IKOT.PH
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has allocated P18 billion to expand the government’s “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” initiative to provide as many as 60 million Filipinos access to the P20-per-kilo rice. Speaking at a post-State of the Nation Address forum in San Juan City, Tiu Laurel explained that about […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that Philippine trade negotiators have assured him that key locally-produced agricultural goods such as rice, corn, sugar, chicken, fish, and pork will be protected in the ongoing tariff negotiations with the US. “Secretary Frederick Go and Trade Secretary Cristina Roque have assured us that the top priority for […]
Agricultural losses caused by the combined effects of tropical storms Crising, Dante, and Emong—along with the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat)—have reached P1.12 billion, with more than half of the damage sustained by rice farms, according to preliminary estimates from the Department of Agriculture (DA). In a report to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. directed Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro and Undersecretary Chris Morales, who oversees the country’s National Rice Program, to immediately visit areas devastated by Tropical Storm Crising and the Southwest Monsoon to provide urgent support to affected farmers and fisherfolk. “We want our farmers and fisherfolk to know that […]
Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro, officer-in-charge of the Department of Agriculture (DA), directed all DA agencies to mobilize swiftly and extend immediate assistance to farmers and fisherfolk adversely affected by Tropical Storm Crising, intensified further by the relentless Southwest Monsoon. “We must act without delay—weather permitting—to ease the suffering of our farmers and fisherfolk,” said […]
The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) s rolling out a pioneering parametric insurance program aimed at speeding up claims settlement for rice farmers affected by extreme weather—a transformative step in PCIC’s approach to agricultural risk management. PCIC President Jovy Bernabe said the innovative insurance model uses remote sensing technologies to automatically trigger payouts based on […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has expanded the coverage of “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!”— the flagship food program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that offers rice at P20 per kilo to vulnerable sectors—to La Union and Baguio City. Launched in partnership with local government units (LGUs) and farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs), the program was […]
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. views the recent surge in agricultural commodity smuggling as a national security threat and has directed law enforcement and intelligence agencies to assist the Department of Agriculture (DA) in addressing the illicit trade that undermines farmers’ livelihoods, disrupts markets, and endangers public health and food security. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. commended the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) during the celebration of its 78th founding anniversary, urging officials and staff of the agency to sustain their good work by further scaling up the agency’s delivery of services to efficiently the needs of the country’s fisherfolk. Speaking before employees […]
The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) has officially lifted its temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their by-products from Japan, following confirmation that the country is now free from highly pathogenic avian influenza. The import ban, originally imposed by the DA in November 2024, also covered poultry meat, day-old chicks, […]