Food Security
Food Security Page 2 of 3
PH irrigable land potential expands to 4.2 million hectares after NIA revises slope standard
The Philippines has more irrigable land than previously thought, with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) revising its estimate upward to 4.2 million hectares after factoring in upland communities previously excluded from national irrigation planning, its administrator said Saturday. NIA…
Solar pump irrigation systems reviving failed stations along major river basins, says NIA chief
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is converting failed diesel and electricity-driven pumping stations along major river basins into solar pump irrigation systems, with results so far proving positive, its administrator said Saturday. In an interview on DZRH News program Special on…
‘Pasado, but not exceptional’: UP NCPAG dean gives Marcos a passing grade, but notes agriculture sector remains his biggest failure
University of the Philippines (UP) National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) Dean Dr. Kristoffer Berse gave President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a passing grade at the four-year mark of his presidency—but stopped short of calling his performance exceptional, saying there are still…
‘Sayang ang pagkakataon’: Senate impasse costing PH its window to prepare for El Niño, says UP NCPAG dean
The ongoing leadership crisis in the Philippine Senate is not only hurting legislative productivity and institutional credibility but is also costing the country its window to prepare for a severe El Niño expected later this year, the dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) National College…
DOST chief to households, farmers, LGUs: here’s how to get ahead of El Niño
With an intensifying El Niño forecast to grip most of the Philippines by the last quarter of 2026, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is urging communities not to wait—laying out a practical set of low-cost interventions that households, farmers, and local governments can begin acting…
El Niño: Warming seas to shrink fish haul, drive marine life away, says DOST chief
Fishing communities across the Philippines face dwindling hauls and disappearing marine life as El Niño-driven ocean warming disrupts the underwater food chain that fish depend on, the country’s top science official warned Saturday. DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said warmer seas suppress the…
‘Worsening’ El Niño to hit 49 provinces by October, may last until early 2027: DOST chief
As many as 49 provinces across the Philippines are expected to record below-normal rainfall by October as an intensifying El Niño episode takes hold—and the dry spell may persist well into early 2027, the country’s top science official warned Saturday. Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said…
Senate crisis cost country precious time meant for real problems of ordinary Filipinos, says Honasan
The Senate shooting incident and the political storm surrounding it have cost the country something far more valuable than any political narrative being built around it—the time and focus that should have been devoted to the real and enduring problems of ordinary Filipinos, former Senator Gregorio…
Filipino farmers get steady buyer as President Marcos sources rice program from local producers
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is ensuring Filipino rice farmers have a steady and guaranteed market by requiring local government units to source the supply of his administration’s free rice program directly from local producers, bypassing traders and middlemen under the government’s Sagip…
Quezon bets on dairy farming as province’s new livelihood frontier, says Governor Helen Tan
Quezon province is moving to build a homegrown dairy industry, with Governor Helen Tan identifying the sector as an emerging livelihood opportunity that could reduce the province’s dependence on the National Dairy Authority (NDA). In an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on May 9…
As PH locks in 1.5M MT rice import deal with Vietnam, Davao journalist warns Filipino farmers are being ‘slowly killed’
While the government celebrates a deal securing 1.5 million metric tons of rice from Vietnam, a veteran Davao journalist says the policy behind it is quietly destroying the livelihoods of the very farmers the country depends on. Serafin “Jun” Ledesma Jr., speaking on DZRH’s Special on Saturday on…
Up to eight middlemen stand between Filipino farmers and consumers, driving up food prices: economist
The food that reaches a Filipino consumer’s table has passed through as many as seven to eight hands before getting there, and each transfer comes with a markup—a problem deeply embedded in how Philippine agriculture works, and one that an economist says is compounding the damage of the current…
Kiko Pangilinan announces task force formed to protect food security amid oil crisis
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan announced Tuesday, March 31, that the AGRI-AGRA Team has formed a dedicated task force to monitor the Middle East crisis and shield the country’s food security and agriculture sector from its effects. The team brings together the Department of Agriculture (DA)…
The Iran war is showing why the Philippines can’t afford to neglect its farmers
A war thousands of kilometers away is beginning to ripple through something as basic as the Filipino dining table. The conflict involving Iran has pushed oil prices higher, disrupted key shipping routes, and strained global supply chains—especially for fertilizer, a critical input for food…
The Philippines’ food supply is safe—for now—and why we should thank our farmers
For now, food remains available. Rice is being harvested, fish supply is steady, and markets are holding despite rising costs linked to tensions in the Middle East. That buffer, according to Agriculture Undersecretary Asis Perez, comes down to timing. The crisis coincided with harvest season…