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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Why not?': Bersamin confident Marcos admin can achieve P20 per kilo rice

'Why not?': Bersamin confident Marcos admin can achieve P20 per kilo rice

Published Jul 26, 2023 12:07 pm
Although it would not be an easy road, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin expressed confidence that the Marcos administration may soon achieve its campaign promise of P20-per-kilo rice. (Keith Bacongco/File Photo/MANILA BULLETIN) While the official did not give a timetable when this goal would be achieved, he stressed that this may soon be realized. “Hindi ko naman sinasabing matagal na ma-attain iyan; hindi ko rin sinasabing madaling ma-attain iyan (I am not saying that will took long to attain; I am also not saying that it would be easy to attain),” he said in a recent interview on CNN Philippines. “But I am saying that I am very confident that for as long as government is doing things right to attain these goals, that aspiration may soon be realized. Bakit hindi (Why not)?,” Bersamin asked. Although it started out as an aspiration, the Executive Secretary said that the Marcos administration is doing everything it can to fulfill this promise. Right now, the government is concentrating on major palay-producing areas so their production levels can be maximized, but Bersamin admitted that a lot of areas are not producing palay anymore. “But those areas that are producing rice, we try to maximize iyong production levels nila (their production levels). That’s another thing that we are doing now in order to reach that aspiration,” he explained. Bersamin also discussed several factors that might impact government interventions. Among these factors include weather conditions, climate change, and the looming El Niño phenomenon. But according to Bersamin, the Department of Agriculture (DA), which is headed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., is using the El Niño phenomenon to its advantage since there are species of rice that thrive even in moderate El Niño. “Gumagawa ng paraan ang Department of Agriculture upang hindi masyadong mahirap ang epekto sa rice production (The Department of Agriculture is making a way so it won’t have much effect on rice production),” he added.

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P20 kilo rice agriculture Lucas Bersamin El Niño President Marcos
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