Environmentalists and workers gathered near the Ministry of Agriculture, personally led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. The Philippines remains one of the countries most exposed to food insecurity due to climate change. Caritas: “We need a subsidy program that supports farmers.”
Manila () – Environmental organizations, farmers and Filipino workers today organized a march through the streets of the capital, to gather near the Ministry of Agriculture. The participants asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who took office on June 30 and has reserved for himself the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, to consider “people’s right to food” a priority.
The Philippines remains one of the most food insecure countries. According to government data, 20 million people (out of a total of 110) live in poverty and, on the occasion of World Food Day, the FAO has called for “leaving no one behind” in the current global context, in which tens of millions of people have already returned or are at risk of returning to food insecurity due to pandemics, conflict, climate change and rising prices. According to UN data, the living conditions of 3.1 billion people who can no longer feed themselves adequately are likely to worsen.
In the Philippines, the emergency is mainly related, at this time and in perspective, to the unpredictability of the weather and the sudden alternation of droughts and floods. Typhoon Noru alone, which devastated large areas of the country in September, caused the loss of more than 158,000 tons of food and left 110,000 farmers and fishermen in a critical situation, in sectors on which 40% of the population directly depends. At least nine more extreme events are expected before the rainy season is over, which could reduce the chances of government intervention. For the producers affected by the Noru, Manila has arranged the distribution of seeds for about 3.5 million dollars and financing per capita of up to 500 dollars, repayable without interest.
Too little and, above all, too late, point out the farmers’ organizations, who have called for immediate action.
Antonio Labiao Jr., executive secretary of Caritas Philippines, also calls for a more incisive intervention that “supports the farmers and not the businessmen.” The priest believes that the government should modify the current intervention plan, directing resources to the development of a government subsidy program so that insurance premiums do not weigh on farmers. To do this, he says, the priority should be to clearly distinguish between farmers and landowners, to avoid resource waste and abuse and, “instead of relying on imports,” “support local production and buy food from local producers.” local”.
