President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. declared Saturday that the country “would not import vegetables” despite many agricultural production areas in the country being affected by the recent onslaught of storms.
“That will not become a policy. We will not import any agricultural product unless we see that the supply is so low that the prices will become out of reach the ordinary consumers,” Marcos said citing that many vegetable farms in Benguet were affected by Typhoon “Egay”.
Marcos, who also serves as the concurrent secretary of the Department of Agriculture, said the government will review the local vegetable supply to determine remedial measures to stabilize agricultural prices.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that “Egay” left with P833.88 million worth of agricultural damage in the country.
NDRRMC said some 76,093 fisherfolk and farmers are reeling from the impact of the typhoon as well as the ongoing effects of the southwest monsoon or habagat.
The agricultural production loss in volume due to “Egay” was logged at 103,958 metric tons, affecting over 91,651.56 hectares of crop area.
The government earlier raised a state of calamity over the Ilocos provinces, Cavite, Sanchez Mira in Cagayan, and Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro due to the tropical cyclone.
Hence, an automatic price freeze on basic necessities has been placed in the affected areas.
The government said it has already distributed P39.69 million worth of assistance in the form of blankets, family food packs, and financial aid, among others.
Marcos led the distribution of various assistance to the affected farmers and fishers such as seeds, medicines, and biologics for livestock and poultry, and fingerlings.
The President ordered the DA to prepare the department’s Survival and Recovery Loan Program and the quick response fund to promptly assist the typhoon victims.
Marcos said the government will also provide building materials to the affected families.