President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday raised the need to address the “growing problem” of soil degradation, acidification and pollution in the country.
Philippine soil 'under threat,' says Marcos
Marcos Jr. cited a report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showing that about 457 million tons of soil are lost to erosion annually, leaving 75 percent of the country's agricultural land at risk.
The conversion of land for settlements and the loss of about 47,000 hectares of forest cover per year also contribute significantly to soil degradation, the president said during the first National Summit on Soil Health in the city of Manila.
He added that 11 to 13 million hectares are considered degraded, in addition to the 2.2 million hectares that lack soil fertility.
