A House leader is batting for the creation of a national water use plan, which would in turn compliment the Marcos administration's national farm-to-market road (FMR) master plan.

According to Quezon 2nd district Rep. David Suarez, the Philippines must come up with a comprehensive program on the proper and cost-effective use of water systems to address the perennial problem of water shortage for farmlands and subsequently, ensure a more efficient national food security program.

Suarez, a vice chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, said the creation of national water use plan will provide farmers with accessible water supply to improve their productivity and boost their incomes.

"Ayon sa datos mula sa National Irrigation Administration o NIA, halos 36 porsiyento ng ating 3,128,631 total irrigable areas ay walang matinong irrigation system. Kailangan muna nating resolbahin ang ugat ng problemang ito. Dito papasok ang pagkakaroon ng isang national water use plan na siyang sagot sa kakulangan ng tubig sa ating mga palayan (Based on the data from the National Irrigation Administration or NIA, almost 36 percent of our 3,128,631 total irrigable areas don't have a proper irrigation system. We need to resolve this problem first. This lack of irrigation from our farmlands can be solved by a national water use plan)," said the solon, who is also a deputy majority leader.

The comprehensive water program, the lawmaker said, would complement the national FMR master plan, which President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has asked agriculture officials and experts to create in the soonest time possible.

The FMR master plan, which is envisioned to promote food security and empower rural communities, will include regional maps detailing the exact locations of farm-to-market roads to be constructed.

Suarez claimed that having the two programs running side-by-side "will ensure we optimize our natural resource towards sustainability and security".

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Suarez and his wife, Alona Party-list Rep. Anna Suarez, recently joined officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Regional Field Office 4-A in the caravan distribution of DA interventions and Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) to farmers’ groups in Sariaya, Candelaria, Tiaong, San Antonio, Dolores, and Lucena City.

The program provided help to farmers growing vegetables, corn, high-value crops, and fruit-bearing trees.