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Bloomberg
The Philippines identified additional measures to ensure sufficient food supply amid a month-long lockdown of the country’s main island of Luzon as it tries to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
The government plans to import 300,000 metric tons of rice, if necessary, through state deals with Southeast Asian partners, or through sources such as India and Pakistan, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a video bulletin posted on Facebook. The country is also allocating 31 billion pesos ($608 million) for food sufficiency efforts, he said.
Finance, trade, and agriculture officials will work with the country’s trading partners within Southeast Asia and “encourage them to refrain from imposing trade restrictive measures to ensure that existing supply contracts are prioritised,†he said.
Companies involved in food production and distribution may operate at a maximum of 50% of their respective workforce while the community quarantine is in place, he said. Law enforcers are directed to allow the unimpeded movement of food-supply workers, subject to strict social-distancing requirements. Farming and fishing will also continue.