ILOILO – Local officials in this province are expecting to hear a more detailed plan for the country’s agriculture sector and sustained war on drugs in the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (PBBM).
Marcos, who is also the secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), is set to deliver his first SONA at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City on Monday afternoon, July 25.
According to Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr., he expects the President to lay down the country’s direction in the agriculture sector.
He said that with Marcos’ focus and concern to the agriculture sector, it is possible that he will modify many fundamentals for further improvement of the sector considered the lifeblood of the country’s economy.
And like the President, one of the priorities of the Defensor administration for the next three years is the boosting of productivity of the province’s farmers.
“Waay na sang mas importante pa sa bugas,” according to Defensor as he expressed concern over food security in the province.
In the next three years, he said the provincial government will work to make Iloilo a top rice producer again.
“We want to be more competitive in rice production. We used to be No. 1. We are now No. 5 in the whole country,” the governor said.
Thus, he counts on the support of the national government through the DA Region 6.
“Let’s maximize our irrigation potential. Our concrete target is to increase rice production to better manage the price,” said Defensor.
The governor also expects to hear from Monday’s SONA that the current administration will continue the war on drugs that former President Rodrigo Duterte had started.
For his part, 2nd District Congressman Michael Gorriceta said that he also wants to hear positive things about the agriculture sector during the SONA.
“Well, ang akon gina-expect nga ma-mention niya ang parte sa agriculture,” said Gorriceta.
He said it is an advantage for Western Visayas especially the Iloilo province that the President is taking the helm of the agriculture department because Region 6 is one of the top rice producer regions in the country.
“Daku nga bagay ni specially nga no less than the president ang naga-chair sang agriculture nga sector. So, expect kita nga madali kag madasig kay ti indi na sia mag-agi sa iban pa kundi diretso or directly maka-decide or obra man interventions para ma-addrress ang problema sa agriculture sa pinakamadasig nga pamaagi,” said Gorriceta who will also be at the Batasang Pambansa during the SONA.
Aside from agriculture, the second district representative looks forward to Marcos’ take on the high inflation rate and education. He also wants to hear about job opportunities, plans for economic recovery from the pandemic, and war on drugs.
In terms of infrastructure, Gorriceta wants to hear from the SONA about the “big ticket projects” in Region 6, particularly the Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridges and the rehabilitation of Panay Railways, which he believes will be a big boost to the region’s economy.
Meanwhile, 4th District Congressman Raul Tupas expects that the President will lay down plans for the agriculture and fishery sectors.
Tupas is also hoping that the province will be included in the road map set by the President which will serve as a direction of the current administration for the next six years.
He further said that he wants to hear about war on drugs in the SONA, adding that the war on drugs is still at the momentum stage and it needs to be sustained./PN
