Tiu Laurel urged to prioritize fisheries sector, food security
‘Protecting and preserving vital ecosystems such as the biodiverse Verde Island Passage is an essential strategy to safeguard the nation’s food security as well as the economic well-being of our fisherfolk’
A week after fishing magnate Francisco Tiu Laurel was appointed as Agriculture secretary, the coalition of communities, sectors, and advocates for the protection of the Verde Island Passage or Protect VIP urged him to address food security issues from marine resources and o support small-scale fisherfolk fishing in municipal and coastal waters.
In his previous media engagement, Tiu Laurel said his focus as Agriculture Secretary will be to boost food production and redesign the agricultural sector, making it more modernized to effectively address the agency's current issues on food security and importation.
Farmers historically neglected
"Every person that takes over the post of Department of Agriculture is faced with the task of, first and foremost, being the champion of our farmers and fisherfolk to whom we owe our food security. We are an agricultural country yet the government has historically neglected the sector's development and the people who serve as the backbone of this industry. They remain among the poorest sectors in the country and it is ironic that they are also the ones providing food to our tables for our daily sustenance," said Father Edwin Gariguez, convenor of Protect VIP.
For his part, Gerry Arances, co-convenor of Protect VIP, said he hopes Tiu Laurel will recognize the vital role that marine resources play in ensuring food security in our country.
"With the impacts of climate change getting more frequent and intense year after year, the new secretary should prioritize investing in research to make the agricultural sector climate-resilient to secure the produce and livelihood of the farmers and fisherfolk and to promote sustainability. This should go hand-in-hand with ensuring that the health of our fisheries sector is maintained by protecting it from destructive activities such as the case of the Verde Island Passage and the fossil gas boom around its vicinity," Arances said.
Protect, preserve vital ecosystems
Gariguez said protecting and preserving our vital ecosystems, such as the biodiverse VIP, is not only an environmental imperative but also an essential strategy to safeguard the nation's food security as well as the economic well-being of our fisherfolk, who are considered one of the impoverished sectors in the country.
"We urge Secretary (Tiu) Laurel to put strong emphasis on creating comprehensive policies and initiatives that include protecting vital marine ecosystems and empowering fisherfolk and coastal communities to ensure a resilient and equitable food system for all Filipinos," he added.