The creation of a separate Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to institutionalize fisheries management areas using science-based methodologies is among the key proposals pushed at the Sulong Pilipinas 2019 Agribusiness Summit. According to a news statement on Wednesday, Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar assured that the creation of this new department and other recommendations to strengthen the Philippine agriculture sector will be presented to President Rodrigo Duterte for immediate action. Other proposals include strengthening policies and enforcement of support pricing mechanisms on palay and crop buying, expanding the fertilization program in coconut-producing areas, providing assistance and incentives to support agricultural value chain, providing scholarships to entice the youth to participate in the agriculture, and establishing more learning sites for more farm commodities.

New dep't for fisheries, aquatic pushed. (2019, December 22-28). Iloilo Metropolitan Times, p. 2.