Marcos backs tech-driven food security

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday called for closer links among government research, private manufacturing and local agriculture to strengthen the country’s food supply while improving nutrition and creating stable markets for farmers.

Marcos made the call during his inspection of Nutridense Food Manufacturing Corporation in Barangay Malanay, Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan, where technologies developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are being turned into commercially produced fortified and nutrient-rich food products.

“So, ang mga produktong nakita ninyo ay iyong R&D niyan, Research and Development, ay ginawa ng DOST,” the President said.

He said the Philippines has no shortage of capable scientists and researchers, but turning promising laboratory discoveries into products that can be manufactured on a large scale remains a major challenge.

“Marami tayong mga magagaling na scientist, marami tayong mga researchers, pero mula sa laboratoryo hanggang sa manufacturing, iyong pag-scale up ng production, iyon ang kailangan talagang pag-aralan,” the President said.

Marcos said partnerships with companies such as Nutridense could help close that gap by combining government-developed technologies with private-sector production capabilities.

Through DOST assistance, Nutridense has gained access to food technologies, technical support and machinery that allowed the company to expand its production of fortified and nutritious food products, including those used in school feeding and supplementary nutrition programs.

The President said the approach could address both food security and malnutrition, particularly among children.

“So, this is the kind of operation that we need, so that not only are we able to supply, not only are we able to secure our food supply, but also we are providing our children especially with proper nutrition,” Marcos noted.

He also stressed that the benefits of technology-driven food manufacturing should reach farmers who produce the raw materials.

Nutridense sources its ingredients locally and engages in contract farming, giving agricultural producers a direct market for their crops while providing processors with a more reliable supply of raw materials.

Marcos said linking research, manufacturing and agriculture creates a wider production system in which government innovation helps businesses expand, while businesses generate markets for local farmers.

The administration is also pursuing similar facilities in other parts of the country to expand the production and distribution of nutritious food products, according to the President.

Nutridense has grown from a business that started with seven workers into an operation employing more than 300 people, demonstrating, Marcos said, how science and technology can be translated into food production, jobs and livelihood opportunities.

The President said the model shows how government research, private investment and local agriculture can work together to strengthen food security and improve nutrition.