Food security, sufficiency program proposed
The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance institutionalizing food security and sufficiency programs in the city, outlining its purpose and appropriating funds for the same.
Under the proposed ordinance, the institutionalization of a food security and sufficiency program is a proactive measure to guarantee food sufficiency, sustainability and resiliency to introduce localized measures and customize programs to augment national policies to ensure available, accessible and affordable food for the city’s residents.
The ordinance stated that the aforesaid program shall be sustained in partnership with various stakeholders to ensure at all times that the city shall remain food sufficient; set collaborative strategies to strengthen partnership with other local governments, regional line agencies to include those from the private sector with similar programs and purpose; help the city in setting up its food security and sufficiency agenda and to make sure that ample budget is allotted to further strengthen food security and agricultural activities in the city and enhance and boost food production and resiliency among locals involved in agricultural-based activities.
The ordinance mandated the creation of a food security and sufficiency council that shall be chaired by the local chief executive, the City Veterinary and Agriculture Officer as vice chairperson and the Chairperson of the City Council Committee on Social Services, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, representatives of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, City Health Services Office, Philippine Statistics Authority, National Food Authority, 5 representatives from the indemnified barangays engaged in agricultural activities, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and 2 civil society organizations whose advocacy is related to food security or local agriculture as members.
The ordinance also provided for the appropriation of some P600,000 from the annual budget of the local government for the said purpose and that the same shall be included in the budget of the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office subject to the regular accounting rules and government auditing system.
The said funding is primarily for the conduct of programs and activities related to food security, benchmarking, public consultations, and collaborative meetings and capacity development training for food security advocates and other stakeholders.
The ordinance stipulated that in support to the local government’s vision of becoming a livable, inclusive and creative city, the proposed measure seeks to strengthen measures on food security programs in the city to ensure food supply for the increasing populace. It includes providing allowable assistance to the barangays, especially to those that are actively engaged in agricultural-based activities. – Dexter A. See
