BACOLOD CITY: As Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson welcomed the newly appointed Agriculture secretary, he said on Sunday, November 5, the Agriculture department should focus on issues such as smuggling of farm products and modernization of the agricultural sector to increase the productivity of the Filipino farmers.

On Friday, November 3, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has designated Francisco Tiu Laurel as the new chief of the Department of Agriculture (DA) which the President has handled since he assumed office as the country's chief executive.