Dr. Larry del Rosario Lacson, appointed by His Excellency President Ferdinand “Bongbong” E. Marcos Jr. on April 16, 2024 is the 19th Administrator of the National Food Authority.
Administrator Lacson is another classic model of a career employee who rose from the ranks due to his unwavering passion for service. After he finished his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree, major in Crop Science, from Pampanga State Agricultural University in 1991, he entered government service as a utility worker of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). It was in the BPI where he rose from the ranks until he finally became the Director of the agency at a young age of 39 in 2010.
Due to changes in the political landscape, he decided to retire from the service to pursue a career in the private sector. First, he became the Vice President of AgriNurture, Inc., a leading global agricultural company that adopts a farm-to-plate business model with operations in farming, manufacturing, distribution and retail franchise.
In 2018, he joined Texicon Agriventures Corporation, as Senior Vice-President of the company. Texicon Group of Companies is a top manufacturer, importer, and distributor of quality fertilizer and pesticide products to local and multinational agricultural companies throughout the Philippines.
While in the private sector, Administrator Lacson was actively involved in the agribusiness industry. He was a member of Philippine Food Exporters, Inc. (PhilFoodex) and served as co-chairman of the agriculture and fisheries committee of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
This year, he was again drawn to go back to government service after he was appointed as Director IV in the Department of Agriculture. The DA Secretary, Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr., directed him to head the NFA; thus, he was designated as Deputy Administrator of the National Food Authority on March 11, 2024, through Special Order No. 371.
Dr. Lacson holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Agriculture from De La Salle Araneta University. With robust skills set that includes Sustainable Agriculture, Strategic Planning, Agribusiness and more. He is also a Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) and Fumigation Expert and one of the few UN-FAO trained Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation (PCE) facilitators. He is also a recipient of the Most Outstanding Magaleño Award for Agriculture and Environment for 2024, given by the Local Government Unit of Magalang, Pampanga.
