Children help out as farmers tend to their crop of cassava in Baras, Rizal on July 4, 2024. Agriculture employs around a quarter of the 49.7 Filipino labor force as of November according to the Philippine Statistics Authority and contributed almost 9 percent of the GDP last year. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The Department of Agriculture will coordinate with the Philippine Space Agency in the use of satellite technology to boost productivity.

In the Food Security session of the 2024 Post SONA discussions, Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said there will be a collaboration with the PhilSA.

"Napakaimportante actually, the DA in coordination with the PhilSA, will subscribe to a weather satellite. Nakikita talaga temperatura, humidity, wind direction, para ma-timing," Tiu Laurel said.

(It's very important, the DA in coordination with the PhilSA, will subscribe to a weather satellite. We can see temperature, humidity, and wind direction so we can time planting season.)

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"Sa pag plant ng seeds, may tamang time yan eh, tamang hangin for pollination. With this technology, satellite, we hope this will boost production talaga," he added.

(Planting of seeds have proper timing, especially for pollination. With this satellite technology, we hope to boost production.)

Philippine Space Agency Director Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. earlier mentioned the use of space technology in various social issues, such as boosting productivity and even monitoring activities in the West Philippine Sea.

Aside from utilizing space technology, agriculture will also focus on increasing irrigated lands to improve productivity.

"Ang pinakamalaking problema natin ay irrigation, we need to irrigate 1.2 million hectares. Ang Vietnam, 95 percent irrigated. Tayo nasa less than 60 percent irrigated. If we want food security, we have to have water and irrigated lands," Tiu Laurel said.

(Our largest problem is irrigation. Vietnam is 95 percent irrigated. We're less than 60 percent irrigated.)

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said they target to increase the land area of irrigated lands by 45,000 hectares per year.

"Target namin is 45,000 hectares per year. Yun din ang target. Marami kasi. Target namin sa Tumauini, Isabela; Panay River Basin sa Visayas. Marami sa Mindanao," said NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen.

(We aim to increase the area of irrigated land by 45,000 hectares per year, including projects in Tumauini, Isabela; Panay River Basin in Visayas, and several areas in Mindanao.)

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said they have earmarked P42 billion for irrigation projects of the Marcos administration.

"Kita naman ng Pangulo ang kahalagahan ng irrigation infrastructure, kung food security ang kailangan, natural mag iinvest tayo sa irrigation," Guillen added.

(The President can see the importance of infrastructure in irrigation. If we need food security, we would naturally invest in irrigation.)

Guillen also spoke about the paradigm shift of government from flood control to water management.

"Sa ating convergence project sa DPWH, maraming madadagdag sa ating proyekto na manggagaling sa convergence project. Yung flood control, magiging water management. Kami mag-iidentify saan ang project, tutulong kami sa design," Guillen ended.

(With our convergence project with DPWH, a lot of projects will be added. Flood control will be converted to water management. We will identify projects and we will help in the design.)