Pangilinan eyes to end hunger in the country

CEBU, Philippines — If elected to the Senate, former senator and senatorial candidate Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has committed to jumpstart a food revolution that will provide Filipinos with easy access to affordable and nutritious food through bold legislative measures and executive actions.

To turn this commitment into reality, Pangilinan vowed to champion vital legislative measures that will help fortify food security, bring down prices of food, and strengthen vital support for the agricultural sector.

“Oras na para isulong ang isang Food Revolution --isang rebolusyong maglalagay ng sapat, ligtas, at abot-kayang pagkain sa bawat hapag-kainan,” said Pangilinan, who recently visited Cebu.

“Walang kulay ang gutom at walang kulay ang solusyon. Ang rebolusyong ito ay hindi tungkol sa politika. Ito ay tungkol sa buhay ng bawat Pilipino. Hindi tayo papayag na maging normal ang gutom sa Pilipinas. Hindi dapat maging pribilehiyo ang pagkain --karapatan ito ng bawat Pilipino! Tayo mismo ang kikilos para itulak ang pagbabago,” said Pangilinan in a statement.

If elected to the Senate, Pangilinan said he will immediately hit the ground running by pushing for the passage of his priority measures, including the Batas sa Murang Pagkain Act, the Food Sovereignty and Farmers' Protection Act, the Expanded Feeding Program for Public Schools Act, and the Urban and Community Farming Act.

The Batas sa Murang Pagkain Act aims to lower food prices by regulating essential goods and ensuring fair trade practices, setting a price stabilization mechanism for rice, vegetables, and meat, providing direct subsidies for food production and distribution costs, and creating a national food buffer stock to prevent price spikes.

To strengthen local agriculture and protect farmers from unfair competition, Pangilinan also plans to push for the passage of the Food Sovereignty and Farmers' Protection Act, which will ban excessive food importation that harms local producers.

The proposed measure also seeks to create a farmers' and fishermen’s trust fund for subsidies, equipment, and financial support, and strictly enforce anti-smuggling laws and punish cartels hoarding agricultural products.

Pangilinan also wants to end child hunger through the Expanded Feeding Program for Public Schools Act, which will implement a nationwide feeding program using locally sourced food and establish community-based food hubs to support school meal programs.

Also in Pangilinan’s legislative pipeline is the Urban and Community Farming Act, which seeks to empower Filipinos to grow their own food and promote self-sufficiency.

The measure aims to provide seed grants and training for backyard, rooftop, and community gardens, turn idle government lands into urban farms in cities and provinces, and promote hydroponics and vertical farming for high-density urban areas.

Pangilinan served as food security secretary of President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III from June 2014 to September 2015. During that time, he successfully reduced rice prices by up to P3 pesos per kilo and lowered rice inflation from 15% to 0.8% . It contributed to the lowest nationwide inflation rate in 20 years, increasing the public’s purchasing power.

He also authored the Sagip Saka Act, which allows national and local governments to directly purchase from rice farmers without conducting public bidding. — (FREEMAN)