TAKING THE FIRST STEPS TOWARDS AN ASEAN FOOD SECURITY ALLIANCE

In the face of climate change and the realization of how fragile our global food supply chains are, I think it is high time we took the first steps to ensure food security not just for our country but also for our neighbors in the ASEAN. No doubt the agriculture sector is already a challenge. Some of the ASEAN countries are doing well in one crop, but have challenges in others; this is true for all our neighbors. That is why as I leave today for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I have high hopes for the formation of what I foresee as an ASEAN Food Security Alliance. Coming with me are the leaders of some of the Philippines’ largest agriculture companies, and waiting for us in Malaysia are their counterparts. This is a landmark event because the meeting is a direct outcome of our efforts to forge partnerships between the agriculture companies of the ASEAN member-states. I am particularly proud because this project can trace its beginnings to the Go Negosyo program KALAP, or Kapatid Angat Lahat Program.