THE Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has urged President Marcos to work on the country's food security.
This was gleaned in the MAP Policy Recommendations for Economic Dynamism for the Marcos Jr. Administration dated June 23, 2022.
The group stated Agriculture and Agribusiness Sector as Number 3 in their list of recommendations to Marcos, who is also the concurrent secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
"To achieve an Agriculture and Agribusiness Sector marked by high productivity and international competitiveness that ensures food security for all Filipinos," MAP stressed.
The group stated that there is a need to foster scale economies through stronger policies and programs for consolidation of management of smallholder farms like coops, nucleus estate schemes, contract growing, and corporate farming.
MAP also cited the completion of agrarian reform and lifting of land ownership ceilings on farm lands.
On food security, the management association claimed that Marcos should also work to improve food value chains through upgraded transport and logistic facilities including cold storage and cold chain facilities.
The group also mentioned increased community-level value-adding, effective local government-enabled market matching and mechanism for food waste reduction like the channeling unsold and surplus food to depressed communities.
MAP also recommended for the stamping out of corruption and massive leakages in the agriculture budget.
According to the group, the president may also foster strong DA-Provincial LGU collaboration in a province-led devolution of agricultural and fisheries services.
The productivity of indigenous community ancestral lands should also be prioritized, according to the group.
"Supplement the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act by instituting policies and programs to enable them to maximize productive use of their properties with agricultural or other economic activities," Map disclosed.
Businessman Rene Romero, director of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham), meanwhile decribed the MAP recommendations as "highly doable and exact."
Former Public Works Secretary Rogelio "Babes" Singson is the president of MAP.
MAP is a 63-year old management organization whose 761 members represent a cross section of CEEOs, COOs and other top management practitioners from the largest local and multinational companies operating in the Philippines.
The association also counts top management educators and some government officials as its members.