Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he will have several bilateral dialogues with his ASEAN counterparts on the issue of coordinating food security concerns, as part of the ongoing ASEAN conference of agriculture ministers in Metro Manila.
The main “intention is to coordinate with our ASEAN neighbors around the region to strengthen food security,” Tiu Laurel said in a huddle with reporters at the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Meeting and Related Meetings, in Pasay City, on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
“Because of this, we have our own complementary goals. It means that there are countries that are strong in rice, corn, and soy. That’s why we need to help each other to increase the production of what they are strong in and to increase the trade between us so that, as an ASEAN country member, we can grow together,” Tiu Laurel explained.
Apart from Asean member countries, representatives from Japan, South Korea and China will also join the event, the Philippine Department of Agriculture chief said.
The Philippines will always try to secure wider market access for trading products during all bilateral meetings scheduled with its counterparts, Tiu Laurel stressed.
So far, the Philippines has reaffirmed its commitment to advance sustainable, nature-positive, and climate-resilient food systems, Tiu Laurel said.
The country also committed to continuing to support the integration of Halal food development into ASEAN policy frameworks to strengthen food security, enhance regional trade, and the overall development of the global Halal market, the DA chief added.
AMAF is Asean’s highest decision-making body on agriculture and forestry, convening annually with ministers and senior officials from all 10 member states to set the strategic directions for the sector.
The ASEAN is currently composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Timor Leste, which achieved independence from Indonesia in 2002, has observer status but is set to become a full ASEAN member by October 2025.
