The House Committee on Human Rights chaired by Manila 6th District Representative Benny Abante Jr. held its annual Human Rights Week celebration with a multi-stakeholders’ forum on human rights issues and concrete legislative action entitled: Human Rights Week 2022 “Rights and Dignity Legislative Forum Series”.
This year’s theme focuses on the “Right to Adequate Food and Climate Change: Traversing Challenging Paths Towards Peace and Development”.
In his opening remarks, Abante underscored that the right to adequate food is a legal entitlement.
“Eight bills on the right to adequate food framework have already been filed at the House of Representatives.”
The veteran legislator assured that Congress is working on measures that would help ensure the availability and accessibility of food that is sufficient in both quantity and quality.
TINGOG Party-list Representative Jude Acidre, on behalf of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, also delivered a message wherein he noted that eight bills on the right to adequate food framework have already been filed at the House of Representatives, and 12 bills to address impacts of climate change.
Agriculture Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla bared that the Department of Agriculture is implementing programs that seek to attain food security, as well as empower the agricultural sector.
“The Climate Change Commission is currently improving the action plan to ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of safe and healthy food amid climate change.”
Among these is the AMIA Program or Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture, which would support Filipino farmers and fisherfolk to be resilient to the worsening effects of climate change.
Climate Change Commission (CCC) Assistant Secretary and Deputy Executive Director Romell Antonio Cuenca said that the CCC is currently improving its action plan to ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of safe and healthy food amid climate change.
Others present were AGRI Party-list Representative Wilbert Lee, Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Richard Palpalatoc, and Federation of Free Farmers Chairperson Leonardo Montemayor.
The forum was hosted by Committee Secretary Fely Parcon.
