May 2020, Southeast Asia
COVID-19 in the Philippines: Bouncing back under the ‘New Normal’
Virginia R Cardenas

The Philippines has taken several measures to contain the COVID-19 spread and reduce its impact on Agriculture. However, many believe that these measures might further deepen the rich-poor divide, opines Virginia R Cardenas

The COVID-19 pandemic is both a public health and a food crisis issue that has encircled the world. Governments are exhausting resources to address both these issues. Resources are growing thin as more of it are shifted to the health sector and social amelioration programmes, leaving the agriculture sector in a crunch. This has resulted in the Philippine Department of Agriculture having to re-prioritize, refocus programmes and realign budgets to fund new initiatives to ensure food security amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.