I had a rare opportunity to engage Prof. Felipe Miranda in a conversation yesterday while he was waiting for his turn to speak in Seminar-Workshop at the Leyte Normal University.

He mentioned to me the importance of quality research in developing Eastern Visayas. And he agreed with me that a lot more needs to be done in this regard in this region.

He emphasized the need to have reliable data which potential investors can use. He cited that: when data collected and disseminated is not reliable, then what can these investors use? This would discourage them from coming over.

In an answer to his question on what the biggest challenge for development in this region is, I answered that the key is improving productivity, particularly in agriculture and off-farm employment.

Then he mentioned that his wife’s family has agricultural lands in Carigara, Leyte which they intend to visit soon since no one in the family seems to know what is happening in these properties. Most of his wife’s family members are no longer in Leyte.

About agri-business he was quick to point out that last Monday he tasted a five-year old bahalina and said it is a good example of an agribusiness venture that can enhance productivity in agriculture as it would bring in the so-called “value-added”.

It was a short 20-minute conversation while waiting for his turn to speak but it was quite a pleasure to talk to the man we often watch on TV discussing results of Pulse Asia surveys.