Bong Go urges DA to ensure food security amid COVID-19 crisis; encourages provision of fresh agri-fishery products to affected Filipino families

Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go appealed to the Department of Agriculture to continue to protect the welfare of farmers, ensure the country's food security, and make farm produce available to poor communities amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.

"Siguraduhin nating hindi masayang ang pinaghirapang anihin ng ating mga magsasaka. Bigyan natin sila ng kabuhayan, lalo na sa panahon na kailangan ng mga tao ng pagkain," Go said adding that the threat of hunger is as real as the threat of COVID-19.

"Importante ang tiyan ng tao. Walang dapat magutom na Pilipino. Tulungan rin natin ang ating sektor ng agrikultura upang maiahon ang mga magsasaka sa panahon ng krisis," he added.

Go appealed to the DA to ensure that the farmers are supported through continuous food production and unhampered mobility of goods to achieve food security in the country. He added that the DA should continuously lead in facilitating and catalyzing partnerships with commercial and institutional buyers to source out agricultural produce directly from farmers and fishermen, including local government units for their food pack distribution to their respective constituents.

According to the DA, the ECQ restrictions have initially affected the market for fruits and vegetables which resulted in wastage of agricultural products. Among them are some farmers from the Cordillera region who were reported to have thrown away their produce after failing to sell them due to logistical limitations.

But after a series of recommendations by DA Secretary William Dar which were adopted and enforced by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, these challenges were addressed and there is now unhampered movement of agricultural goods and commodities properly prepositioned in respective distribution areas.

"Nakakalungkot na sa kabila ng kakulangan ng pagkain sa ibang bahagi ng bansa ay may nasasayang na mga gulay at prutas dahil hindi mabenta o maidala sa mga pamilihan. Dapat lang na inaksyunan ito ng DA para walang masayang, kumita ang mga magsasaka, at makarating sa mga nagugutom ang mga pwedeng makain," Go said.

To further address these issues, the DA says it immediately institutionalized the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita, a marketing strategy of the DA that links the farmers to direct buyers and to the consumers. With programs like Kadiwa on Wheels, Kadiwa Online, Oh My Gulay, and IsDA on the GO, the food accessibility and affordability challenges posed by the ECQ can be immediately addressed.

The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act has also authorized the government to resort to more expedient procurement processes because of the urgent need to purchase goods and services amid the COVID-19 health emergency. With this, the LGUs, other government agencies and institutional buyers are encouraged to directly negotiate with farmer-cooperatives and associations (FCAs).

"Now, more than ever, let us do what we can to help Filipinos in need. Let us support our farmers and ensure that our people are not hungry. Pinilit po natin silang manatili sa bahay, siguraduhin nating may sapat silang pagkain para mabuhay ng matiwasay," Go explained.

Go, who is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, also said that adding fruits, vegetables and other fresh agri-fishery products to relief packs being distributed to communities instead of only processed food will provide better nutrition to Filipino families and will boost their immune system against COVID-19 and other diseases.

"Hindi tayo mabubuhay lang sa instant noodles at mga delata. Bigyan rin natin ng sariwang gulay at prutas ang mga apektadong tao. Napapabuti na natin ang kanilang kalusugan, natutulungan pa natin ang ating mga magsasaka," Go said.

The Senator further suggested that the DA may continue updating the database of farmer-producers to better manage the demand-and-supply chain from the local to the national level. DA may then, in turn, link up with interested LGUs and other procuring entities interested in buying these agricultural products to stock up on their existing relief packs for their constituents.

"Malaki po ang ginhawang dala nito hindi lamang sa ating mga farmers na sa kasalukuyan ay nahihirapang ibenta ang kanilang mga produkto, mapupunan din nito ang kakulangan sa pagkain ng ating mga kababayan na kasalukuyang sumasailalim sa Enhanced Community Quarantine," Go said.

Meanwhile, the DA is presently distributing P5,000 subsidy under its Financial Subsidy to Rice Farmers (FSRF) for almost 600,000 rice farmers nationwide now affected by the ECQ.

"Ginagawa po ng DA ang lahat upang mapabilis ang pamamahagi ng mga ayuda sa lahat ng target beneficiaries, lalo na yung sa mga malalayong lugar. Sa ilalim po ng ating oversight function ay sisiguraduhin din po natin na nabibigyan ang mga pinaka-nangangailangang magsasaka at mangingisda sa tulong ng gobyerno sa lalong madaling panahon," Go said.