Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has called on national agencies to accelerate the repair of critical infrastructure—including roads, bridges, and irrigation networks—damaged by recent tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon to safeguard the country’s food supply.
Warning that prolonged infrastructure damage threatens national food security, the lawmaker stressed that agricultural workers need immediate assistance to resume planting and distribute their yield ahead of the upcoming harvest cycle.
“Farmers and fisherfolk are among the sectors of society most affected by weather disturbances such as the southwest monsoon and typhoons,” Pangilinan noted.
“Roads and crops get destroyed; this means not only is there no harvest, but there is also no way to transport the produce, even if they manage to salvage a small portion of it,” he pointed out.
Pangilinan emphasized that farm-to-market connectivity is vital during disaster relief, noting that urban centers will face supply shortages if rural harvests cannot reach markets.
“The impact of flooding and crop destruction is not merely a matter of infrastructure and produce; it is a matter of food. We here in the city will also be affected if harvests from farms or the catch from the sea cannot be brought down,” he added.
To prevent recurring losses, the senator urged the Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Irrigation Administration, and local government units to pool resources, expedite rehabilitation funds, and construct climate-resilient facilities.
“We cannot keep facing the same problems every time there is a typhoon or the southwest monsoon. We need to be proactive, not reactive. We need to build roads and irrigation systems that can withstand these severe weather events. Let us not wait for the next disaster before undertaking repairs again. We must ensure that what we build now can withstand future rains,” Pangilinan emphasized.
The call follows a Department of Agriculture report confirming that combined damage from the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, and Neneng has reached ₱2.32 billion, affecting 69,615 farmers and fisherfolk while destroying over 60,000 metric tons of crops across 62,732 hectares.