House Deputy Majority Leader David C. Suarez (2nd District, Quezon) has urged the government to come up with a comprehensive program on the proper and cost-effective use of water systems to address the perennial problem of water shortage for farmlands and subsequently, ensure a more efficient national food security program.
Suarez, vice chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, said the creation of a National Water Use Plan will provide farmers with accessible water supply to improve their productivity and boost their incomes.
“Kailangan ng ating mga magsasaka ang mabisang plano na magsisiguro ng maayos at tuloy-tuloy na supply ng tubig at irigasyon sa kanilang mga sakahan. Mahalagang mabuo agad ng pamahalaan ang National Water Use Plan nang sa ganun ay maging mas kampante ang ating mga magsasaka,” Suarez said in a press statement.
“Ayon sa datos mula sa National Irrigation Administration o NIA, halos 36 porsiyento ng ating 3,128,631 total irrigable areas ay walang matinong irrigation system. Kailangan muna nating resolbahin ang ugat ng problemang ito. Dito papasok ang pagkakaroon ng isang National Water Use Plan na siyang sagot sa kakulangan ng tubig sa ating mga palayan,” Suarez said.
Upang maabot ang food security para sa bansa mahalaga na isabay sa pagpapatupad ng national farm to market road plan and national water use plan. This will ensure we optimize our natural resource towards sustainability and security.” Suarez added.
The comprehensive water program, the lawmaker said, would complement the National Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) masterplan, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked agriculture officials and experts to create the soonest time possible.
The FMR masterplan, which is envisioned to promote food security and empower rural communities, will include regional maps detailing the exact locations of farm-to-market roads to be constructed.
Suarez and his wife, Alona party-list Rep. Anna Suarez, recently joined officials from the DA-Regional Field Office 4-A in the caravan distribution of DA interventions and Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA) to farmers’ groups in Sariaya, Candelaria, Tiaong, San Antonio, Dolores, and Lucena City.
The program provided help to farmers growing vegetables, corn, high-value crops, and fruit-bearing trees.