A lawmaker at the House of Representatives is urging the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to prioritize fighting hunger and poverty in remote islands to promote inclusive growth.
In a statement on Thursday, Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato said that remote islands were highly vulnerable to natural calamities because of their geographical locations.
The lack of access to basic necessities in these remote islands also further entrenched the prevalence of hunger and poverty, she added.
For instance, Sato said that despite Batanes being an agricultural province, the supply of staple food and other basic food products in the province mainly came from the main island of Luzon.
“We should also look into remote areas where hunger and poverty is prevalent, not necessarily because of their capacity to buy, but because of access to important food items, including water and other goods and services. Countryside development should intensify through inter-agency collaboration,” she said.
The lady solon said the government should focus more on implementing programs that would make these remote islands food self-sufficient.
Concerned government agencies should at least facilitate or provide people in remote islands access to electricity, food and safe drinking water, she noted.
Sato said many remote islands in the country were still without electricity and rely on fluctuating power supply, hence, limiting economic activities despite their potentials for growth and development.
“No one should be left behind. There are many remote provinces, towns and barangays with no access to electricity, water and sanitation and even food which the government should look into,” Sato said.
She urged the Department of Agriculture, in particular, to look into ways to make farming productive in these areas for increased food production capacity.
Sato is also pushing for the development of renewable energy in remote islands with no access or not yet connected to the main power lines to boost their productivity.
“Access to electricity, adequate food, clean and safe drinking water should be provided in the remote areas,” she said, stressing that the government should allocate sufficient resources to make these islands self-sufficient. (PNA)
