EDITORIAL
The new DA chief and the President’s tall order
The Department of Agriculture has finally found a new chief
after the President has given up the post and decided to turn over
the responsibility to his biggest campaign contributor, Francisco
Tiu Laurel Jr., whose business is involved in a seafood production.
Despite having all the power and wherewithal as the
country’s chief executive, the President’s direct management of a
department which is vital to our economy and food security has
not successfully solved the major problems that the agriculture
sector has been facing for years.
In his speech during the announcement of the new
appointment, President Marcos admitted that it is time that we
have found somebody who understands very well the problems
that agriculture is facing. The announcement came after he was
under intense criticism for not having attended any DA meeting
between February and November 2023.
Laurel will inherit various problems in the agriculture sector
including the prevalence of highest poverty incidence among the
agricultural workers, the failed price cap on rice, and many
others.
Prior to Laurel’s appointment, PAG-ASA reported that a
moderate El Niño continues to persist in the tropical Pacific and is
predicted to become strong in the coming months.
El Niño increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall
conditions, which could bring negative impacts (such as dry spells
and droughts) in some areas of the country that will likely be
manifested during the last quarter up to the first quarter of the
year. This may adversely affect the different climate-sensitive
sectors such as water resources, agriculture, energy, health,
public safety, and other key sectors in the country.
The new DA secretary will be very busy filling the shoes of
his boss who left a tall order to finally stop ignoring the elephant
in the room.