Fishing tycoon Francisco Tiu Laurel is new DA Chief | The Final Word - video Dailymotion

CNN Philippines

President Bongbong Marcos is no longer the Agriculture Secretary. After almost a year and a half, he appointed fishing tycoon Francisco Tiu Laurel to the role.  Let's now get the thoughts of former Agriculture secretary William Dar.  Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/  Follow our social media pages:  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines

Transcript

00:00 Let's now get the thoughts of former Agricultural Secretary William Dar.

00:04 Sir, thank you so much for joining us.

00:05 What should be the top five priorities of Secretary Chu Laurel in his first 100 days?

00:11 Thank you, Rico, for this opportunity to, again, at this point in time, welcome the

00:24 newly appointed Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary Francisco T.O. Laurel.

00:31 Now, back to your point, what are the top five priority areas?

00:37 Number one, which he also mentioned in his acceptance speech this morning,

00:44 is the boosting productivity of Philippine agriculture.

00:50 We are not yet competitive and we do not have enough food in the country.

00:58 That's why he needs to level up production of most of these food commodities.

01:04 Number two, the marching order of the President for climate change

01:12 or climate resilient agriculture. We are greatly impacted too by the climate change happening all

01:24 over the world. Now, the third one will be to look at enhancing the modernization of Philippine

01:33 agriculture. Secretary Laurel said that modernization is key to improving Philippine

01:43 agriculture. But let me also add, number four, food inflation. For this near term,

01:56 food inflation is really making a big headline still in the country. Not only the headwinds

02:03 locally affecting food prices, but including global headwinds. Number five, topping the role,

02:16 I mean, topping the private sector to help get engaged and invest in Philippine agriculture,

02:24 and helping the small farmers in a big way. So, former Secretary Dar, these are very key

02:32 points that you mentioned. But also under his new leadership, he will also have to fight the

02:38 alleged cartels, the smugglers and hoarders that hurt Filipino consumers. Do you think he will have

02:45 the political will to make these changes? Well, in fighting food inflation, that would be one of

02:54 the strategies to make it possible. This is a first priority that he has to contend. And he has

03:14 all, I believe, the political backing by the President. And he has to top the engagement

03:21 of various agencies involved in preventing smuggling. So yes, smuggling and anti-hoarding

03:31 has to be pursued relentlessly. And amid the political backing that you're saying,

03:38 former Secretary Dar, of the President, do you think then that in the final five years

03:47 of the President's term, and with Secretary Chu Laurel at the helm, will we ever experience

03:54 20 pesos per kilo? That's the total order. Always they say it's a goal, it's a work in progress.

04:05 But I believe there's so much to do really to reach that goal of 20 pesos per kilo. And really,

04:16 the Rice Industry Development Program that is in place is a good program. We need just to

04:22 sustain its implementation, have good teams to implement in the field, and enhance the partnership

04:33 with local government units, because that's where the extension agents reside today. So I believe he

04:42 has to harness all the various stakeholders to make it possible to go near the 20-peso kilo rice.

04:51 Apart from, of course, controlling the prices of agricultural commodities,

04:55 he also has to consider recovery from the avian flu and African swine fever. And of course,

05:04 one of the marching orders of the President is also mitigate climate change's impact on

05:08 farmers and fisherfolks. The African swine fever is still lingering in the country.

05:16 The department has to step up its efforts to really mitigate the presence of African swine

05:25 fever. The same is true for avian flu. We need really to enhance the capacities of the Department

05:36 of Agriculture to manage and control all these transboundary diseases that's coming

05:43 into the shores of the country. So if you say the priorities are boosting productivity,

05:50 climate change, mitigating climate change, enhancing modernization, food inflation,

05:54 and tapping the private sector, when do you think are we likely to see immediate concrete results

06:02 from Secretary Tiu Loren under his leadership? How soon?

06:06 One good thing that he is bringing to the department, Rico, is his business. We need now

06:15 to treat agriculture as an agribusiness. And with that background of Secretary Tiu Loren,

06:22 I believe that he has to see to it that all the elements of making agriculture as an agribusiness

06:32 will always, will all be there. With the bringing in of the engagement or engagement of the private

06:41 sector, the private sector can be a big help in transforming Philippine agriculture into a real

06:50 agribusiness venture. We believe also that transforming the minds and the hearts of the

06:58 small farmers and fishers into becoming agripreneurs is also a key strategy.

07:04 Thank you so much, sir, for your insights on the new Agri-Chief,

07:08 former Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

Fishing tycoon Francisco Tiu Laurel is new DA Chief | The Final Word

Category

Transcript

Recommended