Yvette Tan

Yvette Tan is Manila Bulletin’s Agriculture section editor and also the Editor in Chief of Agriculture magazine. A Palanca-award winning writer, her perspective on agriculture is unique. Originally coming from lifestyle and food journalism, she has seen firsthand the deep divide between the realities of food production and the trendiness of foodie culture. She is dedicated to encouraging people to push for sustainable food sources and is an advocate of food security, food sovereignty, and the preservation of community foodways.

Contact her at agriculture@mbulletin.com.ph

Tigkiliwi shows that one can thrive, even during dead season

March 20, 2025 4:04 pm

“If you plant, you can eat.” So goes the often repeated line from the multi-award-winning Tigkiwili, one of the eight full-length films in the Puregold CinePanalo Festival, which runs until March 25 at Gateway Cineplex 18. The film garnered seven awards, including Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Ensemble.

Wayang Alimagnum engages young readers with farming and giant robots

March 13, 2025 11:36 pm

If there are two things many Filipino children lack these days, it’s a love for reading and an appreciation for farming. Joel Donato Ching Jacob, HIV counselor and author of the Scholastic Asian Book Award winning novel  Wing of the Locust and its sequels Orphan Price and Heirs to Flame writes about both in his new novel, Wayang Alimagnum, published by Adarna House. 

DA Sec. Tiu-Laurel meets with agri youth

March 07, 2025 1:56 am

Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr., through the efforts of the Agribusiness and Countryside Development Foundation (ABCDF), recently met with some members of the youth to discuss the state of Philippine agriculture. 

Anitu Forest Farm’s small-batch chocolates are the products of forest regeneration

February 28, 2025 12:31 am

The Philippine cacao industry has been growing but still remains underdeveloped. Some local chocolatiers are trying to change this by offering tree to bar artisanal chocolates.
One of them is Anitu Food Forest, a Bukidnon-based chocolate brand who sources its cacao beans from its own farm of the same name. The enterprise is run by Rogen Montecillo, while her husband, fourth generation farmer Marvi Montecillo, is in charge of their syntropic cacao and banana farm, which uses regenerative farming methods.

Anitu Forest Farm: Cacao farm and reforestation effort

February 20, 2025 4:02 pm

Last week, I wrote about Anitu Forest Food Processing, a small chocolate brand from New Kidapawan City, Bukidnon. Now, I’m writing about the Anitu Forest Farm, the syntropic farm that produces the cacao that goes into the handcrafted chocolates.