Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. (File photo)
MANILA – Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. on Monday said he was personally monitoring the movement of prices of rice, corn, and other agricultural products as the country transitions from El Niño to La Niña weather.
In compliance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s instruction to ensure the nation’s food security, Laurel said the Department of Agriculture (DA) will monitor the impact of the transition on the agriculture sector to protect both farmers and consumers.
“Since umupo ako bilang kalihim ng Department of Agriculture, ako personally ang nagmomonitor ng lahat ng presyo ng bilihin sa mga palengke sa ibat-ibang lugar sa ating bansa. Personally, ako mismo naka-monitor (Since I sat as the secretary of the Department of Agriculture, I personally monitor all the prices of goods in the markets in different places in our country),” he said in an interview.
The extremely hot and dry weather conditions due El Niño during the past several months have affected the agricultural sector.
The arrival of La Niña is expected to bring heavy rainfall which can cause flooding, impacting agricultural lands.
Laurel earlier ordered the operationalization of the Climate Resilient Agriculture Steering Committee (CRASC) to provide strategic direction and oversee the mobilization of DA resources for climate change response.
The CRASC will be headed by Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and Regulations Asis Perez, and co-chaired by Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro and Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Official Development Assistance-Foreign Aid/Grants Jerome Oliveros.
Laurel is a member of the presidential Task Force El Niño, chaired by National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. and co-chaired by Science and Technology Secretary Renato U. Solidum.
Teodoro has issued a warning during the fifth meeting of the presidential task force on El Niño response, declaring that the government would go after hoarders and manipulators preying on consumers as the country expects La Niña.
In a recent task force meeting at Camp Aguinaldo, Teodoro said the Department of National Defense (DND) is ready to provide support to agencies involved in the price monitoring of basic necessities and prime commodities.
He said there was a need to intensify price and supply monitoring efforts in markets to protect consumers from profiteering amid the weather phenomenon.
Under President Marcos’ Executive Order (EO) 53 signed on Jan. 19, 2024, select national government agencies have been directed to streamline, reactivate, and reconstitute the old El Niño task forces under EO No. 16 (s. 2001) and Memorandum Order No. 38 (s. 2019).
EO 53 directs the task force to develop a comprehensive disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan for El Niño and La Niña to provide “systematic, holistic, and results-driven interventions” to help the public cope and minimize their devastating effects.
The President also designated the following officials as task force members: Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, Secretary of Agriculture Tiu Laurel, Secretary of Health Teodoro J. Herbosa, and Secretary of National Economic and Development Authority Arsenio M. Balisacan. (PR)
