By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet

As 2025 draws to a close, Malacañang announced President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s approval of the significant gains in the agriculture sector led by the Department of Agriculture (D.A.).

At a press briefing Monday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro noted some of the agency’s initiatives that bore fruit under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr.

Such includes the opening of 33 agri-food hub units in the provinces of Pampanga, Quezon, Camarines Sur, and Bukidnon, as well as the completion of 127 out of the 145 rice processing systems (RPS) in the agency’s pipeline—with 18 such facilities undergoing construction as of press time.

Castro, moreover, announced the opening of a mega cold storage facility in Pili, Camarines Sur in January 2026, with 33 other local government units (LGUs) identified as additional beneficiaries of cold storage facilities in the country.

She likewise shared that the President was pleased with the agency’s prompt response to the African swine fever (ASF), after Secretary Tiu-Laurel reported a 90% efficacy rate of vaccines procured to curb the spread of this disease on local piggeries.

“Sa ulat ng D.A., halos 500,000 na mga baboy ang nababakunahan ng pamahalaan kontra ASF sa ilang bahagi ng bansa kasama na dito ang Batangas, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, Tarlac at Pampanga. Kabilang din dito ang 12 semi-commercial, siyam na small holders at isang government farm sa bansa.”

Reforms on FMRs to avoid repeat of past irregularities

At the same briefing, the Palace mouthpiece reassured the citizenry that reforms instituted by the Chief Executive on the construction of farm-to-market roads, whose supervision was transferred from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the D.A.

This move mirrors President Marcos Jr.’s renewed call for transparency and accountability in government infrastructure projects, with the Palace ensuring that the process of budgeting, public bidding, and the transfer of program implementation to agencies working closely with LGUs are made available to the masses.

Castro told the media, “Kaya ito ang nais niya, maging maayos lahat ang transaksiyon, maging bukas sa publiko, kaya nagkakaroon tayo ng transparency portal at iyan din ang gagawin ng D.A.”

She added further, “Ang programang ito ay pamumunuan ng D.A. at ng LGU, at pati ang mga bidding nito ay open sa publiko para makita nila.”

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