House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III on Friday stressed the importance of ensuring that government plans, resources, and interventions are in place to protect farmers, fisherfolk, and the country’s food supply from the looming effects of El Niño.
Dy issued the statement as the House Committee on Agriculture and Food convened a briefing on the government’s preparedness measures.
The House Speaker said the government must remain ahead of the threat posed by prolonged dry conditions, noting that delayed action could have serious consequences for agricultural production, rural livelihoods, and food security.
“Huwag nating ipagsawalang-bahala ang usapin ng El Niño. Huwag po nating hintayin na maramdaman ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda ang epekto nito bago tayo kumilos (We must not dismiss the issue of El Niño. We must not wait till our farmers and fishers feel its effects before we act). We need to be proactive,” Dy said in a news release.
“Kailangan nating tiyakin na maaga pa lamang ay nakahanda na ang mga programa, tulong, at mekanismo ng pamahalaan upang maprotektahan ang kabuhayan ng ating mga kababayan at ang ating suplay ng pagkain (We must ensure that this early, government programs, assistance and mechanisms are already in place to protect the livelihood of our people and ensure our food supply).”
He added that an orderly and prompt government response is needed to ensure that food is available on every Filipino family’s table, ensure livelihood in the communities, and strengthen their capabilities to rise from the threats of climate change.
The Speaker from Isabela stressed that the House would continue to work closely with relevant government agencies to ensure that preparedness efforts translate into timely assistance for affected communities.
“Masasabi nating mabisa at epektibo ang ating paghahanda kung mapoprotektahan natin ang mga kababayan nating magsasaka, mangingisda, at mamimili mula sa epekto ng El Niño (We can only say that our preparations are fruitful and effective if we are able to protect our farmers, fishers, and consumers from the effects of El Niño,” Dy said.
Last Wednesday, the House Agriculture panel, chaired by Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, held a briefing on the plans, programs, and interventions being undertaken by the government’s Task Force El Niño to mitigate the potential impact of the weather phenomenon on the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
Task Force El Niño was reactivated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. through Executive Order No. 53 to develop a comprehensive disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan and coordinate interventions aimed at increasing the resilience of communities against the effects of El Niño.
The hearing sought to examine the government’s mitigation plans, intervention strategies, resource allocation, inter-agency coordination mechanisms, and the challenges being encountered on the ground.
“As we all know, the El Niño event poses a serious threat to our agriculture and fisheries sector. The looming dry spell can severely impact rice, corn, high-value crops, and fish production, threatening not only farmers and fisherfolk’s livelihoods but also our national food security,” Enverga said.
“Our farmers and fisherfolk cannot afford delays. We must ensure that plans, programs, and government interventions are in place to counter the impact of this life and livelihood-threatening phenomenon on the most vulnerable sector, our farmers and fisherfolk,” he added. (PNA)
