PRESIDENT MARCOS ASSURES PUBLIC OF SUFFICIENT FOOD SUPPLY AMID STRONG EL NIÑO THREAT

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday assured the public of sufficient food supplies, including rice, pork, beef and chicken, amid the threat of a strong El Niño.

The President also  urged households to grow their own vegetables to help cushion the impact of drought on agricultural production.

Siyempre, we’ll produce as much as we possibly can. Pero mabuti na ‘yung sigurado…Hindi mangyayari na maubusan tayo… Alam mo naman sa atin ‘pag sinabing food supply, bigas ‘yan. Ang ibig sabihin rice is food – is rice is food is rice. Well, hindi lang sa Pilipinas, and all of Asia. So, ‘yan ang tinitiyak natin,” President Marcos said in a media interview in Singapore.

“I asked about pork products, about beef, about chicken. Again, the supplies are sufficient. And in terms of chicken, we in fact have an oversupply of chickens and we’re overproducing a little bit kaya nagbabagsakan nang kaunti ang presyo,” the President added.

“In terms naman of pork, maayos naman. Ang production natin is okay. So food supply is assured. The only thing that will be hard hit will be vegetables kasi walang tubig. Tuyot lahat,” the Chief Executive noted.

The President acknowledged that drought could severely affect vegetable production in key growing regions, urging the public to grow vegetables in their backyards to help augment food supplies.

“So sabi ko, balikan natin ‘yung Green Revolution. Let’s encourage everybody. Naka-Green Revolution na tayo noon, a long time ago. Tapos noong pandemic, nabuhay ‘yung “plantita.” Ituloy na natin ‘yun,” said the President.

On the Department of Agriculture, Green Revolution 2.0 aims to encourage every Filipino to plant vegetables at home to ease the burden on the country’s food system and supply chain.

“Let’s just keep that going. Get everybody to plant their own vegetables. Kaya naman kung – that will help again. It won’t solve the entire problem, but it will help,” President Marcos added.

A “Super El Niño” is estimated to last until March of next year, the President said.

The President is flying to Manila Sunday after concluding his working visit to Singapore from Oct. 7 to 11.