US-ABC Leads Delegation of Prominent U.S. Food & Agriculture Companies to the Philippines

(Manila, Philippines) – From February 13 -15, the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) successfully organized a delegation of four prominent U.S. food and agriculture companies for a series of bilateral meetings with key officials in Manila, Philippines.

The mission encompassed meetings with The Hon. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the newly appointed Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA); Senator Cynthia Villar, the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform; Representative Wilfrido Mark Enverga, the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, and senior officials from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA); Board of Investments (BOI); Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and its attached agencies – Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), and Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).

The delegation was co-led by US-ABC’s Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director Ambassador Brian McFeeters and Food & Agriculture Committee Chair, Cargill. Other member companies participating in the mission included Bayer, MSD Animal Health, and PepsiCo, Inc.

“Our mission this year exemplified the robust bond between the agriculture sector of the U.S. and the Philippines, underscoring the commitment of both nations to enhancing bilateral collaboration within the industry,” said Ambassador Brian McFeeters. “Throughout the busy three days, our companies emphasized the significance of food security, food safety, new technology and innovative sustainable agriculture, harnessing science-based regulatory approaches, increasing bilateral trade, and capacity building for development as crucial areas of focus for U.S. agricultural business in the Philippines.“