(Keith Bacongco/ MANILA BULLETIN)



Issues hounding the agricultural sector were foremost on the mind of House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday morning, July 24, during the first day of the second regular session. In his speech before his colleagues at the plenary, Romualdez vowed to look into the problems of the agriculture sector in a bid to help millions of Filipino farmers and fishermen. “It is equally imperative to address the issues confronting our agricultural sector in the soonest possible time. We will redouble our efforts to stop the smuggling of rice, sugar, and onions, which harms our farmers’ competitiveness and disrupts the agricultural value chain,” said Romualdez, Leyte's 1st district congressman. “We shall safeguard our farmers’ interests, ensure equitable market conditions, and foster sustainable farming methods to ensure our nation’s food security,” underscored the leader of the 312-strong House. Over the weekend, Romualdez promised to closely monitor the implementation of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, under which P5.7 billion in debt incurred by 610,000 farmers and other agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) is to be written off. “In addition to our priority measures and in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to sustainable fisheries, we will increase the existing strategic agriculture and fisheries development zones,” Speaker Romualdez said. “These zones will not only reinforce our fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing but also promote responsible fishing practices, safeguard our marine resources, and support the livelihoods of our fisherfolk,” he explained. A total of 311 House members were present during Monday morning's session.