DA inks accord with DOT to boost food, farm tourism

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has inked an accord with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to forge a partnership in promoting the Philippines’ food and farm sectors as a component in the government’s tourism campaign.

In a news release on Tuesday, the DA said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco signed a memorandum of agreement on February 16, 2026.

The agreement formalized both agencies’ collaboration on aligning their programs, infrastructure, and promotions “to position the Philippines as a leading food and gastronomy destination in Asia.”

The Agriculture Department said the DA-DOT agreement anchors on existing national policies, namely the 1987 Constitution which mandates state support for agriculture through research, technology, financing, and marketing assistance; the Tourisms Act of 2009 that promotes agri-tourism and countryside development; the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016 that declares farm tourism a key strategy for sustainable rural growth; and the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 which tasks the DA with modernizing agriculture and fisheries to raise incomes and productivity.

Under the accord, the DA and DOT will coordinate on expanding farm tourism destinations, promoting Filipino cuisine, and integrating agricultural priorities into tourism planning.

A salient feature of the partnership is the alignment of farm-to-market roads projects with tourism circuits under the DOT’s Tourism Road Infrastructure Program to improve access to farms and emerging destinations while strengthening logistics for producers.

“This is not simply about adding tourist stops to farms, a visit that could even spur greater investment the farm sector,” said Tiu Laurel, adding “it is about creating stable institutional demand for local produce, encouraging value adding, and integrating agriculture into the broader services economy."

"When hotels and restaurants source consistently from Filipino farmers, we stimulate rural investments, generate employment, and expand economic activity beyond primary production,” added Tiu Laurel.

The DA said a Joint Technical Working Group with the DOT will oversee implementation, draft work plans, and coordinate stakeholders from both sectors.

The Agriculture Department added that the agreement provides that each agency will shoulder its own costs, underscoring a convergence model built on coordination rather than pooled funding. — BAP, GMA Integrated News