Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Wednesday, 17 September, said the government must ensure a conducive environment in supporting rural development, food security, and the empowerment of farmers and fisherfolk.

In his meeting with officials of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries, Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, highlighted the measures, policies, and amendments he is currently pursuing to help the country’s agricultural sector.

“I think that will be good moving forward, so we will strengthen our synergy with the private sector. In the end, the private sector has the deepest pocket, not really the government. But the only reason the private sector is not inspired is because the government is not inspiring,” Pangilinan explained.

He pointed out that the need for private sector participation is evident in the poor status of government-supported crops — such as rice, coconut, and sugar — compared to the thriving products — pineapple, mangoes, and bananas — produced by private companies.

Stressing the need to “fix the governance aspect” of the agricultural sector, Pangilinan said that he understands the challenges that the sector is facing and that “one way to address that is to strengthen private sector participation.”

“In other words, if the government is inspiring, then the private sector will be inspired. And because the private sector has the deepest pocket, then you will really see investments in agriculture,” he added.

During the meeting, Pangilinan explained that while government support remains crucial, meaningful progress can only be achieved with the business community being co-champions of the country’s food producers.