MANILA: President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the quality of soil in the Philippines was “under threat” and warned that “more serious consequences” could happen if the country failed to address the issue.
About 75 percent of the Philippines’ “total crop land is vulnerable to erosion in various degrees, with agriculture losing about 457 million tons of soil annually,” Marcos Jr. said during the first National Soil Health Summit, citing data from the environment department. “The conversion of lands for settlements and the loss of about 47 hectares of forest cover every year contribute significantly to the soil degradation,” Marcos said.
The improper use of fertilisers and pesticides makes matters worse by polluting or acidifying the soil, he said.
Degraded soil in the Philippines is pegged between 11 and 13 million hectares, while another 2.2 million hectares of land in the agricultural country “suffer from insufficient soil fertility,” the President said.
“Our soil is under threat and to continue to neglect this vital agricultural component will lead to even worse crisis in the future,” he said.
The government created a 5-point priority plan on land use and soil management to “promote the sustainable use of our soil for the benefit of future generations,” said Marcos Jr., who also heads the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The plan includes crafting a national soil health program, capacitating soil laboratories to yield better data, and implementing sustainable land management.
“This will ensure the proper use and management of soil resources, address land degradation, enhance crop productivity and hence, improve farmers’ income,” Marcos said.
“The administration is also exploring water security for climate-resilient rainwater technologies and the conduct of cloud seeding operation for agriculture,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senate Committee on Agriculture chairperson Cynthia Villar, who was also present in the event, said that she would propose to include funds for additional soil laboratories under the 2024 national budget. Meanwhile, the agriculture department is finalising which of their programs could be included in the National Expenditure Program to help boost production in the agriculture sector and lower food prices, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters after the DA’s 125th founding anniversary, Marcos, who concurrently sits as agriculture secretary, said they are looking for ways to continue improving productivity not only in rice and corn but also in the fishery sector. The agriculture department has an approved budget of P173.6 billion this year.
“Kaya kami nag-meeting ngayon after the program ay nagfa-finalise kami ng (ilalagay sa) NEP (National Expenditure Program) for this year. And I wanted to talk to the [undersecretaries] and the other bureau chiefs kung ano ‘yung kailangan natin na ipaglaban doon sa budget,” Marcos said. “So that’s what we were doing upstairs and most of it has to do with increased production,” he added. Enhanced production will also help the country veer away from importation of goods due to supply shortage. “The best way to improve, first of all, availability and to keep the prices down is to have a good level of production, na hindi tayo nabibiktima ng tinatawag na imported na inflation, which is what’s happening now kasi napipilitan tayong mag-import,” he said. The President said government is partnering with the private sector for their expertise in improving value chain, among other things.
“That’s why we are going to partnerships, PPP (public-private) partnerships, with some big groups, some small groups, some locals, some international para mabigyan tayo ng tulong para nga doon sa value chain na mabuo natin,” he said. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing also contributed to 9.1 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Marcos said despite the “modest gains,” more needs to be accomplished in the sector.