Marcos, PSAC outlined plans to help boost agriculture sector

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. again met with the Head of Agriculture Sector and members of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) to help find solutions and improve the agricultural sector. They reviewed the Council’s recommendations and discussed programs that would benefit all local farmers and fishers.

The PSAC agriculture sector reviewed the progress of interventions during the first 100 days of the Marcos administration, including digitizing agriculture through a large-scale government e-cloud, improving accessibility and speed of the Internet and improving the productivity of the fishing sector.

The sector also called for increased fish production from Lake Laguna, mobilization of coir levy funds and sugar appropriation through the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA ) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), and the prioritization of research and improvement of cane varieties for sugar production.

Other short- and long-term recommendations include harnessing agri-tech platforms, using Brazilian technology to increase sugar cane production, revising NFA policies and structure to enabling the agency to function as a logistics hub, accelerating the replanting of coconut palms and measures to further combat African swine fever in order to revive the pig industry.

PSAC’s recommendations are intended to address critical issues in agriculture and support President Marcos’ call to accelerate efforts to improve the country’s agricultural sector and help farmers and fishers.

During the meeting, the President was joined by PSAC Sabin Aboitiz, PSAC Agriculture Sector Leader, Aileen Christel Ongkauko, Group President and CEO Aileen Christel Ongkauko, PSAC Agriculture Sector Leader, and other members of the industry, including Christopher Po, President and CEO of Century Pacific Group, Francisco Kiko Laurel Jr., President and CEO of Frabelle Fishing Corporation, Irwin Lee, President and CEO of Universal Robina Corporation, Ramon “Jojo” Lim, owner of Gaya Lim Farm Inc., and Mary Geraldine Polanco-Onganon of Aboitiz Group, Ginggay Hontiveros and Cherrylene Advincula of La Filipina Uy Gongco Group.

Also present at the meeting were PMS Secretary Zenaida Angping, Principal Undersecretary for Agriculture Domingo Flores Panganiban, Assistant Secretary for Agriculture for Operations Engr. Arnel de Mesa, Head of Animal Industry Bureau and Director Dr. Reildrin Morales, National Food Authority Administrator Atty. Judy Carol Dansal, Office of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Officer Nestor Domenden, PCA Administrator Benjamin Madrigal Jr., SRA Administrator David John Thaddeus Alba, Secretary of Environment Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Undersecretary for the environment for policy, planning and international affairs Atty. Jonas Leones and Laguna Lake Development Authority CEO Jaime Medina.

About the Private Sector Advisory Council

The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) was strategically created by President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr to create and strengthen new innovative synergies between the private and public sectors. PSAC is made up of business leaders and experts from six major industry groups: agriculture, digital infrastructure, jobs, healthcare, build-build-build and tourism. The Council will help the government deliver on its commitment to transform the Philippine economy by implementing strong infrastructure programs, creating more jobs and attracting more investors, digitizing processes, improving agricultural productivity through the recalibration of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), reviving Philippine Tourism and ensuring a fair, sustainable and inclusive business landscape for Filipinos. PSAC will continually recommend modern policy development to government and will report regularly to the President to provide feedback and adjust recommendations as needed based on what is happening on the ground. Follow PSAC on Twitter for the latest news as it happens, https://twitter.com/PSAC_PH.