The tandem of Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and “Doc” Willie Ong on Tuesday said that if elected into office in 2022 elections, they will institute policies that would reduce the cost of food production as part of their administration’s goal towards a more sustainable agricultural production and food security for the country.
“Food security is the number one threat to national security, but we are still dependent on other countries, which is ironic,” Moreno said during a consultation with agriculture and organic farming stakeholders at the Mimaropa Regional Office of the Agricultural Training Institute in Naujan town in Mindoro Oriental.
“The next government should focus its resources in ensuring food security in our own country because we cannot have the same pandemic and we hope that our rice suppliers will send us rice,” said Moreno, standard-bearer of Aksyon Demokratiko.
According to Moreno, if elected, one of the first things his government would introduce under the “Buhay at Kabuhayan” platform of governance is to cut taxes on oil and electricity by 50 percent that, among others, would bring down the cost of food production, especially rice, raise the income of farmers and fisherfolk, bring down the prices basic commodities and sustain food production.
He noted that agriculture is one of the major users of petroleum products. Farmers are heavily dependent on oil products for fuel, fertilizers, and pesticides to achieve high crop yields.
Fisherfolks are also reliant on petroleum for their motorized boats. Petroleum is also a key source of energy for transportation and power generation.
While the government may lose around P130 billion in revenues due to the proposed tax cuts, Moreno stressed that the same amount will immediately benefit the people in terms of savings that would subsequently return to the government as people spend more due to their stronger purchasing power.
“When the P130 billion is held by people, the great relief for the mother, the father, the driver, the businessman, the great relief for the farmers. Hopefully in the next two to three years, your income will increase,” Moreno said.
For a more prudent and efficient governance in food production, he reiterated his earlier promise to separate the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources from the Department of Agriculture.
Moreno also urged Filipino farmers to plant more vegetables and other high value crops to meet local demand.
In previous dialogs, Moreno has vowed to establish of post-harvest facilities and cold-storage facilities in all provinces and other key areas across the nation as part of his food security policy.
Moreno said establishing such facilities in all provinces would ensure that farmers and fishermen, as well as hog and chicken producers, could maintain the quality of their surplus produce or perishable products while waiting for a more competitive price.
Moreno, his running mate Dr. Willie Ong and Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial slate Dr. Carl Balita, Samira Gutoc and Jopet Sison are in Oriental Mindoro as part of their “Listening Tour” that brought them to various provinces including Batangas, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Vizcaya, Cebu, Bataan and Zambales.
Meanwhile, Ong vowed to improve the condition of provincial public hospitals around the country in case he and Moreno are elected into office in next year’s elections.
Ong said there is a need for government to improve the quality of service being provided by public hospitals to the people particularly in provinces so that more doctors will come in.
