A recent conference organised by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), highlighted the importance of community involvement and inter-sectoral collaboration in addressing food security and sustainable agricultural development in the Philippines.
Held under the theme "Agricultural Development for Food Security: Addressing Challenges to Technological Transformation, Sustainability, and Good Governance", the event gathered experts to discuss strategies for overcoming challenges in agriculture. The conference included two parallel sessions focusing on financial access for farmers and best practices in agricultural development.
The first session explored fiscal policies and schemes to foster competitive growth and ensure food security.
Dr Mario Lamberto, from the UP Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Incorporated, emphasised the need to improve farmers' access to formal credit. He highlighted the role of institutions like Land Bank in serving rural communities more effectively, suggesting an adaptation to electronic banking to reach farmers more efficiently. "Land Bank should adapt to electronic banking, and it should be the leader in the countryside," he stated, advocating prioritising agricultural loans over commercial ones to support farmers' needs.
Adding to this, PIDS Senior Research Fellow Dr Roehlano Briones discussed agricultural policy changes since the 1960s. He noted progress in areas such as subsidies, infrastructure, research, and tariff reductions. However, he called for stronger coalitions among farmers, consumers, and environmental groups to push for further tariff reforms and resist the reintroduction of restrictive non-tariff barriers. "These coalitions need to form, be strengthened, and be sustained," Briones stressed.
Dr Cielito Habito, chairman and founding partner of BrainTrust Inc, proposed "provincialising" agricultural development by empowering local governments to better support agricultural workers. He emphasised the agricultural sector's contribution to the national GDP, highlighting the need to strengthen municipal support systems. "We must deliberately capacitate local governments to do their job for them," Habito urged.
The second session focused on practical agricultural production measures, particularly the roles of irrigation and governance.
Dr Arlene Inocencio, professor at De La Salle University Manila, addressed the impact of climate change on agriculture and rising costs of inputs like food, fertiliser, and fuel. She recommended prioritising water productivity and sustainability alongside climate-resilient infrastructure. She also suggested balancing irrigation allocations to support the production of high-value crops, alongside rice, to enhance food security.
Dr Fermin Adriano, Advisory Council Member of the Asian Development Bank Institute, discussed governance policies for long-term agricultural sustainability. He advocated shifting resources from short-term production inputs to public goods, which benefit communities over extended periods. Adriano also called for private sector investment in agricultural research, technology transfer, and the creation of an agency to coordinate extension services with provincial governments.
Dr Liborio Cabanilla, Professor at the College of Economics and Management, UP Los Banos, highlighted the value of community-driven development. He noted that involving communities in local decisions boosts productivity and engagement in environmental protection. "Farmers take ownership of crop variety development and environmental stewardship," Cabanilla said.