CEBU CITY – A party-list representative wants to hear President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. talk about the steps that the government is taking to address the rising inflation rate in the State-of-the-Nation Address on Monday, July 22.

Agri party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee said the President should talk about programs that will benefit farmers.

“First of all, what is the plan of the government about the high inflation rate? People is not feeling the growth. What they feel is the rising prices of commodities,” said Lee, who was recently in Cebu to attend the Visayas conference of the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists.

LEE (Calvin D. Cordova)

Lee said programs that would benefit farmers are crucial to help solve rising inflation.

“I always say that the biggest cause of high inflation is food inflation. The real answer to inflation is not importation but to look after local farmers. Increase local food production. That’s the only way, the real answer in controlling inflation,” Lee said.

Increasing food production can be done by providing timely assistance to the farmers, Lee added.

The lawmaker added that in many instances, assistance arrives when the harvest season is done.

Continuing to build more post-harvest facilities and institutionalizing the Kadiwa center will also help solve inflation, Lee said.

Kadiwa centers seek to establish an additional market for small farmers and fisherfolk to sell their products and increase their income. It also aims to ensure a stable price and supply of food and other basic commodities in areas where poor families live.

“The President should include the institutionalizing of Kadiwa centers. I have filed House Bill 3957 regarding this matter so that we will no longer depend on who is the sitting administration. If institutionalized, Kadiwa centers will continue whoever is in the administration because an annual budget will be appropriated by the Congress,” said Lee.

Health also one of the key issues that Lee would want the President to discuss.

“When I go around, we have many countrymen who expressed fear about their health. That’s their common complain because when someone gets sick, income will really be affected, they will run out of savings and buried in debt,” added Lee.

Lee pointed out that the Marcos administration is heading in the right direction but more action must be done.

“This administration is in the right direction because compared to previous administrations, it is the one that is really gives focus on agriculture but we want to know what additional actions will be taken because now, it is still not enough,” said Lee.