Following Agriculture Secretary Emannuel Piñol's resignation, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said next agriculture secretary should be "intimately familiar" with the sector.

In their pre-SONA (State of the Nation Address) forum presentations, the economic team stressed a call for improving the agriculture sector based on its performance during President Rodrigo Duterte's three years as president.

Piñol submitted his letter of resignation to Duterte on June 27.

Dominguez said there are expected qualities in Piñol's successor as agriculture sector.

"I think the president will certainly look for somebody who is very intimately familiar with the sector and somebody who has shown success in doing a job in that area," he said.

Still, he lauded Piñol's efforts in leading and developing the sector.

"We must say that he has tried his best in achieving his goals, however there are circumstances that have to be addressed," he said. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS