FOOD SECURITY. Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda urges food producers to focus on Pampanga to assure food security during the enhanced quarantine period. Photo courtesy of Jun Jaso/Pampanga PIO
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — “Huwag po kayong mag-panic buying, sinisigurado ko po sa inyo na may enough supply ng pagkain sa probinsiya.”
Thus, Gov. Dennis “Delta” G. Pineda assured his constituents of Pampanga’s food security in the wake of the enhanced community quarantine imposed upon the whole of Luzon and the subsequent declaration of a state of calamity over the whole country by President Duterte.
Pineda said the province has enough supply of food to feed the Capampangans for the entire duration of the quarantine period.
In a dialog Tuesday, the governor appealed to food producers, including hog and poultry raisers, crops and vegetable suppliers, food companies, the provincial agriculture and fish council, and farmers cooperatives “to focus” their production on Pampanga.
This, even as he assured the food producers of the government support amid the calamity.
At the same time, Pineda reminded the producers to ensure that their workers observe public health protection measures from production and processing to delivery of their food products to prevent risk of exposure to Covid–19.
Roger Santos, chairman of the provincial agriculture and fisheries council, said he is convinced that thecouncil has “more than enough” resources to feed the whole province.
Julieta Oria, provincial manager of the National Food Authority, guaranteed that there is “sufficient rice inventory” in Pampanga even in times of emergency like this.
Oria gave the assurance that for the next 45 days the province has sufficient supply of rice, be it commercial, households and NFA.
“Mabilis ang pagre–replenish ng commercial stocks kahit mataas ang demand,” she explained, adding that more supplies of rice is expected to come especially now that the harvest season is ongoing.
The governor said the provincial government will monitor on a daily basis that the Capampangans have sufficient food they can buy in the public markets and food establishments.
