President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. met with officials of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to iron out plans to increase farmers' productivity by ensuring that affordable fertilizers are available in the market.
In a social media post on Wednesday evening, the Office of the President (OP) said the meeting with DTI officials led by Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual was in line with Marcos' desire to secure the country's food supply.
"President Marcos met with DTI to iron out plans to increase the productivity of farmers by ensuring that fertilizers can be made affordable for them," the OP's tweet read.
"Together with his team, the president continues to prepare to secure the food supply in the country," it added.
President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. met with DTI to iron out plans to increase the productivity of farmers by ensuring that fertilizers can be made affordable for them.
Together with his team, the president continues to prepare to secure the food supply in the country. pic.twitter.com/wm980cZdov
— Office of the President (@opgovph) August 10, 2022
In her press briefing on Thursday, August 11, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said one of Marcos's priorities is protecting the Philippines' agricultural sector.
Marcos is also serving as the secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
"As you know, foremost on the President's mind is to protect our agricultural industries, our agriculture. Part of the concerns of our farmers is the prices of fertilizer," she said.
"So this was among the things that were discussed by the President with the DTI Secretary," she added.
However, Angeles could not expound on what the President discussed with the DTI, particularly the possibility of imposing a price cap on fertilizers.
"We will have to wait for the DTI to make a recommendation on that," she said.
Marcos earlier said that he was planning to pursue government-to-government deals and personally write to foreign governments to lower the price of fertilizers.
In her presser, Angeles said President Marcos would be the one to announce once he has decided to pursue such an endeavor.
"The President will make an announcement as to whatever countries when he does write such letters," she said.