AGRI Party-List Rep. Wilbert T. Lee on Wednesday urged for the speedy passage of House Bill No. 1299, or the Right to Adequate Food Act, as he called for the strict implementation of the food and security roadmap for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to aid in the continued decline of poverty incidence in the region.
“As we celebrate Eid’l Adha, the feast of Sacrifice, I call on the government for the swift passage of measures that will guarantee help in ensuring food security for our Muslim brothers and sisters,” Lee said.
“Malaking bagay po na bumaba ang poverty incidence sa rehiyon, ayon na rin sa huling tala ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), pero kailangan pa rin tandaan na 37.4 percent ng populasyon ng BARMM, o katumbas na 1.71 milyon na pamilya, ay naghihirap,” he added.
Lee was referring to the 2021 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) of the PSA, which showed that 37.4 percent of people in BARMM were poor in 2021, which translates to 1.71 million considered poor families or below the poverty threshold. Basilan province recorded 53.5 percent; Lanao del Sur at 10.9 percent; Maguindanao at 38.0 percent; Sulu at 62.5 percent; Tawi-Tawi recorded 36.5 percent, while Cotabato City recorded 39.7 percent.
The Bicolano lawmaker said the government should pull out all the stops to help BARMM’s target of lowering poverty incidence by 2025.
“May nagawa na pong food security and nutrition roadmap para sa rehiyon. Kasama po sa roadmap na ito ang improvement ng policies and institutions for food security. Kaya naman kailangan na mayroong enabling law ito para maayos na maitupad ito, at isa na rito ang Right to Adequate Food Act,” he said.
Lee’s HB 1299 seeks to establish the framework for addressing hunger and provides the means through which the country can comply with international obligations with regard to the right to food.
“This bill will address ‘the constant change of priority platforms in every administration transition’ as noted by the food security and nutrition roadmap developed by the BARMM, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),” Lee said.
