Need for anti-hunger bill, local production boost underscored by Sen. Erwin at IPU forum

THE importance of managing food resources and imposing policies that will boost local production in the Philippines was underscored by Senator Erwin Tulfo as he attended a forum on food security at the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

Tulfo, head of the Philippine delegation at the IPU, said during the forum: “We have a problem with food insecurity right now in our country. Last year, about 27 percent of our population experienced hunger involuntarily. The fact is that lower wages, hiked prices, and low income contribute to this high rate, plus trade liberalization.”

Speaking before lawmakers from different countries across the globe, Tulfo raised various factors that contribute to the high incidence of hunger in the Philippines, particularly agricultural policies that adversely affect local farmers and local food production.

He sighed: “It’s killing the industry of our farmers. We are more dependent now on rice importation, which is cheaper. The reason is that the production cost for rice farmers in the Philippines is higher because of the fertilizers that we import. That is the problem, and this is causing a lot of pain to our people.”

The Senator pointed out that while current agricultural policies in the Philippines are yet to be reformed, the incidence of hunger could be further reduced by managing food resources properly and effectively.

Senate Bill No. 1411, or the proposed Zero Food Waste Act, which he filed in the Upper Chamber last September 24, is one of the immediate measures that could be legislated to address hunger, said Tulfo, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development.

“Every day, there’s a lot of food wastage. What I am saying is, if it can still be consumed by those who are hungry, maybe we can send it to food banks or to different organizations to feed them. Food that cannot be consumed anymore can be turned into compost for agricultural use or compost products,” Tulfo said.

His bill seeks to provide clear guidelines on how food-related businesses such as restaurants, cafes, fast-food chains, hotels, supermarkets, and culinary schools can donate surplus wholesome food to food banks operated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

It will also be recalled that in order to ensure stable food production and introduce long-term reform in the agricultural sector, Tulfo, at the start of his term in the Senate, filed a resolution seeking to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), particularly to revive the regulatory function of the National Food Authority.

Said resolution was among the legislative measures that enabled the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform to investigate alleged agricultural smuggling, as well as the implementation and effects of the RTL to both farmers and consumers.