Secretary of Agriculture (Philippines)

The secretary of agriculture (Filipino: Kalihim ng Pagsasaka) is the member of the Cabinet of the Philippines in charge of the Department of Agriculture.

Secretary of Agriculture
Official seal of the Department of Agriculture
Incumbent Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. since November 3, 2023[1]
Style	The Honorable
Appointer	The president with the consent of Commission on Appointments
Term length	No fixed term
Inaugural holder	Jose Alejandrino
Formation	June 23, 1898
Website	http://www.da.gov.ph

The current secretary is Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who assumed office on November 3, 2023.^[1]

Functions

The following are the functions of the secretary of agriculture:^[2]

• Advise the president on the promulgation of rules, regulations and other issuances relative to agriculture and fishery;
• Establish policies and standards for the efficient and effective operations of the department in accordance with the programs of the government.
• Promulgate rules, regulations and other issuances necessary in carrying out the department's mandate, objectives, policies, plans, programs, and projects;
• Exercise supervision and control over all functions and activities of the department;
• Delegate authority for the performance of any administrative or substantive function to any undersecretary or other officers of rank at the department proper;
• Perform other functions as may be provided by law or assigned appropriately by the president.

List

1898–1899

#	Image	Name	Position	Tenure started	Tenure ended	President
1		José Alejandrino (1870–1951)	Secretary of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce	June 23, 1898	January 21, 1899	Emilio Aguinaldo
2		Gracio Gonzaga	Secretary of Welfare[a]	January 21, 1899	May 7, 1899
3		León María Guerrero (1853–1935)	Secretary of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce	May 7, 1899	November 13, 1899

1917–1935

#	Image	Name	Position	Tenure started	Tenure ended	Governor-General
4		Galicano Apacible (1864–1949) [3][4]	Secretary of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce	January 11, 1917	October 31, 1921	Francis Burton Harrison
						Charles Yeater
						Leonard Wood
5		Rafael Corpus (1880–1960) [4][5]		November 2, 1921	July 17, 1923
–[b]		Silverio Apostol [6]		July 18, 1923	September 6, 1928
						Eugene Allen Gilmore
						Henry L. Stimson
6		Rafael Alunan Sr. [7]		September 6, 1928	January 1, 1933
						Eugene Allen Gilmore
						Dwight F. Davis
						George C. Butte
						Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
(6)		Vicente Singson Encarnacion (1875–1961)	Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce[8]	January 1, 1933	July 26, 1934
						Frank Murphy
7		Eulogio Rodriguez (1883–1964)		July 26, 1934	November 15, 1935

1935–present

#	Image	Name	Position	Tenure started	Tenure ended	President
(7)		Eulogio Rodriguez (1883–1964) [9]	Secretary of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce	November 15, 1935	November 15, 1938	Manuel L. Quezon
10		Benigno Aquino Sr. (1894–1947) [9]		December 1, 1938	August 28, 1941
(5)		Rafael Alunan Sr. [10]		August 28, 1941	December 24, 1941
11		José Abad Santos (1886–1942) [11]	Secretary of Finance, Agriculture and Commerce[12]	December 24, 1941	March 26, 1942
12		Andrés Soriano (1898–1964) [11]		March 26, 1942	July 31, 1944
(5)		Rafael Alunan Sr. [13]	Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce	January 26, 1942	October 14, 1943	Jorge B. Vargas[c]
			Minister of Agriculture and Commerce	October 19, 1943	March 20, 1945	Jose P. Laurel
13		Manuel Nieto (1892–1970)	Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce[14]	August 8, 1944	February 27, 1945	Sergio Osmeña
14		Delfín Jaranilla (1883–1980)		February 27, 1945	July 12, 1945
(6)		Vicente Singson Encarnacion (1875–1961) [15]		July 12, 1945	May 28, 1946
15		Mariano Garchitorena (1898–1961) [16]		May 28, 1946	July 1, 1947	Manuel Roxas
			Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources[17]	July 1, 1947	September 1, 1948
						Elpidio Quirino
16		Placido Mapa [18]		September 21, 1948	September 14, 1950
17[d]		Fernando Lopez (1904–1993) [18][19][20]		September 14, 1950	May 26, 1953
–[b]		Placido Mapa [21]		May 26, 1953	December 29, 1953
18		Salvador Araneta (1902–1982) [22]		March 10, 1954	August 13, 1955	Ramon Magsaysay
19		Juan Rodriguez		August 18, 1954	March 3, 1960
						Carlos P. Garcia
20		Cesar Fortich		March 3, 1960	September 15, 1961
–[b]		Jose Locsin (1891–1977)		September 15, 1961	December 30, 1961
21		Benjamin Gozon		1962	1963	Diosdado Macapagal
22		Jose Feliciano		1963	1965
(17)[d]		Fernando Lopez (1904–1993) [23]		December 30, 1965	January 15, 1971	Ferdinand Marcos
23		Arturo Tanco Jr. [23]		January 15, 1971	May 17, 1974
			Secretary of Agriculture[24]	May 17, 1974	June 2, 1978
			Minister of Agriculture[25]	June 2, 1978	June 27, 1984
24		Salvador Escudero (1942–2012)	Minister of Agriculture and Food[26]	June 30, 1984	February 25, 1986
25		Ramon Mitra Jr. (1928–2000)		February 25, 1986	January 30, 1987	Corazon Aquino
			Minister of Agriculture[2]	January 30, 1987	February 11, 1987
			Secretary of Agriculture[27]	February 11, 1987	March 9, 1987
26		Carlos Dominguez III (born 1945)		March 9, 1987	December 31, 1989
27		Senen Bacani		January 1, 1990	June 30, 1992
28		Roberto Sebastian (1944–2012)		June 30, 1992	January 31, 1996	Fidel V. Ramos
(24)		Salvador Escudero (1942–2012)		February 1, 1996	June 30, 1998
–[b]		William Dar (born 1953)		June 30, 1998	May 24, 1999	Joseph Estrada
29		Edgardo Angara (1934–2018)		May 25, 1999	January 6, 2001
30		Domingo F. Panganiban (born 1939)		January 8, 2001	March 31, 2001
						Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
31		Leonardo Montemayor		March 31, 2001	December 8, 2002
32		Luis Lorenzo Jr.		December 9, 2002	August 15, 2004
33		Arthur C. Yap (born 1965) [28]		August 23, 2004	July 15, 2005
(30)		Domingo F. Panganiban (born 1939)		July 16, 2005	October 22, 2006
(33)		Arthur C. Yap (born 1965) [29]		October 25, 2006	February 24, 2010
–[b]		Bernie Fondevilla [30]		March 1, 2010	March 8, 2010
34				March 8, 2010	June 30, 2010
35		Proceso Alcala (born 1955) [31]		June 30, 2010	June 30, 2016	Benigno Aquino III
36		Emmanuel Piñol (born 1953) [32][33]		June 30, 2016	August 5, 2019	Rodrigo Duterte
37		William Dar (born 1953) [34]		August 5, 2019	June 30, 2022
38[e]		Bongbong Marcos (born 1957)		June 30, 2022	November 3, 2023	Bongbong Marcos
39		Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. (born 1966/1967)		November 3, 2023	Incumbent[1]

Notes

1. The Department of Welfare was responsible for agriculture from January 21 until May 7, 1899.
2. Acting secretary.
3. As Chairman of the Philippine Executive Commission.
4. In concurrent capacity as Vice President.
5. In concurrent capacity as President.