Agriculture slump drives Iloilo’s renewed focus on food security

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on Wednesday, October 8, identified agriculture—particularly the province’s rice supply—as an “obvious candidate” for priority intervention under the newly launched 4K for MoRProGRes program, amid a slowdown in the provincial economy driven by a decline in the agriculture sector.

Speaking during the presentation of 4K for MoRProGRes Iloilo — Kapayapaan, Kaayusan at Katatagan Tungo sa Kaunlaran ng Bagong Pilipinas at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, Defensor said the province must focus on achieving rice self-sufficiency and strengthening local food production to ensure long-term food security.

“Agriculture is an obvious candidate, but specifically rice shortage—agriculture in general, yes, but it will be better if we will have a focus,” he said.

He stressed that the country’s heavy reliance on imported rice poses serious risks to stability.

“We are importing rice, and that’s a big problem. What if Vietnam stops selling rice to us tomorrow? We need to act quickly. We are in a hurry for national development,” he added.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Iloilo’s economy grew by 1.4 percent in 2024, slower than the 4.7 percent growth recorded in 2023.

The province’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased from PHP 215.78 billion in 2023 to PHP 218.86 billion in 2024.

Services accounted for 59.76 percent of Iloilo’s economy, followed by industry at 21.3 percent and agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AFF) at 19 percent.

However, the PSA reported that the AFF sector contracted by 15.9 percent due to severe weather conditions, animal disease outbreaks, and persistent challenges in the fisheries sector.

Statistician Sol Jane Capague said the massive crop damage, intense, and prolonged dry spell in 2024 caused agricultural losses exceeding PHP 1 billion, contributing to the province’s slower overall growth.

“Once agriculture pulls down the province’s economy, it also impacts the economy of the whole region, even with the increase in the services and industry sectors,” she said.

Under the 4K for MoRProGRes framework, Defensor highlighted that the provincial government will adopt an “Urgent Development Mode” to fast-track programs addressing threats, food security, education, health, and climate resilience.

He added that beyond food production, Iloilo’s development thrust will also focus on education and disaster preparedness.

“We are prepared to spend PHP 500 million to build classrooms,” Defensor said.

During his State of the Province Address earlier at the 2025 Iloilo Provincial Education Summit, he cited data from the Department of Education, which showed a shortage of 1,655 classrooms across elementary and secondary schools, with another 7,279 classrooms requiring major repairs.

To complement these efforts, the provincial government is also enhancing disaster preparedness by establishing early warning systems across the province to strengthen response coordination during calamities.

The governor stressed that Iloilo faces “multiple threats”—from environmental hazards to economic vulnerabilities—which require urgent and coordinated action among government agencies and local stakeholders.