HOUSE SPEAKER and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to help secure rice imports from Phnom Penh, a move seen bolstering the country’s food security.
“Collaborating with Cambodia, a leading rice exporter, will help us secure a steady supply of this vital commodity. Strengthening our food security not only protects Filipino families but also ensures our resilience in the face of extreme weather events,” he said in a statement.
The Philippines was the world’s top rice importer in 2023, importing about 3.8 million metric tons to support its domestic production of 13.43 million metric tons of rice, according to a document by the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department.
Mr. Hun, during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2022, offered to supply rice to the Philippines and invited Filipinos to invest in Cambodian rice mills facilities, according to Mr. Romualdez. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
