President Marcos underscored the role of water security in peace and development as he inaugurated the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project Stage II (MMIP II) on Monday, April 29 in Cotabato province, which will benefit more than 4,000 farmers.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. leads the inauguration of the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project Stage II in Pikit, Cotabato on Monday, April 29, 2024. (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)
In his speech during the event, the Chief Executive said that the project will not only address irrigation problems, but it is also a source of life and hope for generations to come.
“Without water, there are no farms. Without farms, there are no food. No food, no life. Therefore, water is life,” he stated. “With this comes another fundamental truth, without water security, we cannot have food security.”
But more than helping farmers, the irrigation project will also help achieve peace and development because it will put on the table, nourish families, and ensure that children “will get their fair share of progress.”
“It will put food on their plates, so that people may share their blessings at the table of peace. This irrigation would water not only the crops that we grow, but the peace that we want to take root in this land,” he said.
“Because peace and freedom must be tended and watered as well. Only then can we be assured that it will flourish and bear fruit for all. So it is not only [an] agricultural project. It is a major infrastructure for peace and development as well,” Marcos stressed.
He thanked the local government and reminded farmers associations and their members of their role in the project’s upkeep and maintenance, the President also assured them of more help.
“Marami pang proyektong pang-agrikultura ang darating (More agricultural projects will come),” he said.
“Marami pa pong serbisyo ang ilalaan upang maitaas ang antas ng pamumuhay ng ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mga nasa BARMM (We will provide more services to improve the quality of lives of our countrymen, especially in the BARMM),” the Chief Executive added.
BARMM is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The Marcos administration’s Build Better More program does not only prioritize infrastructure, but it also aims for nation-building for all, he furthered.
“Sapagkat saan man kayo sa bansang ito, kasama kayo sa pag-unlad na minimithi natin sa ilalim ng Bagong Pilipinas (Wherever you are in the Philippines, you are all included in the progress that we want to achieve under the New Philippines),” Marcos said.