IKOT.PH
The Department of Agriculture is opening its doors to young Filipinos looking for temporary jobs staring April, activativating its 2026 Summer Youth Internship Program in what is envisaged as both a workforce immersion drive and a talent scouting exercise. The 45 working day program will run from April 24 to June 30, 2026 under Executive […]
The Department of Agriculture is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East following a US airstrike on Iran, warning that a prolonged escalation could quickly ripple through Philippine agriculture through higher fuel, fertilizer, and freight costs. At the center of concern is the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but critical waterway through which a significant […]
The Department of Agriculture DA is sharpening its focus on oil palm, confident that expanded plantations in Mindanao can curb imports, raise farm incomes, and strengthen the country’s edible oil supply. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signaled plans to significantly increase funding for the fledgling sector in 2027 after this year’s proposed P1 billion […]
The government is stepping into the onion fields again, this time before prices unravel. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered state-run Food Terminals Inc. (FTI) to begin buying onions, aiming to prevent a farmgate price collapse as harvest season barrels toward its peak. A team has already been dispatched to Nueva Ecija, the […]
The Marcos administration’s flagship food program Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! has moved deeper into communities, with the Department of Agriculture (DA) launching its first barangay-level rollout in Barangay Matina Crossing in Davao City, marking a significant push to widen access to affordable rice. Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing and Consumer Affairs Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra led the […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered the creation of a dedicated Coffee Industry Development Office (CIDO), signaling a major shift in how the government manages the struggling sector. Under the Department Order No. 06, the new office will sit under the Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Official […]
The Department of Agriculture and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have sealed a JPY1.7-billion grant agreement to build a modern rice processing system in Isabela, a move aimed at sharpening the buffer stocking capability of the National Food Authority in one of the country’s most productive rice belts. The facility will rise in Cauayan City, […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Tourism (DoT) signed a wide-ranging memorandum of agreement aimed at transforming farm tourism and tightening the link between food production and the country’s expanding travel industry. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. formalized the partnership committing their agencies to align […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is ramping up the expansion of the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program across the National Capital Region, deepening the Marcos administration’s push to make affordable rice widely accessible, especially to vulnerable sectors. A flagship food program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the project offers quality rice at P20 per kilo, […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered the creation of a technical working group (TWG) on rice importation, signaling a more data-driven and strategically managed approach to balancing supply, prices, and farmer protection as the country heads into another critical cycle for its staple grain. The move comes as the Department of Agriculture (DA) races […]