MANILA — Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has urged Department of Agriculture (DA) officials and employees to accelerate data collection ahead of the launch of the agency’s new Command Center, a central platform intended to drive digitalization and support evidence-based policymaking.

Speaking at the DA’s quarterly management meeting, Tiu Laurel stressed that the department’s modernization plans depend on the accuracy and completeness of information fed into the system. “I encourage everybody to gather and provide data that will populate the Command Center. But we need real data, not fake information, to ensure we make the right decisions and take correct actions,” he said.

The Command Center will consolidate real-time data on crop production, livestock inventory, weather patterns, import and export flows, price movements, satellite field monitoring, and supply chain conditions. By centralizing key metrics, the platform aims to eliminate guesswork, anticipate shortages, prevent oversupply, deploy interventions faster, and improve coordination across regional offices.

Tiu Laurel said the DA is exploring artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance the system’s analytical capabilities. “We will use AI to ask the questions and then hopefully help us solve problems or situations,” he said. The AI component may be called GAIA, short for Government Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture.

The AI layer is expected to simulate crop scenarios, optimize planting schedules, detect disease risks early, monitor farmgate price distortions, and recommend interventions aligned with national goals of food security, agricultural modernization, and higher farmer incomes.

Tiu Laurel emphasized that the success of the Command Center depends on participation from all DA units. “If we want to manage Philippine agriculture well, we must base our decisions on accurate and timely information,” he said.

Through digital tools, unified datasets, and AI-driven analysis, the DA aims to create a more responsive, transparent, and forward-looking agricultural management system that safeguards supply, stabilizes prices, and improves the livelihoods of Filipino farmers.