Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III on Thursday said the proposed KALINGA Act includes measures to stabilize food supply and logistics costs.
Dy and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos filed House Bill No. 8834, establishing the KALINGA Program or the Komprehensibong Alalay sa Livelihood, Inflation, Negosyo, and Goods Assistance.
Section 8 of the bill establishes the Essential Goods and Logistics Stabilization Component, providing support for transport and distribution of essential goods, buffer stocking, shipping and inter-island logistics support, cold chain systems, and priority fuel allocation for food supply chains.
Dy explained that this component is crucial in controlling food inflation, as fuel price spikes quickly translate into higher prices of essential goods.
“Kapag tumaas ang presyo ng diesel, tumataas ang gastos sa transportasyon ng pagkain. Eventually, consumers ang naaapektuhan (When the price of diesel goes up, the cost of transporting food also rises, eventually affecting the consumers). We must stabilize logistics to stabilize prices,” Dy said in a news release.
“The KALINGA bill prioritizes the movement of essential goods so supply chains remain stable even during fuel shocks. Para matiyak na tuloy-tuloy ang supply ng pagkain sa mga pamilihan, mapigilan ang pagtaas ng gastos sa transportasyon, at maprotektahan ang mga pamilya laban sa biglaang pagtaas ng presyo (This is to ensure the uninterrupted supply of food products in the markets, prevent transport costs from going up and protect families from price spikes).”
Dy said ensuring supply chain stability protects both producers and consumers.
“This prevents disruptions, keeps food moving, and helps control inflation,” he said.
The KALINGA Act integrates seven components: fuel price stabilization, energy supply security and inventory management, targeted assistance, essential goods and logistics stabilization, micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) energy relief and business continuity, energy conservation and demand reduction, and flexible fiscal and regulatory measures. (PNA)
