangay level.
It encourages the people to plant vegetables and fruits, in their own backyard and in land areas identified by the barangays for community planting.
The government will soon introduce the use of biofertilizer to farmers as part to lessen dependence on expensive, imported, petroleum-based fertilizers like urea whose prices are vulnerable to fluctuation.
The President, in a video message after his briefing with agriculture and other officials from different agencies on Tuesday, said technologies developed by the University of the Philippines Los Baños and other state universities and colleges can be tapped to develop and produce biofertilizers in the country.
Another measure to address food security and the rising prices in the country is the opening of more Kadiwa ng Pangulo mobile markets throughout the country.
The President led the separate launch of the Kadiwa programs at the Rizal Park in Manila and the Malvar Park in St. Tomas, Batangas.
Kadiwa, an offshoot of the Kadiwa ng Pakso program of the administration in December, links farmers directly with consumers in temporary mobile markets to make products such as rice, fish, poultry and livestock, fruits and vegetables, and other basic commodities accessible, available, and affordable to poor families.
Marcos, who reiterated that his dream is to see that no more Filipinos would be hungry at the end of his term, assured the public of his administration’s commitment to continue providing fresh and affordable agricultural and fishery products while at the same time offering additional markets for local farmers and fishermen.
The first Kadiwa ng Pangulo was held on February 27 and 28 at the Provincial Capitol Grounds in Cebu City.
PCO said the Kadiwa ng Pasko from November 5 to December 31 last year, generated P136.14 million in sales nationwide.
Going inbred
Meanwhile, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said it is ready to distribute 4.27 million bags of certified inbred rice seeds, expanding its program coverage from 42 to 77 provinces within all rice-producing regions in the country.
PhilRice said the program was jointly funded by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program and the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) National Rice Program with P3 billion and P700,000, respectively.
In a statement, the agency said the distribution of certified inbred rice seeds in 20 kilogram per bag is intended to complement and supplement the hybrid rice production strategy being pushed by the food security agenda of the Marcos administratuion
Hybrid seeds which have been bred using two superior parents intentionally selected for their desired traits, yield a higher volume compared to inbred seeds.
Flordeliza Bordey, director of the RCEF program management office at PhilRice, said the allocation can plant 1.97 million hectares in 1,319 cities and municipalities nationwide in this year’s wet planting season until next year’s dry cropping season.
“We expect to serve 1.69 million farmers starting March 16,” Bordey added. Jed Macapagal
