Make farming profitable. This is the overriding goal for a sustainable and globally competitive agribusiness, according to Dr. Rolando T. Dy, Dean, School of Management, University of Asia and the Pacific, Philippines. He said the bottomline should be "income security first and food security will follow." As such, there is a need to measure farmers' incomes to know if agricultural performance is improving.

Dr. Rolando T. Dy (center), Dean, School of Management, University of Asia and the Pacific, receives a Certificate of Appreciation from Secretary Arthur C. Yap of the Philippine Department of Agriculture. They are joined by Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr., SEARCA Director.

Titled Philippine Agriculture and Fishery: Challenges, Opportunities and Global Competitiveness, Dr. Dy's lecture discussed in-depth the relationship of agriculture and agribusiness and how it influences economic growth. He offered global perspectives and related them with the Philippine scenario.

Citing the World Development Report 2008, Dr. Dy underscored that dynamic and efficient agribusiness spurs economic growth. It has also been observed that a strong link between agribusiness and smallholders can reduce rural poverty.

The challenge now is for the Philippines to leapfrog its agricultural and agribusiness performance in a time of multiple challenges such as growing pressure on food supply, rising energy and high fertilizer costs, increasing land and water scarcity, climate change, and stringent food standards.

Dr. Dy said that the country has to capitalize on global opportunities such as rising incomes and wealth in Asia, supply chain transformation, biofuels boom, technology advances, and cross-border investments. "The Philippines has a big unexploited advantage in exporting fish, fruits and nuts, vegetable oil, seafood preparation, among others, but its actual agriculture and fisheries export performance pales in comparison with its neighboring countries," revealed Dr. Dy. Data from the International Trade Center showed that in 2006, the Philippines' total agriculture and fisheries export value is only US$2.5 billion, as opposed to Indonesia's US$15.8 billion, Malaysia's US$12.4 billion, Thailand's US$22.8 billion, and Vietnam's US$7.3 billion.

Dr. Dy recommended three key strategic goals to alleviate the state of Philippine agriculture: 1) increase farm productivity, 2) expand market-led diversification, and 3) promote non-farm and off-farm job creation through private investment.

He added the following key success factors, as demonstrated by global experiences: 1) a marketing infrastructure that links supply/value chains; 2) a market information system with timely, accurate, and accessible information; and 3) a well-funded research and development program accompanied by human resource development of scientists and researchers, which engages universities and the private sector.

The Umbrella Capacity Development Program is a brainchild of Secretary Arthur Yap of the Philippine DA, who was relinquishing his post with the Department because he was running for a political office in the May 2010 elections in the Philippines. The Program is intended to provide DA executives and professionals with a global, 21st century perspective attuned to contemporary challenges in food security and rural poverty alleviation. It focuses on equipping and reinforcing participants with proactive leadership frameworks and mindsets informed by contemporary worldviews and theories, substantiated by real cases and science-based evidence.

The program offers graduate scholarships, an executive program comprising of two-hour lecture forums, three-day learning forums, and certificate executive courses or study visits to institutions, industries, or private sector initiatives. Other partners in the Program and their corresponding program thrusts are: Ateneo School of Government (strategic leadership and public management), University of Asia and the Pacific – School of Management (agricultural business, trade and investment), and the UPecon Foundation, Inc. (development economics and agricultural policy).

Said Mr. Yap, "My dream is for the DA to have a culture of excellence and proactive stance amidst the challenges we now face. I leave you this legacy, a program that would help build the country's agricultural bureaucracy for the future,"

Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, SEARCA Director, took the opportunity during the inaugural lecture to thank Secretary Yap for his contributions to Philippine agriculture during his tenure at the DA. He said that Secretary Yap's legacy ""is his foresight on where Philippine agriculture is and should be headed. He has set the roadmap for the continued growth and competitiveness of the agriculture sector."