President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stressed on Thursday, Aug. 11, the need for better coordination mechanisms between the national and local governments in the area of food supply.
In a meeting with members of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, Marcos highlighted the importance of planning, saying it will give the idea of a province’s cropping schedules, yield, soil problems, and use of fertilizer.
“We have to coordinate our efforts on food supply. We cannot just allow bahala na kayo,” he said.
“But this has to be part of a plan, and that is why, more than ever, the President needs the help of the governors. Because dati, ang agriculture, for example, is really under the national government,” he added.
During his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), delivered on July 25, the President said the agricultural sector is “one of the main drivers of our push for growth and employment,” as he stressed there exists a two-pronged problem with regard to food supply: short-term and long-term challenges.
The President also directed all concerned government agencies to strengthen their coordination in the field of digitalization, a program also highlighted in his SONA.
“Marami sa inyong medyo progressive, inunahan niyo na ang national government. Now, we have to bring the system together. Kailangan ‘yung information na hawak ng isang probinsya, ng isang agency, is accessible doon sa kabila as long as they have authorization,” Marcos said.
“We have to be literally interconnected. So that’s another area where we are hoping that we can strengthen the cooperation – the planning, the coordination between national government and local government,” he continued.
The administration’s digital transformation plan includes the rollout of National IDs, the implementation of the National Broadband Plan and the common tower program, as well as connecting geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas via the ‘Broad Band ng Masa’ project. -KC
