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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 […]
The Philippines closed 2025 with a significantly narrower agricultural trade deficit in December, as a surge in farm exports—led by tropical fruits—combined with softer imports to ease pressure on the country’s external accounts. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. welcomed the improvement, framing it as early proof that the Department of Agriculture’s export diversification strategy […]
Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali welcomed the expanded the rollout of the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na” — the flagship food program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reinforcing the national government’s drive to deliver affordable rice and strengthen food security in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. A province long recognized as a cradle […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) expanded “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!”, the flagship food security program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in Pampanga as the government moves to keep rice affordable while strengthening farm-to-market infrastructure. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led the rollout alongside Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, former President and now Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. brought the Department of Agriculture’s farm-to-market push to the ground, leading the launch of two major projects in Victoria, Oriental Mindoro —initiatives designed to lift farm incomes, cut post-harvest losses, and strengthen food security in one of the country’s key food-producing provinces. At the center is the Oriental Mindoro […]
Senator Kiko Pangilinan welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) launch of its transparency portal, calling it a positive and necessary step toward greater accountability and good governance in the agriculture sector. The transparency portal, accessible at https://fmrwatch.bafe.gov.ph, provides detailed information on the government’s farm-to-market road (FMR) projects. Among other things, the public can now access the […]