Marcos is just not so categorical on whether or not he’s open to amending the rice tarrification regulation and says he needs to make use of funds from the regulation to assist farmers
MANILA, Philippines – President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will probably be agriculture secretary “at the very least for now,” he introduced on Monday, June 20, citing the urgency of addressing rising meals costs.
“I’ve determined to tackle the portfolio of secretary of agriculture at the very least for now, and at the very least till we will reorganize the Division of Agriculture in the way in which that can make it prepared for the subsequent years to come back,” stated Marcos.
That is solely the second press convention of Marcos since profitable the presidential elections on Might 9, and he took extra questions than the final, together with his financial staff behind him. Finances Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Government Secretary Vic Rodriguez, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Financial and Improvement Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Public Works Secretary Manny Bonoan, and Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo joined the press convention however didn’t converse.
“It’s vital that the president take that portfolio in order that not solely to make it clear to everybody what a excessive precedence we placed on the agriculture sector, but in addition as a sensible matter in order that issues transfer rapidly, as a result of the occasions of the worldwide economic system are shifting in a short time. We’ve to have the ability to be agile,” stated Marcos.
Earlier than Marcos, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed herself protection secretary twice in her 9-year time period. The late dictator Ferdinand Marcos additionally appointed himself protection secretary twice in his 21-year rule.
Improve manufacturing
Marcos stated the agriculture sub-agencies that want evaluate or restructuring are the Nationwide Meals Authority (NFA) and the Meals Terminal Inc. (FTI), saying “they’ve modified their capabilities over time, and possibly it’s time to return them [to their original functions.]”
“We’ll attempt to improve manufacturing as we come into the harvest interval after, throughout, and earlier than the wet season. Hopefully we will counteract a number of the will increase in costs,” stated Marcos.
A thorny agriculture challenge is the rice tarrification regulation enacted by President Rodrigo Duterte, which had harm farmers. The regulation eliminated import restrictions in favor of upper tariffs to manage rice coming in from different international locations. Farmers stated they weren’t ready to compete with imported rice as they discover it exhausting to convey down manufacturing prices.
Marcos was not so categorical if he was open to amending the regulation, as the opposite candidates expressed in the course of the marketing campaign. What Marcos stated was he wished to speculate extra for farmers by utilizing funds collected by way of the rice tariffication regulation
“There’s P10 billion that’s returned to the farming group. Possibly we will take a look at that and see. And possibly now that we’re in a scenario the place we very a lot have to extend manufacturing and we very a lot should assist the farmers, possibly we will take a look at that, ‘yung 10 billion kung minsan meron pang unspent, so puwede pang gamitin ‘yan (typically there may be an unspent quantity for the P10 billion, so we will nonetheless use it.)”
Marcos is but to call his well being, international affairs, transportation, power, and atmosphere secretaries. He stated “the shortlist is getting shorter.”
Marcos will take his oath on June 30. – MR
