Peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), on Sunday, Oct. 23, urged the administration to appoint a competent agriculture secretary, reiterating the need to strengthen the Philippine agricultural sector.
“It is obvious that the President cannot fulfill his task as the agriculture secretary, with him being the concurrent Chief Executive and Commander-In-Chief,” said KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. appointed himself as the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on June 20, 2022, saying that this will likely last until the country can “reorganize the DA in the way that will make it ready for the next years to come.”
For the peasant leader, DA needs a “full-time, hardworking, and sincere” Secretary who will be willing to listen to the recommendations of Filipino farmers.
KMP, for an instance, has been pushing for the immediate implementation of measures that will boost local food production instead of importation.
“o genuinely strengthen agriculture and fight hunger, Marcos Jr. should heed the demands of farmers, fisherfolk and food producers,” said Ramos.