Over a year into the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, the Aboitiz Group is ready to march toward recovery with renewed —yet prudent—optimism. Like most other organizations, the Aboitiz Group encountered setbacks last year given quarantine restrictions that have dampened consumer demand and investor appetite. And yet the group’s strategic business units (SBUs) that operate in various…
The already considerable toll on the Philippine economy caused by the raging COVID-19 pandemic and the severe lockdowns imposed to contain the disease continues to rise, with more Filipinos forced out of work and businesses either closing down or mightily struggling to survive. Not all is bleak, however, as individuals and institutions have come together…
Filipino Food Month (FFM) this April will yet again be celebrated virtually, leaving our eyes feasting on regional culinary delights. “The main goal of Filipino Food Month is to raise awareness of our gastronomy and to recognize Philippine cuisine as an art form,” said chef Jose Antonio Miguel “Jam” Melchor, FFM proponent and founder of…
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a firm grip over the globe, the Indian government has extended a $50,000 grant to the local corn sector to highlight the importance of agriculture in the face of a pandemic. Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu Kumaran, in a forum organized by the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture…
San Miguel Corp., through its packaging unit, has developed a packaging solution that will extend the life of carabao’s milk without preservatives, which is seen to improve the product’s marketability and potentially jumpstarting the growth of the carabao industry. SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang made the announcement months after the company…
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is welcoming the new year with a new framework and renewed hopes that restructuring the agency will help it achieve its annual agriculture growth target of 2.5 percent. Agriculture Secretary William Dar, who has been steering the agency in new directions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, recently launched the “One…
The Department of Agriculture (DA) in April announced that it would be expanding the operations of its “Kadiwa” stores by making their products and services available online, thus allowing farmers and fishers to continue selling their produce to consumers even with the movement restrictions at the height of the lockdown. The plan is for the…
Agripreneurship is touted as the future of farming, one that will ensure sustainable growth of Philippine agriculture and profitability for those who get into it. But still very few dare to get their hands dirty and take the risk. Three agricultural entrepreneurs who thrived in this arena shared with The Inquirer the values and lessons…