The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced a new initiative over the weekend called the “White Revolution,” a plan to transform the country’s agricultural sector by building new food corridors near urban markets.

The initiative aims to reduce price volatility and ease inflationary pressures by modernizing farming practices.

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. disclosed that the plan involves constructing food corridors equipped with greenhouses and refrigerated storage.

This will allow farmers to grow crops under controlled conditions, extend shelf life, and minimize spoilage.

The DA is expected to begin procuring infrastructure and equipment later this year, with the first corridors projected to be operational by mid-2026.

Laurel also said that the new approach is a necessity, not an option.

“We cannot afford to rely on good weather anymore,” Laurel said. “Protected cultivation is no longer optional — it’s a necessity.”

The DA said the plan will leverage best management practices, adopt appropriate technologies, and strengthen social networks to ensure sustainability and scalability.

The “White Revolution” is inspired by South Korea’s successful modernization of vegetable farming from the 1970s to the 1990s, which utilized white plastic films for greenhouses and mulch.

In preparation for the project, DA Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Caballero has ordered an inventory of all existing greenhouses from previous DA programs to identify facilities that can be rehabilitated.

The announcement comes as the Philippine Statistics Authority reported a 5.7 percent growth in the country’s agriculture and fisheries production in the second quarter, valued at P437.53 billion compared to P414.04 billion in the same period last year.