Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has urged the private sector to invest in agricultural ports.

“There’s a lack of ports in the country, that’s why the food cost in our country is very high and that’s why I’m asking the help of Makati Business Club (MBC) and other groups to lobby. If possible, private sector should also build agri ports,” Laurel said at the MBC’s first Agriculture and Food Security Summit — “Food is Everyone’s Business” media conference held at the BGC Arts Center in Taguig City on 16 September.

The right number of agri ports all over the country will bring down the cost of food, rice, fertilizer and seed, he added.

According to Philippine Ports Authority general manager Atty. Jay Daniel Santiago, as of their recent data, the PPA directly manages 115 ports.

“These ports handle a wide range of activities essential to both domestic and international maritime trade. In addition to these, the PPA also supervises over 400 private ports that operate under various forms of agreements or permits issued by the authority,” Santiago told the DAILY TRIBUNE on Wednesday.

The DA secretary maintained that agricultural ports can uplift the lives of Filipino farmers and fishermen.

“To build a sustainable food system, we must put smallholder farmers at the center of this transition. Their participation and inclusion are not just beneficial but essential to achieving long-term food security,” Jollibee Foods Corporation Philippines president Joseph Tanbuntiong said at the summit.

Tanbuntiong highlighted Jollibee’s framework in collaborating with cooperatives and farmers.