Marcos urges ASEAN Plus Three to boost food staple reserves

VIENTIANE - President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday pushed for boosting food staple reserves in the region.

During the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, Marcos said that according to the 2024 World Risk Index, “the Philippines has unfortunately been assessed as having the highest risk of facing extreme natural events and the negative impacts of climate change.”

He said that this could severely affect Philippine agriculture and the Filipinos’ accessibility to proper nutrition.

“Thus, I continue to urge APTERR (ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve) Working Groups to seek ways to strengthen its mechanisms as well as to boost its rice and other staple food reserves to better prepare for emergencies that threaten food security in the region,” Marcos said.

“The extension of the Tier 1 APTERR programme for another three-year term from 2024-2027 will definitely help ensure food security in the Philippines by diversifying supply sources and, therefore, enhance Filipinos’ resilience to potential adverse situations or calamities,” he added.

Meanwhile, Marcos said the Philippines welcomed the ASEAN Plus Three Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening the Connectivity of Regional Supply Chains, which highlights its benefits, including reducing transportation costs, responding faster to changes in demand, enhancing resilience to global disruptions, facilitating trade, enhancing collaboration and innovation, and encouraging regulatory alignment.

“Rest assured that the Philippines shall continue its utmost support in implementing the Work Plan and in strengthening cooperation with all Member States through the APT mechanisms,” Marcos said.

ASEAN Plus Three is composed of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, Japan, and South Korea. —VBL, GMA Integrated News