Marcos not giving up DA post just yet
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants to achieve certain goals first before relinquishing the concurrent post of Agriculture Secretary.
“Actually, I have a timetable for that. There are certain things that I would like to achieve before leaving the Department,” he told reporters covering his visit to the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Laguna.
“We have not reached that yet, but of course, there are a lot of names coming up, and we continue to review this list. So, hopefully, by the time my checklist is finished we can already name the DA Secretary,” he added.
While Marcos did not elaborate on what his goals for the Agriculture department are, one of his administration’s top priorities is ensuring food security.
The President said he wants the Philippines to attain food self-sufficiency by prioritizing local production over food importation.
He also previously stated that he would only relinquish the top DA post after “structural changes” within the agency have already been made.
Marcos said issues in the agriculture sector “are so difficult” that it will take a President to turn the situation around.
As the country’s Agriculture chief, Marcos is faced with serious challenges like the rising prices of basic commodities, lack of modern agricultural technology, and agricultural lands ravaged by strong typhoons.