CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA) --Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles highlighted food security amid the pandemic as the government’s top priority during the recent Pre-SONA series, weeks before President Rodrigo Duterte’s sixth and final State of the Nation Address. 

Last July 6, Nograles led the members of the Cabinet in the Pamana sa Pagbabago: Kasama sa Pamana Regional Pre-SONA Series where they reported on the government’s pandemic response and implementation of the National Vaccination Program. 

The Pre-SONA series was composed of reports from the six cabinet clusters--including the Economic Development Cluster, Infrastructure Cluster, Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster, Participatory Governance Cluster, Security, Justice and Peace Cluster, and the Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction Cluster--which listed accomplishments of the Duterte administration, such as its COVID-19 pandemic response and implementation of the  national vaccination program. 

“This Pre-SONA series is to prepare everyone for President Rodrigo Duterte’s SONA, his ultimate State of the Nation Address. Sa pamamagitan ng seryeng ito, pinapaalam natin sa lahat ng Pilipino sa bawat region ang mga major accomplishment ng administrasyong Duterte,” Nograles said. 

[This Pre-SONA series is to prepare everyone for President Rodrigo Duterte’s SONA, his ultimate State of the Nation Address. Through this series, we are reporting to Filipinos in every region the major accomplishments of the Duterte administration.]

Nograles highlights national food program 

Creating a resilient food supply system is one of the priorities of the Duterte administration, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In his report, Nograles highlighted the National Food Policy which listed a comprehensive plan in alleviating hunger where agencies can offer their assistance to beneficiary farmers and community-based organizations. 

By creating farmers’ organizations, catering to institutional buyers, local government units, jails, hospitals, as well as other government programs such as the Supplementary Feeding Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Education School-based Feeding Program, the government will ensure sufficient food supply and buyers. 

‘Whole of government’ approach in addressing hunger

By ensuring farming inputs, the government aims to ensure sufficient food supply especially in urban and rural communities. 

Government data show that around 160, 849 children aged 4 and below who are enrolled in DSWD Child Development Centers were part of the national feeding program. 

Around 324, 961 children received nutritious food products, while around 258,911 elementary school children were given milk through the school-based feeding program. 

The Department of Agrarian Reform also launched a program to help agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) ensure their agricultural production, livelihood and income during this COVID crisis. 

Through this program, around 90 women received assistance through its livelihood program for ARBs in crisis. 

In 2020, around 7,086 of the 585,940 insured farmers and fisherfolk who claimed indemnity came from the Calabarzon region. Throughout the country, around P3.37-B claims were made across the country.

Meanwhile, around 4,992 ARBs received supplemental food packs and non food items. 

According to Nograles, the government has allotted P3.5-B for the insurance program which covers farmers whose main products are palay, corn, high valued crops and animal products.