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Government

DA EXPANDS ‘BENTENG BIGAS’ PROGRAM IN PAMPANGA

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, […]

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Government

DA OPENS 2 FARM FACILITIES IN ORIENTAL MINDORO

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 […]

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Politics

PANGILINAN LAUDS DA TRANSPARENCY PORTAL LAUNCH

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 […]

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Government

DA, KOICA LAUNCH SMART GREENHOUSES IN AKLAN

Aklan takes a major step toward modern agriculture as the Department of Agriculture (DA), in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), officially launched the construction of smart greenhouse facilities under the Value Chain Enhancement of High-Value Crops through Smart Agriculture (VEHCSA) Project during a groundbreaking ceremony at the Aklan Agri-Aqua Demo Farm and […]

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Government

DA CHIEF TO FARMERS: PLANT ONLY 1-2 RICE VARIETIES

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. urged rice farmers in areas served by rice processing systems (RPS) to focus on planting only one to two rice varieties, a move aimed at maximizing operational efficiency. The call comes in response to feedback from local farmers’ cooperatives operating RPS facilities, which emphasized the need to streamline production […]

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Politics

PANGILINAN: REVIVE BUREAU OF AGRI COOPERATIVES

Senator Kiko Pangilinan led the public hearing for his proposed measures to revive the Bureau of Agriculture Cooperatives and to renationalize agricultural extension services to modernize the country’s agriculture sector, provide ample government support to farmers and fisherfolk, increase their productivity, and achieve food self-sufficiency. As chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and […]

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Government

DA ROLLS OUT ‘BENTENG BIGAS’ IN KALIBO

The Department of Agriculture (DA), under the leadership of Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., has expanded the rollout of the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na!” rice program in the Province of Aklan, reinforcing the national government’s drive to keep rice affordable and accessible to vulnerable Filipino families. Tiu Laurel said the expanded implementation is aligned with […]

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Government

DA LAUNCHES CRAYFISH PILOT FARM IN NUEVA ECIJA

In a province known as the country’s main producer of rice, the Department of Agriculture is testing the commercial viability of a very different crop: the Australian redclaw crayfish. The DA is hopeful that the high value species can help reshape local aquaculture in Munoz, Nueva Ecija. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel led the ceremonial […]

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Government

DA EXPANDS ‘BENTENG BIGAS’ PROGRAM TO LINGAYEN

The Department of Agriculture kicked off the expansion of the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!, the flagship food program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through local government units, betting that scale, tighter logistics, and steady state procurement can bring affordable rice to vulnerable Filipinos while shoring up farmers’ incomes. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led […]

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Government

CAMSUR COLD STORAGE FACILITY TO OPEN IN FEBRUARY

A quiet but potentially transformative shift in Philippine agriculture is taking shape in this town named after the nut-producing tree, where a P500-million cold storage facility is nearing completion—an investment officials say could reshape farm incomes, stabilize food supply, and anchor a regional food logistics hub in the Bicol region. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel […]