President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. assured the public that the government was "taking the bull by the horns" as it strives to address the "harrowing state" of food inadequacy in the Philippines.

Marcos said this as he graced the national launch of the Philippine Multi-sectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) at the Manila Hotel on Wednesday, March 29.

In his speech, the President said he was prompted to lead the Department of Agriculture (DA) so there would be a "proper focus" on resolving food inadequacy in the country.

"We acknowledge the harrowing state of affairs that hunger and food inadequacy continue to be of paramount national and, for that matter, international concern," he said.

"We are taking the bull by the horns. In fact, I have made it my own personal mission to address these fundamental problems as I take on the role of secretary of Agriculture just to make sure that a proper focus is given to that particular challenge," he added.

According to the President, a healthy population should serve as a firm foundation for the Philippines' fast-paced and long-term economic development.

"We will want to invest in our 110-million-strong population who, without question, are the main drivers of our economy," he said.

"We must capacitate and hone them to become industrious, potent, and productive Filipinos who are strong and resilient, withstanding the rigors of life to live long and to enjoy their lives in the process," he added.

With this, Marcos assured the public that his administration treats food security as a high priority.

"This is the reason why this administration has put high priority and considers it of strategic importance that lies in the areas of food security, healthcare, and education, amongst others," he said.

"Sometimes, we don't think about it and, therefore, do not often realize it, but lodged at the very core of all these is the aspect of good nutrition for our people," he added.

The PMNP is a four-year government project under the collaboration of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It adopts a bold and multisectoral approach to achieve nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions across the country's various local government units (LGUs).