MANILA -- President and concurrent Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. commended the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) for supporting his administration’s development agenda for the agriculture sector through a series of virtual forums with local agri players to discuss present challenges and opportunities of growth.

“I congratulate Land Bank of the Philippines for taking the initiative to advance this administration’s mission of revitalizing the agricultural sector through the AgriSenso Virtual Forums,” said President Marcos in his video message during the last run of the LANDBANK AgriSenso Virtual Forum on 05 January 2023.

“This event is the perfect platform for key stakeholders to address matters of utmost urgency as we face modern-day challenges, along with the difficulties that have plagued the industry since time immemorial,” he added.

For his part, Finance Secretary and LANDBANK Chairman Benjamin E. Diokno highlighted the crucial role of LANDBANK in supporting agri players by ensuring that the entire agri value chain has access to much-needed credit and other financial services, as he emphasized the importance of an efficient and modern agriculture sector to ensure food security and reduce poverty incidence.

Apart from fostering collaboration among industry key stakeholders, LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia Cayosa Borromeo said that the AgriSenso Virtual Forum is a good opportunity to offer LANDBANK’s financing programs and other support interventions.

"LANDBANK fully supports the national government in realizing the development blueprint of this administration in modernizing the agriculture sector and achieving food sufficiency for the Philippines," she said.

The seven sessions of the LANDBANK AgriSenso Virtual Forum, which ran from August 2022 to January 2023, gathered over 1,600 agricultural industry players and stakeholders nationwide to discuss key issues and concerns towards improving productivity and income.

Each session was attended by industry experts from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and other concerned agencies who shared successful initiatives, industry challenges, and development plans of the National Government for each agriculture sub-sector.

Moderated by LANDBANK Vice President for Corporate Affairs Vivian M. Cañonero, the last AgriSenso Virtual Forum put the spotlight on agri-mechanization, climate resilient agriculture and greenhouse farming as the latest developments in the agriculture sector. The forum highlighted the importance of adopting modern farming technologies to reduce production costs and post-harvest losses, and enable agri players to increase farm productivity and income.

The forum featured Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE) Engr. IV Maria Evic Quigao, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) Senior Science Research Specialist Engr. Allen Denver V. Mangaoil, LANDBANK Program Management Department I, Assistant Vice President Engr. Edgardo S. Luzano, and LANDBANK client Engr. Romeo S. Vasquez.

In support of the country’s agricultural mechanization and transformation, LANDBANK offers the Agri-Mechanization Financing Program, with total cumulative loan releases of P687.7 million as of 30 November 2022 for the benefit of over 890 farmers.

LANDBANK also provides credit assistance under the Climate Resilient Agriculture Financing Program, to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives towards climate resilient agriculture. The Bank’s total loan releases under this program reached P1.9 billion as of end-November 2022.

Meanwhile, to help farmers shift towards a modern farming system through the adoption of greenhouse technology, LANDBANK is offering the Financing Program for Greenhouse Farming System. As of end-November 2022, the Bank has released a total of P8.6 million under the program.

The LANDBANK AgriSenso Virtual Forum forms part of the Bank’s overall support to the agriculture sector, facilitated by the LANDBANK Corporate Affairs Group (CAG) together with the National Development Lending Sector (NDLS) – Lending Program Management Group (LPMG). (LANDBANK)