Pampanga 4th District Representative Anna York Bondoc is pushing for a modern and innovative approach to strengthen food security amid recurring floods and climate-related threats to agriculture.
In her message during the Department of Agriculture’s World Food Day 2026 celebration in Quezon City, Bondoc outlined three measures to improve food production, address malnutrition and protect the livelihoods of agricultural communities.
“We must bring modern technology, climate-resilient crops, efficient irrigation, and better post-harvest facilities closer to our farmers,” Bondoc said.
She underscored the need to help agricultural workers adapt to changing weather conditions.
Bondoc said that farmers in the fourth district had suffered crop losses due to the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, and typhoons.
“Flooding threatens agricultural production, we must invest in flood-resilient farming and improved water management to protect harvests, increase productivity, and secure farmers’ livelihoods,” she said.
The lawmaker cited the contributions of Candaba, San Luis and San Simon to rice production, along with the district’s corn, fisheries and aquaculture industries.
Bondoct stressed the importance of protecting agricultural lands and providing farmers and fisherfolk with the technology, training and resources needed to sustain production.
The lawmaker also highlighted the Gulayan ni Nanay initiative. She said her office has been advocating and implementing the program in the district for nearly four years to encourage household food production.
“We believe that food security begins at home, and that every available space can become an opportunity to grow nutritious food for our families,” Bondoc said.
She urged families, schools and barangays to establish vegetable gardens to help reduce food expenses and address malnutrition, particularly among children.
“Because when we empower families to grow their own food, we do more than plant vegetables, we cultivate self-reliance, promote better nutrition, and build healthier communities,” she added.
Bondoc also called for stronger agricultural research, accessible financing, improved farm-to-market roads and storage facilities, and better links between producers and markets.
“Our farmers must also earn fairly, and nutritious food must remain accessible and affordable,” she said, stressing that increased production must translate into better incomes for farmers and affordable food for consumers.
She also underscored the need to support Pampanga’s fisheries and aquaculture industries, including milkfish production, to strengthen livelihoods and ensure a more reliable food supply.
Bondoc said agricultural innovation need not be limited to expensive machinery or advanced technology, pointing to practical measures that farmers, households, schools and communities can adopt.
“Innovation becomes meaningful when it improves lives, strengthens livelihoods, and puts nutritious food on every family’s table,” she said.