Marcos calls for sustainable use of soil

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ soil is “under threat,” with a majority of its farmland vulnerable to erosion, President Marcos said yesterday, as he called on the government and other sectors to work together to promote the sustainable use of soil.

Citing a report by the environment department, Marcos said 75 percent of the country’s cropland is vulnerable to erosion in various degrees, with agriculture losing about 457 million tons of soil every year.

“The conversion of lands for settlements and the loss of about 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year contributes significantly to soil degradation,” the President said during the first national soil health summit in Manila.

“Aside from these, around 11 to 13 million hectares are considered degraded. This is on top of the 2.2 million hectares that suffer from insufficient levels of soil fertility,” he added.

According to Marcos, the problem is made worse by the improper use of fertilizers and pesticides that pollute and acidify the soil.

“Needless to say, our soil is under threat and to continue to neglect this vital agricultural component will lead to (an) even worse crisis in the future,” the Chief Executive said.

Marcos said the government has a five-point priority agenda on soil and water management to ensure the proper use and management of soil resources, address land degradation, enhance crop productivity and improve farmers’ income.

The priorities include the implementation of the national soil health program and sustainable land management, he added.

“The administration shall empower the Bureau of Soil and Water Management to achieve these goals, especially through capacitating soil laboratories across the country to yield better data,” Marcos said.