DAVAO CITY –— President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos has decided to take the portfolio of the Department of Agriculture as he foresees the upcoming increase in the prices of food and other good in the coming months as an offshoot of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Marcos in a press conference Monday afternoon said, the war had impact the food supply, upon supply of feeds during the last few weeks “We have been able in the Philippines to adjust to the new situation, in terms of the importations from the Ukraine and from Russia but these emergency measures that we have taken will not be sufficient for the long run.”
Marcos emphasized That is why we need to plan in a more thorough passion and not just responding as he already asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and Depart of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management to start to make an economic forecast for the country to be able to draw a plan and prepare for said impact and anticipate the situation.
In announcing his desire to take the DA seat, Marcos stressed “As to Agriculture, I think the problem is sever enough that I have decided to take on the portfolio of the Secretary Department of Agriculture, at least for now, until we can reorganize the Department of Agriculture in the way that will make it ready for the next years to come. Marami tayong mga kailangang palitan, marami tayong mga iba’t-ibang opisina na hindi na masyadong nagagamit o kailangan nang i-retool para sa “dahil iba na ang ating ginagawa ngayon, bumabalik tayo sa basics” (We need to change, there ware many offices which are not fully utilized or there is a need to retool for the post-pandemic because we are doing it differently now, we go back to the basics}”
As the country faces economic challenge, Marcos emphasized ” We are going back basics and trying to and we ill rebuild the value chain of Agriculture, that is why, I though it is important that the President take that portfolio, so that not only to make it clear to everyone what a high priority we put on the agricultural sector but also as a practical matter so that things move quickly, because the events of the global economy are moving very quickly we have to be able to be fragile, we have to be able to respond properly in a measures way.”
