Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 31) — The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved the Department of Agriculture’s request for a ₱31-billion in supplemental budget to sustain food supply while the Philippines is under a state of a public health emergency due to the coronavirus disease, the Department of Agriculture has said.
“It [requested amount] was among the several recommendations approved by the Task Force,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a statement on Monday.
The proposed budget is now up for President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval, the department said in a statement.
Once authorized, the DA said the extra funds will go to its “Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Kontra sa COVID-19” program:
• ₱7.5 billion – rice resiliency project;
• ₱7 billion – palay procurement fund of the National Food Authority;
• ₱3 billion – expanded SURE Aid and recovery project;
• ₱3 billion – expanded agriculture insurance project;
• ₱3 billion – social amelioration for farmers and farm workers;
• ₱1 billion – upscaling of KADIWA ni Ani at Kita;
• ₱1 billion – integrated livestock and corn resiliency project;
• ₱1 billion – expanded small ruminants and poultry project;
• ₱1 billion – coconut-based diversification project;
• ₱1 billion – fisheries resiliency project;
• ₱1 billion – revitalized gulayan project;
• ₱500 million – urban agriculture project;
• ₱500 million – acquisition of protective personal equipment;
• ₱300 million – corn for food project; and
• ₱200 million – information, education and communications project
The DA made the request last week.
Dar said these programs aim to keep prices of agricultural produce and fish products stable while there is a health crisis in the country.
The Agriculture department then assured the public there is enough food for the next two months. The agriculture chief said they are enhancing measures to ensure food security, including coordinating with local governments and other private stakeholders so they would buy products from local farmers.
The department also set up booths in areas where food passes would be issued to food producers. This is to ascertain the free movement of food items and farm inputs during the enhanced community quarantine in the northern third of the country.
Duterte has imposed a stay-at-home order for people in Luzon from March 17 to April 12, with the government putting up checkpoints and restricting non-essential travel to contain the spread of COVID-19.
