This issue of the Development Research News looks at the country's major socioeconomic issues and the strategies to address them. According to the banner article, the Philippine agriculture and fisheries sector is far from modernized even after 25 years since the enactment of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act. Another report cautions against the revival of the Oil Price Stabilization Fund as it will do more harm than good to the economy. Oil price hikes also threaten the country’s food security. Thus, another article highlights modern biotechnology’s potential in addressing the agriculture sector’s low productivity and ensuring food security. Strategies for promoting the development and competitiveness of the country’s livestock, poultry, and dairy industry are likewise tackled in this issue. This DRN issue also features articles on the growing gaps in public school infrastructures, child health care and other interventions to reduce nutrition-related woes, and the low utilization of disaster risk reduction and management funds. Completing this issue are articles on recognitions conferred by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) on PIDS Senior Research Fellow Michael Abrigo as 2022 Outstanding Young Scientist in Economics and on the PIDS book “Revisiting Philippine Irrigation: A Systems and Governance Assessment in the 21st Century” as recipient of the NAST Outstanding Book Award for 2022.
