DA Calls for Swift Legislative Action to Drive Agricultural Modernization
MANILA – Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has called on Congress to fast-track long-pending reforms and modernize outdated institutions to reinvigorate the country’s agricultural sector, which has been hampered by years of slow growth.
In a press release issued Thursday, Tiu Laurel said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking lawmakers’ support to strengthen the sector’s “structural backbone,” beginning with the revision of antiquated laws that constrain agency efficiency and delay decision-making.
Among the recent legislative gains is the approval of the Animal Industry and Competitiveness Act, which aims to modernize the livestock, poultry, and aquaculture industries and provide ₱20 billion annually over the next 10 years. Amendments to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) law are also nearing completion, targeting streamlined operations, improved accountability, reduced red tape, and the restoration of full line functions to sidelined staff agencies to speed up project implementation.
The DA is now pushing for updates to commodity-specific laws, particularly those covering rice, corn, and coconut, to strengthen value chains and increase farmers’ incomes. Tiu Laurel also underscored the urgency of fully unlocking the Coco Levy Fund, warning that further delays could mean missing out on favorable global coconut prices.
However, he emphasized that legislation alone will not be enough to transform the sector.
Tiu Laurel stressed the need for extension workers to return to the field as the “front line” of agricultural reform, while cooperative development is being accelerated through new agri-coop programs. He cited Senator Francis Pangilinan’s proposal to expand farmers’ access to credit, markets, and support services as a key initiative.
On the infrastructure front, the DA is rolling out “Bagsakan ng Bayan” mega food hubs in Clark, Bukidnon, Quezon, and other strategic locations. Four mega cold storage facilities are scheduled for completion next year, alongside around 60 modular cold storage units nationwide—marking the agency’s first large-scale cold chain deployment.
More than 140 post-harvest facilities completed between 2023 and 2025 will support a hub-and-spoke system designed to reduce post-harvest losses and stabilize prices. Additional facilities will be financed through the extended Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.
For 2026, about ₱2.4 billion has been allocated for port development projects, with nearly a dozen more agri-ports in the pipeline to lower logistics costs and strengthen inter-island trade, particularly from Mindanao.
Tiu Laurel noted that agricultural policy is also shifting away from an overly rice-centric approach. While rice remains a priority, the DA is expanding its focus to include sugar, coconut, corn, high-value crops, logistics, and digitalization.
He added that a new agriculture command center will be operational this January, alongside ongoing efforts to modernize the National Food Authority and Food Terminal Inc.
NPO News Team | PNA-PR
