ibang bansa

 We may think the war in the Middle East has nothing to do with us. It is thousands of kilometers away. Different countries. Different politics.

But when the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage where about 20% of the world’s oil flows is threatened, the ripple reaches the entire world.

And eventually, it reaches the Filipino dinner table.

Agriculture today runs on energy. Diesel powers tractors, irrigation pumps, fishing boats, and the trucks that move food from farms to markets. Fertilizer production itself is tied to global energy prices.

When oil prices rise because of war, farm production becomes more expensive. Transport becomes more expensive. And in the end, food becomes more expensive.

Having spent more than four decades in the food and agriculture sector, I have seen firsthand how sensitive our food system is to energy prices, logistics costs, and global supply disruptions. What happens in distant markets often finds its way into the cost structure of producing and distributing food locally.

This is why food security today is no longer just about farming. It is about energy, logistics, geopolitics, and national resilience.

So what should the Philippines do?

First, our position must always be for peace and de-escalation. Our Constitution itself rejects war as a national policy. The Philippines must always stand for diplomacy and stability in global trade routes.

Second, we must strengthen our agriculture at home. For decades, Filipino farmers have done the difficult work of feeding the country despite limited support. Investing in irrigation, mechanization, and farm logistics is not just agricultural policy, it is national security.

Third, we must accelerate renewable energy and biofuels so our food system becomes less vulnerable to global oil shocks.

Fourth, we must protect farmers and fishermen when fuel and fertilizer prices rise. They are the backbone of our food system.

The deeper lesson is this. In an uncertain world, countries cannot control every war, every crisis, or every disruption in global trade.

But they can control how prepared they are.

And the strongest protection any nation can have is simple. The ability to feed its own people.