JAKARTA, Indonesia—Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan has underscored the urgency of reevaluating agricultural practices in ASEAN countries amid the threats posed by climate change and other “escalating challenges” to food security and long-term prosperity in the region.
Yamsuan said ASEAN should prioritize sustainable investments in the food, agriculture and forestry sectors, while adopting a collaborative approach that involves governments, civil societies, private sectors, and parliamentarians who can shape policies and allocate resources to support this goal.
“Parliamentary leadership is crucial in driving the policy reforms needed to enhance food security and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change on our food systems. It is incumbent upon us, as elected representatives, to champion policies that incentivize sustainable agricultural practices, promote agro-ecology, safeguard biodiversity, and provide support to farmers and rural communities,” said Yamsuan at the meeting held here on December 12 to discuss the role of parliaments in championing the ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture and Forestry (ASEAN-RAI).
This event is the third in a series of meetings held this year to discuss the effective implementation of the ASEAN-RAI. The meetings, which began in April, were organized by the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
As chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources, Yamsuan represented the Philippines in these meetings.
Yamsuan said the resources-rich ASEAN region is now facing challenges brought about by “rapid population growth, urbanization, changing consumption patterns, dwindling natural resources and the impacts of climate change,” which prompt the “immediate and profound reevaluation of our agricultural practices.”
On the part of the Philippines, Yamsuan said it has long been committed to ensure responsible and sustainable investments in food, agriculture and forestry as these are vital in reducing poverty, ensuring climate resilience and protecting the environment.
“Our legislative measures and strategic partnerships are reflective of these priorities and we intend to further this cause not only for our country’s benefit, but for our region as a whole,” Yamsuan told fellow parliamentarians during the meeting.
One of the Philippines’ key legislative contributions to the ASEAN goal of incentivizing sustainable agricultural practices is the recently enacted Republic Act (RA) 12078 or the Rice Stabilization Act, said Yamsuan, who is among the law’s principal authors.
RA 12078, which amends the Agricultural Tariffication Act, aims to ensure rice price stability and triples the government’s budget for agricultural modernization and assistance to small farmers from P10 billion to P30 billion.
Yamsuan said the Philippines has also passed three laws under the present Congress to establish multi-species fish hatcheries, which are poised to substantially augment the country’s output in the aquaculture sector through the production of an estimated 12.5 million fingerlings annually per hatchery.
He also cited, among others, the following laws to underscore the Philippines’ commitment to food security and sustainable development:
• RA 11966 or the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code, which provides an updated legal and policy framework for PPP projects to boost private sector participation in these ventures.
• RA 11981 or the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act, which institutionalizes a multi-sectoral, programmed and science-based policy framework aimed at empowering domestic enterprises and helping them become more globally competitive.
• RA 11985 or the Strengthening and Revitalizing the Salt Industry Act, which aims to achieve salt self-sufficiency for the Philippines and make it a global salt exporter
• RA 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act to help curb rampant smuggling of agricultural products by including hoarding, profiteering, cartelizing and other market abuses as punishable acts under the law
Yamsuan said the Congress and the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) of the Philippines are also pursuing the passage and enactment of the Blue Economy Act, Waste-to-Energy Bill, Amendments to the Agrarian Reform Law, Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Master Plan, Enabling Law for the Natural Gas Industry, and Amendments to the Fisheries Code.
He said the joint inquiry conducted by five House committees (Quinta Committee) to address issues of smuggling and the price manipulation of essential goods; and the constant coordination done by his committee with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in conducting research and transferring knowledge on fish hatcheries also reflect the Philippines’ commitment to sustainable development.
The 10-member ASEAN bloc adopted the ASEAN-RAI in 2018 to address the growing demand for food, fisheries and forestry products in the region.
Southeast Asia’s agriculture sector contributes 12 percent to the region’s GDP and employs more than 100 million people.
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