How close is agri to Duterte’s heart?

Agriculture is very important to President Duterte because its head sits close to him during Cabinet meetings, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said.

Piñol said the proximity of the cabinet official to the Chief Executive indicates the relative importance of the government agency he leads.

“The Secretary of Agriculture sits right next to the President after Secretary Sonny Dominguez of the Department of Finance. That’s how important our Department (DA) is,” he said.

Piñol also said farmers should work very hard to produce more food in the next six years, noting that the country’s capacity to irrigate farmlands for more rice for the country is only about 52,000 hectares.