PCCI urges gov't to loop private sector in on agri matters, focus on helping small farmers

JAKARTA, Indonesia - The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) urged the Marcos administration to cooperate with the private sector in handling the agriculture issues in the country and stressed the need to help local farmers not only to attain food security but also to capacitate them to be entrepreneurs.

“We’re concerned [about the rice situation] and we have voiced our desire that many food-related [issues] as far as price of food commodity, that the private sector be looped into it-- in the past few issues, the rice is one, sugar is one, onion is one--so, all of these somehow, if there are more collaborations, so people would not speculate,” PCCI President George Barcelon said in an interview with GMA News Online at the sidelines of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, where he spoke about agriculture.

Barcelon was part of the Philippine delegation at the 43rd ASEAN Summit, which will be attended by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

During the summit, Barcelon said ASEAN stakeholders discussed food security in the region.

“During the panel discussion of the food security of the ASEAN region… We talked about the importance of the small farm holders, that they should be looked into so that they will not be at the level of just for sustenance, but they should be looped into being an entrepreneur,” Barcelon said.

“It’s important and that’s exactly what our Department of Agriculture under President [Marcos] is doing. So, it means that we have to upgrade them and the technology. We have to give them financing and we have to improve our infrastructure-- the irrigation, farm-to-market road, and digitization,” he added.

Among the measures that could help the ASEAN region in attaining food security is the capacity of countries to produce their own fertilizers.

“Like other ASEAN countries, we are also working again on food security, and we need to beef up our own production capability in our country,” Barcelon said.

“We need to focus on the small farmers, help them along in their productivity. One of the areas that have importance [is] giving them the right technology, the right seedlings and financing,” he stressed.

In the same interview, Barcelon said that Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual gave an assurance that the Philippines had enough supply of rice, and that the recent imposition of a price cap was intended to avoid inflationary effects.

“I just talked to Secretary Pascual, he was one of the speakers this morning and he shared some thoughts that the public should not be worried about the shortage of rice and that the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) has looked into the availability of rice from all stakeholders. There’s really ample rice that is available for consumers,” Barcelon said.

“Having said that, we should not be speculating or that might lead people to hoard rice. So, from the statement of Secretary Pascual, we have the available rice, and the price was really to avoid the inflationary effect in case the price of rice goes up,” he added.

Asked if the PCCI thinks Marcos should already appoint a permanent Agriculture secretary given the situation, Barcelon said some issues may require strong political will.

“I leave it to the timing of the president wherein the present situation may require the president to be hands-on on the agriculture… It is not a question of being urgent, but it is a question of who can deal with it,” Barcelon said.

“The president being at the helm of the agriculture issue, allows him to take action much quicker. Some of these actions may require strong political will and it is really up to the President,” he added.

Marcos, who concurrently sits as the Philippine Agriculture Secretary, is set to arrive in Jakarta, Indonesia to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit Monday.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Marcos, at the sidelines of the Summit, will meet with businesses looking to expand operations in the Philippines.

Marcos will also have several bilateral meetings with other world leaders on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit. — DVM, GMA Integrated News