Marcos declares July as month for Filipino agriculturists

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has designated July of each year as Philippine Agriculturists’ Month to recognize the contributions of agriculturists and highlight the importance of the agriculture sector. 

“The celebration of the Philippine Agriculturists’ Month will engage professional agriculturists in agricultural advocacy, policy research and formulation and provide an avenue for enterprise-building, communications training, and community development,” read Proclamation 544 signed by Marcos on May 10. 

Marcos, who also served as the agriculture chief before handing the position to fishing tycoon Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., stressed that agriculture plays a “significant role in ensuring food security, as well as fostering environmental protection and balanced urban and rural development.”

The proclamation tasked the Department of Agriculture, and the Professional Regulation Commission and its Board of Agriculture to lead, coordinate, and supervise the observance of Philippine Agriculturists’ Month. 

The declaration comes in the wake of the El Niño phenomenon, which has caused around P6.3 billion worth of damage to the country's agricultural sector and affected 60,000 hectares of farmlands. — Gaea Katreena Cabico