Manila, April 10 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday said it is ramping up efforts to ensure food security in the country in the coming months amid surging fuel costs due to the Middle East crisis and the looming El Nino phenomenon.

During the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing, DA Undersecretary Asis Perez said the agency has been preparing for the "worst case scenario" to protect both the food producers and consumers.

"The good thing about this is that we know what's likely to happen and we're able to set up a scenario of what's going to happen and how to address them. The government is very proactive," he said.

"Nobody is prepared for this. We're making great strides so that we can immediately respond, and we have r...