Marcos ‘on the way’ to choosing agriculture chief, says Bersamin

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is "on the way" to appointing a secretary of agriculture, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said on Thursday.

Asked if Marcos would already appoint an agriculture chief, Bersamin said, "I think he's on the way to that."

Marcos has been sitting as head of the Department of Agriculture since he assumed the presidency in 2022

"Well, alam na rin niya na kailangan sigurong mayroon na siyang regular na sekretaryo," Bersamin said in a Facebook interview with Anthony Taberna.

"Ito kasing pagpipili ng Sekretaryo, siguro tinatantsa niya kung sino 'yung dapat dahil ang agriculture portfolio ay napakaraming issues diyan," he added.

(He already knows that perhaps he already needs a regular secretary. He is carefully weighing who should be appointed because there are many issues in the agriculture portfolio.)

"Wala pa akong balita kung mayroon na siyang napupusuan but he's I think on the way to that," he added.

(I've yet to hear if he has already chosen someone but he's I think on the way to that.)

Asked if Marcos already has a shortlist, Bersamin said, "Maaari, mayroon na."

(Perhaps, there already is.)

Marcos in June said he wanted to make sure that "systems are all in place" before he would leave the DA.

Before leaving the agency, Marcos said wanted to guarantee the country's food supply, the affordable prices of food commodities, and a better livelihood for local farmers. —NB, GMA Integrated News