Why is the Philippines a food importer?

“The purpose of science is to liberate us from the tyranny of common sense.” — Anonymous

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic highlighted the strategic importance of our agricultural sector, mainly on two counts. First, the sector provides our food requirements, the supply of which became critical at some point in the lockdown due to transport bottlenecks, both local and international. Second, with the massive loss of jobs in other sectors of the economy, particularly in the services sector (including tourism and the “gig”/entertainment industries), it is agriculture, being labor-intensive, that offers alternative employment opportunities as there will be perpetual food demand as people will have to eat to survive.