SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez today said the bilateral meeting between President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet would help ensure the country has ample rice supply amid the threat posed by El Nino phenomenon.
Romualdez was among the officials who accompanied Pres. Marcos, Jr. during his meeting with the Cambodian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the 50th ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne.
According to the Speaker, the two leaders discussed a variety of pivotal issues aimed at enhancing mutual trade and investment, and at fostering stronger economic ties, particularly focusing on sectors such as rice trade and tourism.
“By diversifying our sources of rice importation and strengthening partnerships with fellow ASEAN member states like Cambodia, we can mitigate the adverse effects of external factors such as climate change-induced phenomena like El Niño,” Romualdez said.
“While we are making significant strides towards achieving rice self-sufficiency, prudence dictates that we should provide contingency measures to ensure people would have adequate rice supply at the best possible price if our local production falls short of expectation,” he added.
The Speaker noted that while the Department of Agriculture has assured enough supply of the staple grain up to the first half of the year, prices may remain high through September due to the potential effects of El Nino on the global rice supply and a spike in demand.
As of February 29, the damage to the country’s agriculture sector due to the impact of the El Niño phenomenon has increased to over P941 million, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Among the areas that sustained the most agricultural damage due to El Nino include Western Visayas, MIMAROPA, Ilocos, CALABARZON, and Zamboanga.
