Cres Ian Lorenzo
FORMER agriculture secretary William Dar, who writes a column for The Manila Times, was recognized by the California-based Sta Maria Ilocos Sur Global Association (SMISGA) as its Most Outstanding Global Citizen (male category) during the 2026 Global Fiesta and 15th Biennial Reunion, in the United States on Sept. 21, 2026.
“I have been fortunate to receive recognitions in different parts of the world. But being honored by the people and the place where my journey began is something truly special,” Dar said in his acceptance speech.
“Long before I became a scientist, an international civil servant, a Secretary of Agriculture, or a leader of institutions, I was simply a young boy from Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur,” he added.
Dar headed the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) from 2000 to 2014. He currently serves as the Senior Adviser for Agriculture and Food Security for the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Philippines
Dar said that his career has seen him interact with farmers in many parts of the globe, which made him realize that agriculture is not only about cultivating crops and contributing to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
“I have met farmers I many parts of the world. Their languages and circumstances may differ, but their hopes are much the same: to provide for their families, educate their children, work with dignity. And build a better tomorrow,” he said.
“I was reminded that agriculture is not simply about crops, technology, yields, or economics. It is about people,” Dar added.
![Thais set pace for health product developmentTHE Philippines can learn from Thailand on how it developed its health product industry and develop its vast natural resources for standardized plant-based extracts that have a growing export market.
Rungphech “Rose” Chitanuwat, country general manager, Informa Markets in the Philippines, said that granting incentives to companies that will develop health products locally is important, and so are other types of government support.
“In [the] Philippines, you have PEZA; in Vietnam it’s industry parks,” she said, referring to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority that is authorized to grant incentives to locators of its industrial parks.
Also, the Thai government is active in research and development (R&D) for health products developed using indigenous materials.
“You can pick up the product, and use the technology transfer, and develop your own business. So, that means the R&D is there,” Chitanuwat said.
“The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) is working on that,” she added.
Also, the Thai government makes sure that its R&D system for health products is well funded.
Chitanuwat said, like in many countries, after the pandemic, Thais started to become more health conscious and increased their spending for products to strengthen their immune system, among others.
“We saw that happening after Covid. The demographic also changed in Thailand,” she added, explaining that more Thais were purchasing health products and supplements to improve their health and not just cure an existing disease.
Among the success stories of a company in Thailand that is producing standardized plant-based extracts and health products is publicly listed Specialty Natural Products Public Company Ltd. (SNPS) and its subsidiary Specialty Innovation Co. Ltd. (SI).
SNPS took advantage of Southeast Asia’s ability to grow year-round plants that cannot be grown in temperate countries. Among these are butterfly pea, turmeric, annatto, gardenia, roselle, pandan, and sap-pan, which can be a source of standardized plant extracts.
The standardized plant extracts are used in various industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and personal care.
THE MANILA TIMES](https://agriadvice.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/1229799-336x220.jpg)
