Background
In the Philippines, one of the major thrusts of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 is pursuing a whole-of-society approach in modernizing agriculture and agribusiness, emphasizing the critical role of the government, private sector, and the civil society in enhancing the efficiency of agriculture production, expanding access to markets and agri-based enterprises, and improving the resilience of agriculture value chains. Notwithstanding this attention, the Philippine agriculture sector continues to be characterized by low productivity, as compared to other ASEAN member states (Baconguis, 2022; Briones et al., 2023). According to a report published by The World Bank (2020, p.57), modernization through innovation and technology is essential to transform the agriculture sector “from a low-productivity, low-income, resource-intensive sector to a dynamic engine of sustainable growth and prosperity.”