Author: Marc Aguimatang
Author: DA Communications Group | 26 March 2020
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the food resiliency protocol proposed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to speed up the transport of major agri-fishery commodities to Metro Manila and other urban areas in Luzon.
“We at the Department of Agriculture continue to forge a strong partnership with concerned government agencies to implement and ensure compliance to the said protocol in line with the directives of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the IATF-EID enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) guidelines,” said agriculture secretary William Dar.
“We are closely coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry, local government units, the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines to untangle the unnecessary protocol imposed in ECQ checkpoints,” the DA chief Dar added.
The DA protocol also includes the free movement of farmers, fishers, workers in food processing and manufacturing firms, and food supply chain logistics providers.
“Iniiwasan po natin na mayroong mabubulok na mga gulay at iba pang produkto dahil sa mabagal na galaw ng mga ito. Let’s make food delivery efficient and fast, para walang Pilipino ang magutom,” he said.
“Maliban dito, iniiwasan nating tumaas ang presyo ng mga pagkain at pangunahing bilihin,” the DA chief added.
On March 25, Secretary Dar joined DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez in a teleconference with food value chain logistics providers to discuss and resolve major issues that hamper the free flow of various food products and cargoes to Metro Manila and other urban areas.
It was during the teleconference initiated by the DTI that he shared the DA recommendations with logistics providers, truckers, haulers, customs brokers, shipping lines, and the Bureau of Customs.
The DA protocol was also reinforced by an advisory issued by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on March 25 addressed to provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, barangay leaders, other LGU officials, and DILG regional directors and fieldmen nationwide.
In his advisory, secretary Ano reiterates that the movement of food and essential goods shall remain unhampered as set forth by the IATF-EID and pertinent issuances by the various national government agencies (NGAs), including the DA, DTI, and DILG.
“All local government units (LGUs) are advised to adhere to protocols prescribed by the IATF and concerned NGAs in ensuring food availability and sufficiency during the COVID-19 crisis,” the DILG chief said.
He added that the DA Memorandum Circular Numbers 7 and 9 series of 2020, DA strengthen the implementation of the Food Resiliency Protocol for Luzon and the entire country.
Both memos state that food production shall continue by allowing all farming and fishing activities such as land preparation, planting, crop maintenance, harvesting, threshing, drying, milling, sorting, packaging, and trading — to ensure the sufficient food supply across the country during and beyond the ECQ period.
This includes the movement of all supplies used for agriculture, including food packaging and manufacturing materials. Healthy farmers, farm workers, fishers, and agribusiness personnel shall be exempted from doing the home quarantine provided that they follow safety protocols.
Further, agricultural supply stores and veterinary clinics shall remain in operation.
The DA chief said “we continue to issue free food passes and IDs for personnel to show at checkpoints so they can move freely.
Pasado sa Komite!
✅ Tandang Sora Senior High School (RA 11263)
✅ Emilio Jacinto National High School (RA 10975)
☑️ Talipapa National High School (HB 714)
Kaunting tumbling na lang mga ka-Distrito, madadagdagan pa ang ating mga high school.
Tingnan ang panukalang batas dito: http://www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_18/HB00714.pdf
Sa pagpasok ng bagong dekada, taos-puso kaming nagpapasalamat sa pagtitiwala. Sama-sama tayong uunlad sa serbisyong #MulaSaBayan, #ParaSaBayan.
Nais ng panukalang ito ang palakasin ang kakayanan ng gobyernong maglaan ng lupa para sa socialized housing. Masisiguro din nito na may sapat na pabahay sa loob ng ating mga urban at urbanizable lands.
Basahin ang bill dito: http://congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_18/HB00159.pdf
Ipinasa ng Committee on Human Rights sa pamumuno ng chairperson nito na si Cong. Bong Suntay ang ating House Bill 5279. Nilalayon nito na sugpuin ang gutom sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng pag-coordinate ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno na gumawa at magpatupad ng mga programa na magpaparami sa produksyon at supply ng pagkain at gawin itong abot-kaya sa mga mamamayan.
Basahin ang bill dito: http://congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_18/HB05279.pdf
PAHAYAG NI CONG. KIT BELMONTE
SA PAGTANGGAP NI VP LENI ROBREDO
SA POSISYON SA Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD)
Kilala namin si VP Leni: Pangunahin sa puso sa isipan niya, ang magtrabaho nang maayos, at isulong ang kapakanan ng Pilipino. Masipag si VP Leni. Sinsero si VP Leni. Matapang si VP Leni. And she will never shrink from any responsibility to do what she can to make our people’s lives better.
Kaya hindi nakapagtataka ang naging mensahe ni VP Leni: Tatanggapin niya ang posisyong alok sa kanya, at gagawin niya ayon sa batas at prinsipyo ang trabahong kaakibat nito.
Kami man, may agam-agam. We know that there are those who might go against the direction she might set. Alam naming maaaring hindi ipatupad ang kanyang mga atas. Alam namin na maaaring para sa administrasyon, pulitika lang lahat ito.
But VP Leni does not play high politics with the lives of our people. We know that her sincerity overcame her own doubts, and it overcomes ours. Kung seryoso ang administrasyon, alam naming mas seryoso si VP Leni na tumulong.
Pagkakataon ito para ibaling ang anumang drug policy ng gobyerno sa tunay na dapat nitong pagtuonan: Sugpuin ang ugat ng droga, siguruhing magbubunga ito ng mas ligtas na mga komunidad, at tiyaking matitigil ang walang-habas na patayan.
If she is given the tools and is empowered by the administration, we can now altogether prove: The war on drugs can be part of the war against poverty— and not a war against poor people.
We approach this development with cautious optimism and with great pride in the courage and sincerity of our Party Chairperson.
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