The Manila Times
MALACAÑANG on Tuesday called on national agencies and local governments to help truckers of farm produce take advantage of lower toll and port fees to fast-track the movement of food products. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said this was in line with the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to cushion the impact of high oil prices on food products. The government started implementing on April 20 a monthlong toll holiday for food trucks. They were also exempted from truck bans and delivery fees to ease logistics costs and help temper food prices. “This begins with the speedy accreditation of farmers and traders who are qualified for the toll fee waiver,” Recto said in a statement. “Unnecessary and unreasonable stopping and inspection of food trucks by police and LGU (local government unit) checkpoints should also stop because it delays travel and wastes fuel,” he added. Recto said that reducing delivery time was critical, especially during the peak harvest season when produce was highly perishable. He said “toll and port fees holiday” formed part of a broader government response to mitigate the impact of rising oil prices on food costs, including fuel subsidies for farmers and fisherfolk, and direct procurement of produce by the Department of Agriculture (DA). Under the DA’s Food Lane Program, 1,162 accredited trucks can transport up to 7 million kilos of food daily to major markets. “The DA’s goal is to encourage the 3,100 truckers previously registered to get their easy-to-renew accreditation,” Recto said. The Philippine Ports Authority also reduced roll-on, roll-off terminal fees for agricultural cargo vehicles to P1, down from as much as P516, while the Maritime Industry Authority cut regulatory fees by up to 75 percent to support interisland transport. Recto said these interventions aimed to reduce logistics costs, which added an estimated P5 to P7 per kilo to food prices.
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