President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says he will remain as agriculture secretary until the department has established a system that guarantee the food supply that is affordable to Filipinos and an improve living condition of farmers in the country.

This was stressed by the president in a media interview following the turnover of urea fertilizer donation from China on Friday.

"Our goal for the DA is when the time that I leave it, we will have systems in place so that we can guarantee the food supply of the Philippines, number 1; (number 2) we can guarantee that the prices are affordable; and number 3, that our farmers make a good living," he said.

"So, until we finish that. I suppose you will just have to put up with me as DA Secretary," he added.

Marcos noted that under his leadership as agriculture secretary, the government "managed to make some very important structural changes in the Department of Agriculture."

"Now, more or less, the prices of the agricultural commodities are beginning to stabilize," he said.

"Now, we are going to make the structural changes that are important to increase production, number 1; to ensure the food supply of the Philippines, not only rice, but also corn, also fisheries, also livestock," he added.

Marcos said this was the effort being done by the government to avoid crisis situation like what he came across after the pandemic. Robina Asido/DMS