Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 21) — President Ferdinand Marcos said the Philippines needs to deploy innovative measures to address its “growing” soil problems.
“Our soil is under threat and to continue to neglect this vital agricultural component will lead to an even worse crisis in the future,” he said during the 1st National Soil Health Summit on Wednesday.
He noted issues such as degradation, acidification, and pollution in soils.
Citing data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Marcos said that 75% of the country’s cropland is “vulnerable” to erosion. He added that the agriculture sector is losing about 457 million tons of soil every year.
“The conversion of lands for settlements and the loss of about 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year contributes significantly to soil degradation. Aside from these, around 11 to 13 million hectares are considered degraded. This is on top of the 2.2 million hectares that suffer from insufficient levels of soil fertility,” he said.
“Making matters worse is the improper use of fertilizers and pesticides that pollute and acidify our soil,” Marcos added.
Marcos called on stakeholders in the public and private sectors to boost information sharing and make improvements in programs on soil health.
The president also said that the current administration has crafted a 5-point priority agenda on soil and water management, such as the National Soil Health Program and the Implementation of Sustainable Land Management.
He said the programs seek to “ensure the proper use and management of soil resources, address land degradation, enhance crop productivity, and, hence, improve farmers’ income.”
