Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. believes that country will be closer to rice self-sufficiency in two years if the government will implement “major reorganization” in its agencies.
The president made the comment on Wednesday following a meeting with the officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) at Malacañang Palace.
“From that discussion, we have begun to put on the timetable of what are the things that we need to do. And sa aming calculation, kung magawa natin lahat ng kailangang gawin — kasi marami tayong kailangan ayusin, marami tayong ire-reorganize — pero kung magawa natin lahat ‘yan, we will be close to self-sufficiency for rice in two years,” Marcos said.
[Translation: In our calculation, if we could do everything we need to do — because we have a lot to do, a lot to re-organize — if we are able to do that, we will be close to self-sufficiency for rice in two years.]
“There’s a great deal of work to do pero nakikita na namin kung papaano gagawin (we can see how to do it). So that’s what we will work on for now,” he added.
The chief executive also said the plan needs “cooperation, convergence, and coordination” with the DA, NIA, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
“So our next meeting will be that. Nandiyan na lahat ng mga concerned agency (all the concerned agencies are there) and we will present the timetable as to what needs to be done, what forms of coordination need to be done,” he added.
According to Malacañang, the government has been implementing strategies to increase rice production, such as convincing irrigators associations (IA) and farmers to plant hybrid rice, adopting alternate wetting and drying as a water-saving technology for irrigated lands, harvesting in September during the wet season, and ratooning after the wet season harvest.
READ: Marcos bats for use of hybrid rice seeds to increase crop yield
Ratooning is the practice of harvesting a monocot crop by cutting most of the above-ground portion but leaving the roots to allow the plants to recover and produce a fresh crop.
Malacañang also said the NIA has a total investment pledge of more than ₱1 trillion from potential private partners, which would allow the agency to pursue its irrigation projects without the restriction of limited funding.
