The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the country’s limitations in food supply and shortcomings in distribution system, Senator Cynthia Villar said.
“Covid-19 is an eye-opener for many people, not only in relation to our health, but the sufficiency and source of the food we eat, too,” said Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food.
“It made us realize how dependent and vulnerable we are when it comes to food. So much so that being food self-sufficient has become an important part of our life goals in the new normal,” she added.
During the first few weeks of the lockdown, she said there were barangays and cities that run out of supply, particularly of fresh crops or produce.
She said most vegetables, poultry or meat come from outside urban cities, so it took some time for the supply to normalize.