Business leaders in Negros Oriental are keeping an eye on the conflict in Ukraine and its possible impact on the local economy.
“Like other provinces, the biggest impact of the Ukraine conflict on Negros Oriental will be on fuel prices, transport and logistics cost on basic imported commodities like dairy, wheat and soybean products,” said former Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry Central Visayas Gov.Edward Du.
Du told the MetroPost in an interview that being an agricultural province, Negros Oriental should now focus on food security, food sufficiency, and local food production to cushion the local economy from unexpected external supply chain disruptions.
“In short, instead of focusing only on politics, all our local LGU leaders should now unite, and collaborate with the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce to achieve 100 percent food security,” he said.
He warned that the war in Ukraine, coupled with the CoViD-19 pandemic and the aftermath of Typhoon Odette, is a recipe for a food shortage.
“Our Top 8 basic food commodities like rice, dairy, wheat, coffee, meat, chicken, onions, garlic are imported. Soon we will be importing fish from China!,” he warned.
Du said Negros Oriental has no Food Security Roadmap that will necessarily address Food sufficiency and affordability by the ordinary Filipino family.
“Every province must be required to prepare a Food Security Roadmap or enact a Food Security Ordinance to achieve at least 70 percent Food-Secure status that is climate-resilient by adopting smart farming solutions and new technologies,” he said.
Meanwhile, Francisco Martinez, president of the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc., said the conflict of Russia over Ukraine might send unfavorable economic tremors to poor weak countries who have not yet recovered from the pandemic.
He also warned that this might embolden China to take action against her neighbors — particularly Taiwan — and all claimants on or near the West Philippine Sea.
