Quirino Governor Dax Cua urged the national government to immediately draft a plan to operationalize Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s call for local government units to closely coordinate with the administration to ensure the country’s food supply.
“We from the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) fully support President Marcos’ call. Tama ang Pangulo, we need a plan, and we need to work closely together. We need the national government, which sees the whole picture, to show us how such intergovernmental and inter-provincial coordination could be operationalized to secure our food supply,” Cua, who chairs the LPP, said.
Among the most immediate benefits of close coordination between the national and local governments would be the provision of targeted support, the governor added.
“Makakaasa ang pambansang pamahalaan na ang buong LPP ay makikiisa sa layunin na ito,” he added.
Marcos emphasized the need for coordination during a recent meeting with the LPP.
“We have to coordinate our efforts on food supply. We cannot just allow ‘bahala na kayo’,” Marcos said during the meeting.
The President also reiterated the need for planning, saying it will give an idea of the provinces’ cropping schedules, yield, soil problems, and use of fertilizer.
“We do indeed need to work together. Amid the threat of climate change where it gets more difficult for local governments to stabilize supply, we cannot work as separate islands, but rather as a closely inter-linked chain,” said Cua.
Among the most immediate benefits of close coordination between the national and local governments would be the provision of targeted support, the governor added.
Cua said that “with the national government having a clear picture of the needs and activities of the provinces”, the practice of doing ‘one size fits all’ solutions could be eliminated.
“That’s why we need a system where the strengths, weaknesses, assets, and needs of provinces in terms of agriculture are mapped, so that we can ensure that the support the national government provides will actually be put to use,” he added.
