President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and members of his Cabinet discussed on Monday initiatives being carried out to attain sustainability and food security in the Philippines, Malacañang said on Monday.
At a Palace briefing, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the Departments of Agriculture, Transport, Interior and Local Government, and National Economic and Development Authority presented reports that identified factors hindering the country's food security during the 7th Cabinet meeting at the Malacañang Palace.
"We had a Cabinet meeting today and we discussed primarily food security. We are identifying the factors that hinder our food security and several agencies were there to report," Angeles said in a press briefing.
She said the government is aiming to achieve food security "in general", but with a focus on the supply of rice, pork, fish and vegetables.
Angeles revealed that topics identified for possible policy review and legislation were the barriers to efficient transportation, red tape, permit system, and the crossing of boundaries between local government units.
"We're also looking at a review of policy and possible legislation to balance importation with local production and to address the issues of over and under production," she said.
"There are quite many overlaps so all departments will be working together on the policy review, assessment review and proposals," she added.
The Press Secretary would make further announcements once details are completed but noted that recognizing the problem is the first step of addressing it.
"These are what we are going to set either if it's for priority legislation and if we're going to look at policies that do not require legislation we're going to that immediately," she said.
"The various agencies just need to work out the standards between themselves."
Angeles also assured the public that the DA has never been remiss in providing information about the country's agriculture industry.
As Agriculture Secretary, Marcos gave a marching order to boost the production of rice, corn, vegetables, pork and poultry.
He also called for the review of the rice tariffication law and how it affected local farmers.
The Marcos administration's proposed 2023 national expenditure plan is seeking to improve the performance of the agriculture sector with a proposed budget of P184.1 billion for agriculture sector.
