The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), as member of the Philippine Delegation to the 3rd Joint Agricultural Working Group between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of the Philippines (3rd TH-PH JAWG), joined in the courtesy call and meeting with the Philippine Ambassador to Thailand, Her Excellency, Ambassador Millicent Cruz Paredes, at the Philippine Embassy, Bangkok City, Thailand, on 21 July 2025.
Ambassador Cruz-Paredes shared her insights and observations on the dairy industry, fruits, livestock, salt, and aqua products relative to developments in the Philippines and Thailand in terms of cultivation, processing, marketing, and other facets of the value chain. She also mentioned tourism during the discussion. The Ambassador recognizes that the Philippines has a lot of learning to learn from Thailand. Further, she emphasized the important role of cooperatives in different facets of the value chain and in the development of various enterprises and industries in the Philippines.
The 3rd TH-PH JAWG delegation from the Philippines is headed by Assistant Secretary Noel A. Padre of the Department of Agriculture. Members are representatives from the Philippine Carabao Center-DA, National Dairy Authority (NDA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-DA, Bureau of Soils and Water Management-DA, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). The CDA was represented by its Deputy Administrator for Institutional Development Service (IDS), Ray R. Elevazo. The Facilitation and coordination between the Philippines and Thailand counterparts, as well as with the Philippine Embassy, was made by the Philippine Agriculture Office (PAO) in Thailand. (RR Elevazo, IDS)
