Marcos appoints Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. as Agriculture chief

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has appointed business tycoon Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. as the new secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

"I have just administered the oath of office for the new secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Francisco Laurel," Marcos said at a press conference in Malacañang on Friday morning.

"It is time that we have found somebody who understands very well the problems that agriculture is facing," he added.

"Secretary Kiko and I are confident that we have a fair understanding, a good understanding of what it is that needs to be done, what are the problems."

Laurel will replace Marcos, who has held the DA secretary post since he assumed presidency last year.

The President also explained why he held on to the position for quite some time, saying that there are many things that only the highest official of the land could do.

"I truly believe and I think I was proven right that there are many things that only a President could do and the problems were so important and were so deep that I felt that the authority... I suppose moral persuasion of a President was necessary for us to be able to figure out, and it really was, agriculture is a much much more complicated thing than most people understand," Marcos said.

Campaign donor, friend

Laurel contributed to the presidential bid of Marcos in Eleksyon 2022.

According to the records of the Commission on Elections, Laurel donated P30 million.

The President said he has known Laurel for a long time.

"I've known him since we were boys. So, malakas ang loob ko na ma-i-appoint siya kasi kilala ko pagkatao niya. Alam kong napakasipag nito, unang-una. Pangalawa, nauunawaan niya nang mabuti ang sistema ng agrikultura dito sa Pilipinas," Marcos told reporters.

(I'm confident with his appointment because I know him. I know that he is hardworking. Also, he knows the system of agriculture in the Philippines.)

Marching orders

Asked about his marching orders for Laurel, Marcos said he wants the new DA chief to control the surging prices of agricultural products.

"Well, the obvious one is trying to gain control of the prices of all the agricultural commodities that are going up at tinatamaan tayo ng 'yun na nga, 'yung napag-usapan ko, climate change, alam niyo na lahat 'yung swine flu, alam niyo na lahat 'yung avian flu na tumatama sa atin (climate change has been hitting us, as well as the swine flu and the avian flu)," he said.

Marcos also said he wants Laurel to improve the agriculture production and mechanization.

In his remarks, Laurel said he would continue Marcos' goals and programs for the agriculture sector. He also vowed to ensure a bountiful agriculture sector, adding that he would provide the public with products that come with the right price.

"Pangunahing adhikain ko ang pagtiyak na sagana ang ating ani at siguruhing ito ay makakarating sa hapag ng bawat Pilipino. Layunin ko na tiyakin na may sapat at masustansyang pagkain na mabibili ng ating mga kababayan sa tamang halaga," Laurel said.

(My number one goal is to ensure that we have bountiful crops and ensure that these would reach the tables of Filipinos. It is my goal to ensure that Filipinos would be able to buy nutritious food at a right price.)

Laurel also cited the importance of agriculture modernization to help local farmers and fisherfolk.

Profile

A graduate of University of Santo Tomas with a degree on computer science, Laurel sits as the president of the Frabelle Fishing Corporation. According to its website, Frabelle was established in 1966 as a small trawl fishing company before eventually shifting to purse seining small pelagic fish and then to tuna.

By 1981, Frabelle expanded its operations beyond Philippine waters into the Western and Central Pacific regions. It now has a fleet of over 100 vessels and a workforce of 5,000.

Aside from his position in Frabelle, Laurel also holds other positions in other companies such as chairman of the Westpac Meat Processing Corporation, president of Markham Resources Corporation, and chairman of Bukidnon Hydro Energy Corporation.

He trained in refrigeration, net manufacturing, engine overhauling, electronics, hydraulics, food manufacturing, shipbuilding, and ship repair.

Agriculture industry stakeholders, meanwhile, lauded Laurel's appointment to lead the DA. In separate statements, they vowed to support him and cooperate with him.

Similarly, House Deputy Minority Leaders Wilbert Lee of the Agri-party-list and Bernadette Herrera of the BH party-list welcomed the appointment and expressed their confidence that Laurel was capable of putting the programs laid out by the administration for the past year in motion. —KBK/RSJ/AOL, GMA Integrated News