Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. made on Monday slight changes in the leadership of the Department of Agriculture.

Laurel named former Bacoor city administrator Jerome Oliveros as Undersecretary for Special Concerns and for Official Development Assistance - Foreign Aid/Grants.

Oliveros will be responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of agricultural policies and projects aimed at improving the quality of life of disadvantaged and cultural community groups, including children, youth, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and the elderly.

“[He] shall lead the identification and coordination of project proposals for possible grants/aid from Official Development Assistance or institutional donors and potential partners as part of his role as undersecretary for ODA-foreign aid/grants,” DA said.

In the first week of January, Laurel made major reshuffling in the state agriculture bureau's leadership to “efficiently carry out President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s marching orders to modernize the farm sector and ensure the country's food security.”

This includes the appointment of Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusilla Esther Bayate to Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and Regulations in a concurrent capacity, the designation of Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa as DA full-time spokesperson, and the installation of Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian as adviser to the DA chief under the Secretary's Technical Advisory Group.