Export-oriented commodities in the agriculture sector will take center stage in the first-ever Philippines Hand-in-Hand (HIH) National Investment forum, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Monday.
This came as the agency officially opened the first edition of the HIH national investment forum with international partners.
The move is in line with the agency’s target to position the Philippines as one of the leading agribusiness hubs in Asia.
“This year, we are officially launching the first-ever National Investment Forum focusing on research, policies, and modernization of our agriculture sector, and to determine what the gaps, issues, and concerns hounding the private investment in the agriculture sector,” DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said in an interview.
De Mesa said there is a huge investment potential in the country’s various commodities.
“There is coconut, mango, coffee, of course, ang laki-laki ng potensyal ng (there is a lot of potential for) cacao, seaweeds, jackfruit. These are very important commodities,” he said.
The DA is also placing a special emphasis on the potential of bamboo, the coffee sector, as well as the seaweed industry in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“This four-day-long event will focus on regional inclusion by showcasing Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s unique potential through province-specific investments tailored to the region’s existing capacities and priority goals,” de Mesa said, citing the inclusive approach for the year’s HIH initiative.
Earlier, the DA said it is looking into at least PHP1 billion worth of investment opportunities across these commodities under the 2026 HIH national investment forum.
Overall, the activity seeks to empower countries in eradicating hunger and poverty with the use of data-driven agricultural modernization efforts backed by global support.
Among the international partners are the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Japan Fund, and other regional partners, among others.
For his part, FAO Representative Lionel Dabbadie underscored the organization’s commitment to supporting the country’s direction in boosting agricultural investments and modernization.
“Our objective is clear — to mobilize investment better, to align partners more effectively, and to support the effective modernization of Philippine agriculture. Good investments require preparation. It requires a common understanding of priorities. It requires credible pipelines,” he said.
“We will continue to work hand-in-hand with all of you to help turn priorities into pipelines, pipelines into investment, and investment into real results on the ground. That is the objective. Not a platform that begins with enthusiasm and ends in paperwork, but a platform that helps the Philippines build competitive, sustainable, and equitable agricultural systems.”
With the DA’s participation, the Philippines has earlier advanced significant milestones in 2025 including the conduct of 21 bilateral meetings; the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Agricultural Cooperation with Bangladesh; as well as the reaffirmation of the 2018 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Agricultural Cooperation of the Philippines and the Papua New Guinea and 2019 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Fisheries Cooperation between the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the PNG National Fisheries Authority (NFA).
It also includes the conveyance of DA’s hosting of the Asia Pacific Sustainable Agriculture Mechanization Forum 2026 and the 39th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) in 2028.
Similarly, the country also secured gains since the DA’s earliest participation, prompting agricultural partnerships and collaboration with the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Italy, and the ADB in 2024. (PNA)
