Albay 3rd District Rep. Raymond Adrian Salceda was elected chairperson of the House of Representatives Special Committee on Food Security, making him one of the few first-term legislators to lead a House committee in the 20th Congress.
“It is an honor for me and my district to be appointed as Chairperson of the Food Security Committee. We continue to serve our country for security in the future. Thank you for your trust!” Salceda posted in Bicolano following the announcement.
As committee chair, the lawmaker said he will prioritize three urgent goals: better farm gate prices for farmers, higher yields per hectare, and less food waste across the supply chain.
“Let’s stop having the farmers lose money, then they can no longer farm, the food supply will be scarce, more imports will be needed, and in the end, the farmers will lose even more… We must end this death spiral by making it viable and profitable to produce food at home,” Salceda said in Filipino.
“One more thing, I want us to focus on where we can really compete in the whole world. Corn, I think, is neglected but also really needs support. Because if there is no supply of corn, there is no supply of meat. No eggs. Reduce fish,” he added.
As his first legislative act, Salceda filed House Bill 48, which authorizes the use of excess rice tariff revenues to allow the National Food Authority (NFA) to buy palay from farmers at better prices.
The proposal also improves the agency’s storage and buffer stock systems, helping reduce post-harvest losses and stabilize retail prices during supply shocks.
