MANILA, Philippines — Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel is set to face the bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) for his ad interim appointment next month, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said yesterday.
Pimentel said the CA’s committee on agriculture chaired by Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia had scheduled Laurel’s confirmation hearing on Dec. 5.
“As far as we’re concerned, the biggest challenge that Secretary Tiu Laurel is facing now is how to swiftly modernize and boost the productivity of our agricultural sector,” noted Pimentel who is a member of the bicameral CA.
Right now, he underscored that many Filipino families are “struggling to put enough food on the table due to high prices.”
“We must increase domestic food production by leaps and bounds in the years ahead. This is the only way we can suppress unwanted upward pressures on food prices,” he added
Laurel ran the family-owned Frabelle Group of Companies before he was appointed by President Marcos to head the Department of Agriculture on Nov. 5.
The lawmaker said the Frabelle Group has diverse businesses such as Frabelle Fishing Corp., Frabelle Cold Storage Corp., Westpac Meat Processing Corp., Eoana Canning and Food Processing Corp., Frabelle Shipyard Corp. and Frabelle Properties Corp.