* External Writer ** Food and Agri Business Papers (every quarter) Month/ Year Featured Articles February 2017 – Narratives from Agribusiness Experts- The Flourishing Bakeshop Business January 2017 – Growing Agriculture: The Simple Math – An Industry Brief on Edible Mushrooms Nov – Dec 2016 – Feasting on Christmas Hams – Merry CHEESEmas: A Situationer on Christmas Cheese – Provincial Trading Hubs** October 2016 – Eight Strategic Products – Tomato: An Industry Brief September 2016 – Philippine Agribusiness Corridors- Population Growth and Markets August 2016 – Competitiveness by Export Market Share- Cassava Industry in the Philippines July 2016 – Agriculture Agenda under the Duterte Administration- Agriculture Performance in 2015 and Scenarios in 2016 June 2016 – Irrigation: A Driver of Agricultural Productivity and Growth- Rural Poverty and Farm Productivity** May 2016 – Economic and Agriculture Scores of Philippine Presidents- The Philippine Salty Snacks Industry April 2016 – Agri Exports: Scorecard of Presidents- Determinants of Poverty Reduction in Selected ASEAN Countries March 2016 – The Philippine Dairy Industry- Forgotten but Promising Fruits** February 2016 – SC’s Bt Talong Ruling: What are the Economic Implications? – The Tale of Two “Julie’s” January 2016 – Trans-Pacific Partnership: What it means for Philippine agribusiness- A Tea-ser on the Philippine Tea Industry Nov – Dec 2015 – Sustainable Development Goals: A Challenge to the Next Three Presidents- Benchmarking the ASEAN Rubber Industry – Agriculture Scenarios in 2015-2016** October 2015 – Water Use Conflict: The Case of Angat Dam- A Sweet Spot of the Softdrinks Industry September 2015 – The Korean Wave: Of Food, Telenovelas, Gadgets and What Have You- The 2015-2016 Drought: What to Expect** August 2015 – Agriculture Performance in 2014 and Scenarios in 2015 (Part 2)- Philippine Agriculture and the President’s SONAs, 2010-2015 July 2015 – Agriculture Performance in 2014 and Scenarios in 2015 (Part 1)- Consumer Market Implications of Poverty Reduction June 2015 – The Philippine Potato Industry- Rural Poverty and Land Reform** May 2015 – Rural Poverty Reduction: Land Reform Matters- A Brief on the Philippine Ginger Industry April 2015 – Benchmarking the Farm Productivity of Provinces- A Dip into the Philippine Ketchup Industry March 2015 – Meals on Wheels: Food Truck Business in the Philippines- Poverty and Farm Productivity (ASEAN Scorecard)** February 2015 – Urban Gardening: A Sustainable Business- AEC: How the Philippines Fares against ASEAN Agri-Food Players January 2015 – Oh my Gulay! (…it will be a better year in 2015)*- Building a Multinational Brand: The Oishi Story November December 2014 – Ticket Out of Rural Poverty: Competent and Sound Project- A Bright Bread Market Ahead – Agriculture Scenarios in 2014-2015** October 2014 – Revisiting the Garlic Industry- Momentum and Inertia in Rural Development September 2014 – The Avoidable Tragedy of Rural Poverty- Global Price Volatility of Selected Agricultural Products** August 2014 – Agriculture Performance in 2013 and Scenarios in 2014(Second of Two Parts) – Saving our Coconut Farmers by Using our Coconuts July 2014 – Agriculture Performance in 2013 and Scenarios in 2014(First of Two Parts) – The Dramatic Transformation of Rural Malaysia June 2014 – Convenience Stores in the Philippines- Agri-Food Exports: Why Thailand is a Model of Diversification** May 2014 – A Pick of the Philippine Fruit Industry- Philippine Agri-Food Industry Clusters: Is There Scope for Expansion? April 2014 – Seafood and Aquaculture Exports: Benchmarking the AEC- Agriculture and Fisheries Mechanization: Retrospect and Prospects March 2014 – Chicken Meat: Market Trends, Price Competitiveness and Forecasts- Bangsamoro: The Quest for Inclusive Growth February 2014 – AFTA 2015: Is the Agri-Food Sector Ready?- A Sweet Bite of the Philippine Donut Industry January 2014 – Strategic Agility in the Agri-Food Sector- An Overview of Agriculture Employment in the Philippines November December 2013 – Food Staples: The Filipino Consumption Pattern- Agriculture Scenarios in 2013-2014 – Reviving Visayas Agriculture and Fishery: A Marshall Plan? October 2013 – Seaweeds/Carrageenan Industry: Stability in the Face of Shocks- Up in the Air: The Philippine Inflight Catering Industry September 2013 – The Dramatic Rise of Vietnam Agriculture- Coconut Farmers: A SONA Special Mention** August 2013 – Milkfish Industry in the Philippines- A Brief on Energy Drinks July 2013 – Agriculture Performance in 2012 and Scenarios in 2013- Price responsiveness of Cigarette demand June 2013 – Bioethanol in the Philippines- The Challenges of Shaping Policies May 2013 – The Tilapia Industry in the Philippines- Philippine Agri-Food Trade: Smuggling and Tax Evasion April 2013 – Philippine Agriculture Trade with the United States- The Sugar Industry Under AFTA in 2015 March 2013 – The Biscuit Industry in the Philippines- Are Rural Infrastructure Serving their Purposes?** February 2013 – Soybean in the Philippines- Agriculture Investments and Long-Term Finance January 2013 – Coconut: Awakening a (Sleeping?) Giant- The Business of Tree Crops (Their Role in Priming the Rural Markets) November December 2012 – The Economic Impact of Typhoon Pablo- Philippine Rubber Industry: Building Competitiveness amid Challenges – A Snapshot of the Philippine Fertilizer Industry – Agriculture Scenarios in 2012-2013** October 2012 – An Industry Situationer on Lettuce- The Philippine Spirits Industry September 2012 – Olive Oil: A Healthier Alternative Cooking Oil- The Discrepancies in Philippine Imports of Palm Oil Products (What is going on?)** August 2012 – Urban Farming: The Basics of Aquaponics- Food and Agri Exports to India and the Middle East July 2012 – Agriculture Performance in 2011 and Scenarios in 2012-2013- An Overview of Philippine Agricultural Trade with China June 2012 – What Lies Ahead for the Philippine Tobacco Industry- The Eating Out Market: Then and Now** May 2012 – Food and Agri Exports to Oceania- A Scoop into the RP Ice Cream Business April 2012 – A Tea-ser on Milk Tea in the Philippines- Food and Agri Exports to Europe March 2012 – Food and Agri Exports to North America- The Flour Industry: Caught up in Uncertain Times** February 2012 – Exporting Food and Agri Products to Southeast Asia- The Snack Food Industry in the Philippines January 2012 – Food and Agri Exports to East Asia- Pineapple: An Industry Update November-December 2011 – Agri-food Export size, growth and product diversification: Benchmarking the Philippines- What’s Brewing in the Philippine Coffee Industry? – The Philippine Chicken Market October 2011 – Cheers to the Philippine Beer Industry- Golden Food Treats: Glimpses of Tradition and Modernization September 2011 – A Situationer on Peanut- Relating Agriculture to Rural Poverty and Nutrition August 2011 – An Overview of the Philippine Soy Sauce Industry- A Situationer on Philippine Bananas – Agriculture Performance in 2010 and Scenarios in 2011-2012 July 2011 – Agriculture Performance in 2010 and Scenarios in 2011-2012- Philippine Fast Food Industry: Keeping up with the Changing Lifestyle June 2011 – The Battle over Pork Importation- An Overview of the Agribusiness Sector in the Philippines** May 2011 – An Overview of the RP Onion Industry- A Brief on the Processed Food and Beverage Industry in the Philippines April 2011 – Agribusiness: Global Challenges, Opportunities and Competitiveness- The Sweet World of Chocolates in the Philippines March 2011 – Meat Consumption Patterns of Filipinos- Will White Corn be the Holy Grail of Food Security?** February 2011 – Tree Crop Development (A Much Ignored Poverty Reducing Strategy?) – Pasta! Blending with the Filipino Cuisine January 2011 – Food Security, Climate Change and the Tibetan Plateau – Philippine Cutflower Industry: A Situationer – Price Volatility in Agricultural Markets November- December 2010 – The Philippines’ Competitive Scorecard- Philippine Forestry and Forest Products – A Taste of the Bread Industry in the Philippines – Agriculture Scenarios in 2010-2011** October 2010 – Will There be Another Rice Crisis in 2011?- An Update on the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund September 2010 – Agricultural Credit: A View at the Formal Sector- Solving Rural Poverty (P-Noy’s Potential Greatest Legacy)** August 2010 – Great Partners Enterprise: Pioneering the Turkey Business in the Philippines- An Analysis of the Philippine Layer Industry July 2010 – International Trade Fairs: Selling RP’s Agri Products in the Global Marketplace- Agriculture Performance in 2009 and Scenarios for 2010-2011 June 2010 – What’s Brooding in Philippine Poultry Genetics- Irrigation Development in the Philippines** May 2010 – Price Trend Analysis of Selected Fastfood Items- AFMA Allocation and Poverty Incidence: Are They Related? April 2010 – Adding Value to the Lowly Camote- Shellfish: Treasures of the Sea Mar 2010 – The Impact of El Niño on Philippine Agriculture**- Food Catering: Changing the Art of Celebrating February 2010 – Philippine Moringa: The Golden Green Industry- Filipino Spending and Demand Trends on Prime Food Commodities January 2010 – The Philippine Cattle: Still Far From Moving Forward?- The Sweet and Bitter Sides of the Philippine Cacao Industry Nov – Dec 2009 – The World of Agribusiness- Brown Rice: Adding Color to the Rice Industry – Value-Added Products: Moving Demand for Potatoes – Agriculture Scenarios in 2009-2010** October 2009 – Philippine Corn Amid Free Trade- A Spice of the Black Pepper Industry September 2009 – Instant Noodles: An Instant Hit Among Consumers- Sugar: Negotiating for a Sweeter Future** August 2009 – Philippine Agricultural Trade with AFTA- NATC Beverages: Supplementing Health – Agriculture Performance and in 2008 and Scenarios in 2009-2010 (Part II) July 2009 – Goat: Poor Man’s Cow No More- Agriculture Performance in 2008 and Scenarios in 2009-2010 (Part I)* June 2009 – Dried Mango: Preserving RP’s Dried Fruit Industry- Water: Too Big an Issue** May 2009 – The Philippine Carabao Industry: Revisiting the Beast of Burden- A Look at Ready-to-Use Salad Dressings in the Philippines April 2009 – Biodynamic Farming: Going Beyond Organic- An Overview of the Food Franchise Sector in the Philippines March 2009 – The Fruit Spread Market in the Philippines- Land Reform Program: Learning from Other Countries’ Experiences** February 2009 – Halal: Not Just Your Faith-Based Foods- A Look at Pig Genetics in the Philippines January 2009 – An Overview of Hotels and Restaurants in the Philippines- A Sip of the Philippine Juice Industry November – December 2008 – Artificial Sweeteners: Making the Sugar-Free Industry Sweeter- Deli Meats: Giving Filipinos A Different Slice – Agriculture Scenarios in 2008-2009** October 2008 – An Overview of the Chocolate Drink Sector- Fortified Foods: Ingredient to a Healthier You September 2008 – Softdrinks Industry: Another Side of a Filipino’s Beverage Life- An Analysis of Income Spending and Food Expenditure of Filipino Households** August 2008 – The Supermarket Business in the Philippines- Can Peru Profit from Asia? (Trade and Investment in the Agri-Food Sector) July 2008 – Cold Cereal in the Philippines- White Corn: Stable Staple? – Agriculture Performance in 2007 and Scenarios in 2008-2009** June 2008 – An Analysis of Food and Input Prices- Agriculture Performance in 2007 and Scenarios in 2008-2009** May 2008 – The Ready-to-Drink Tea Segment of the Philippine Beverage Industry- Fresh Milk for Your Coffee April 2008 – Food Carts/Booths: Bringing Food Closer to the Customer- Global Competitiveness of Philippine Rubber March 2008 – The Philippine Vegetable Industry- The Rice Situation: Is There a Shortage?** February 2008 – A Dip Into the Philippine Vinegar Industry- Jatropha: A Look at a Feedstock Alternative January 2008 – Cross Country Analysis of the Natural Rubber Industry- Getting to Know RP’s Indigenous Vegetables – Organic Basics for the French Marketplace Nov – Dec 2007 – Food Trip: A(parri) to Z(amboanga)- Comparative Advantage and Competitive Strength of RP’s Top Agri Exports – Sugar: Sweetening the Philippine Economy October 2007 – A Look into the Philippine Vegetarian Business- Microfinance in Philippine Agriculture September 2007 – Snack Cakes: A Snapshot- Globalization of Agriculture and the Crisis in the Delivery of Extension Services* / ** August 2007 – The Philippine Banana Chips Industry- Catfish, Rice and Fried Fruit Stories (A Short Sortie into Vietnam) – An Overview of the Philippine Pineapple Industry July 2007 – Milk: A Long Shot in the Filipino Diet- Agriculture Performance in 2006 and Scenarios in 2007-2008** (Part II) June 2007 – Savoring the Meal Mixes and Sauces Industry- Agriculture Performance in 2006 and Scenarios in 2007-2008** (Part I) May 2007 – Philippines: A Cheesy Market For Cheese- The Cassava Industry: A Fleshy Story April 2007 – The Philippine Convenience Store Industry- Aquaculture: Fastest Animal-Food Producing Sector – Driving China’s Markets* March 2007 – Canola Oil: LSF* on the pan- Food vs. Fuel: Is There a Conflict? The Philippine Case** February 2007 – A Scent of the Philippine Cutflower Industry- The Philippine Petfood Market January 2007 – The Casual and Fine Dining Segments of the Philippine Food Service Industry- Variety as a Competitive Edge – Strict Government Control Characterizes Chinese Biofuel Development* Nov-Dec 2006 – Palm Oil: Complementing Coconut Oil- Philippine Tuna Industry: Benchmarking with Selected Countries – Philippine Food Treats for the Holidays – Agriculture Scenarios in 2006-2007** October 2006 – Growing Philippine Agriculture: Unresolved Strategic Issues?- Sugar Confectionery: Delighting the Filipino’s Sweet Tooth September 2006 – A Toast of the Wine Industry in the Philippines- The Natural Rubber Industry: An Expansion Long Overdue** August 2006 – Tree Crops Development: Where is the Philippines in the Pack?- A Peel of the Onion Industry July 2006 – A Bite of the Biscuits and Cookies Market in the Philippines- Supply and Demand Trends for Philippine Wood Products June 2006 – Savoring the Beer Industry- Risks and Gains in Philippine Food and Agriculture** May 2006 – The Brewing Business of the Philippines Specialty Coffee Shop Industry- The Philippine Fertilizer Industry April 2006 – Organic Agriculture in the Philippines- Supply and Demand Analysis: A Determinant for Investment Decision? March 2006 – Biofuel: Creating New Opportunities for Agriculture- Price and Income Elasticities of Demand for Fish, Meat and Poultry Products** February 2006 – The Complementing Business of Ice Cream Cones- AFMA: A New Lease on Life – Food Processing in China Flourishing* January 2006 – The Philippine Feeds Industry- The Cool Business of Ice Cream November-December 2005 – All About the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund- What is happening to Agribusiness Investments under Land Access Constraints? – Revving up on Energy Drinks – Agriculture Scenarios in 2005-2006** October 2005 – JD Island Food Concepts Corporation: Large Business From Extra Large Fries- Tokwa, Taho, Tofu: The Commodity Has Come of Age (A Soybean Story) – Pacific Rim Population Growth Offers Export Opportunities* September 2005 – Sweet Corn: Staple to Culinary Vegetable- Philippine Agricultural Trade: The Big Picture** August 2005 – The Rising Business of French Fries- Tobacco Industry: Down to the Last Puff July 2005 – Milkfish: Market Trends and Forecasts- Benchmarking Essentials for Globalization – “Let’s Feed our Families with Dignity, Serve our People Well” * June 2005 – A Load of RP’s Imported Fresh Fruit Industry- Philippine Food and Agriculture: Demand Squeeze and Cost Push? (FAP***) May 2005 – Pasta! Pasta! (A Look into the Market for Imported and Local Pasta)- The Philippine Broiler Industry: Are at Par or Far? April 2005 – Food Consumption: Are Filipinos eating enough?- Musings on Philippine Agribusiness (From a Bystander) – Opportunity Knocks for Organics in Singapore* March 2005 – Sugar Industry: Sweeter than Ever- Biotechnology in the Philippines (FAP** – external writer) February 2005 – Drink All You Can: A Glimpse of the Imported Fruit Juice Market- The Powdered Segment of the Fruit Juice Industry January 2005 – Philippine Tuna Products in the Global Market: How Much Work Remains to be Done?- The Pizza-tion of the Nation Nov-Dec 2004 – Snackfoods in the Philippines- Food Consumption: ‘Tis the season to be eating – Education as a key to the competitiveness of the food industry – Agriculture Scenarios in 2004-2005 (FAP**) October 2004 – Philippine Farmed Tilapia: Can we go global?- Seaweed/Carrageenan Industry: Addressing supply barriers – 8-point Agenda for agriculture and fishery in the first 100 days* September 2004 – The Cavendish Banana Export Industry- Reaching France’s Retail Food System* – Bukidnon: Mindanao’s Agribusiness Haven (FAP**) – August 2004 – A Treat of the Philippine Donut Industry- Extracts of the Calamansi Industry – Agriculture Scenarios and Medium-Term Agenda (Part II) July 2004 – Agriculture Scenarios and Medium-Term Agenda (Part I)- Garlic: The Other Half of the Saute Tandem June 2004 – Spreads of Butter and Margarine- Aquaculture: Meeting Fish Shortfall (FAP**) May 2004 – The Superb Business of Supermarkets- Onion: A Matter of Pungency – Focus on Emerging Chinese Market* April 2004 – The Philippine Fruit Industry- Tomatoes: As Red As Life – Spain: Looking for the Right Ingredients* March 2004 – Slicing the Bread Industry- Making Innovations Work for the Philippine Agriculture and Food Industry (FAP**) February 2004 – Iced Tea: Brisk Business in the Philippines- Philippine Food Market: Retrospect and Prospects January 2004 – Sweet Potato: Poor Man’s Crop No more- Veterinary Products: Caring for the Livestock and Poultry Industries – Criteria for Presidential Platforms * Nov.- Dec. 2003 – The Odds of RP Forest and Wood Products- Asian Agriculture and Agribusiness: A Study of Changing Competitive Advantage – Corn: Weakest Link in the Feed-Poultry/ Livestock Supply Chain? – Agriculture Employment in the Philippines (FAP**) October 2003 – Milling the Feed Business- Tracking Agri-Food Trade of Selected Asian Countries – WTO: A Victory for Farmers but the Struggle Continues* September 2003 – Queen Food Mfg. Corp: Reigning over the Philippine Preserves Market- Slipping Into a Healthier Vegetable Oils Industry (FAP**) August 2003 – A Crack on the Peanut Industry- Getting High on Airline Catering – Taiwan’s Taste for US Fruits* July 2003 – Philippine Canned Tuna: What’s Next?- A Brief on the Mango Industry June 2003 – The Japanese Market for Philippine Agri. Food Products- Hog in the limelight (FAP**) May 2003 – Gema Coco Foods Corp. New Age Products from the Tree of Life- A Closer Look at Philippine Vegetable Imports April 2003 – A Peek into the Philippine Convenience Store Industry- Fish and Seafood’s: Market-based Sunrise Products – Large Chains Drive Thailand’s Retail Sector* March 2003 – The Improving Market for Packaged Foods- Tracking GDP Growth and Rural incomes: What is the Bottom line? (FAP**) February 2003 – Chicken Egg: The Belittled Industry- Water: Tap, Bottled, Refilled, and Delivered – China is Playing a Growing Role in Global Vegetable Trade* January 2003 – Wheat-ing the Filipino Appetite- An Analysis of Agriculture and Fisheries Growth 1990-2002 – Liberalization Jumpstarts Philippine Retail Food Sector* Nov – Dec 2002 – Tuna Industry: Moving On- Philippine Carrageenan: Fighting A Global War – An Overview of the Squid Industry – Food and Agriculture: Retrospect and Prospects (FAP**) October 2002 – Unwrapping the Food Packaging Industry- Growing on Water: A Brief on Hydroponics – Goldilocks Bakeshop Inc.: More than just a Fairy Tale* September 2002 – Philippine Agrifood Sector Goes On-line- Supply and Demand Scenarios in the Beef Cattle Industry (FAP**) August 2002 – The True Color of Yam- A Taste of the Papaya Industry – Philippine Agriculture in 2002 and 2003: Will El Niño Shape the Direction? (Part II) July 2002 – Sugar Confectionery: Keeping its Sweet Disposition- AFMA, Food Security and Biotechnology – Philippine Agriculture In 2002-2003: Will El Niño Shape the Direction? (Part I) June 2002 – Scaling the Tilapia Industry- Philippine Fishery industry: Moving Beyond the Usual Catch (FAP**) May 2002 – The Growing Industry of Private Labels- Nuggets of the Chicken Business – The International Market for Philippine Pineapples (Part II) April 2002 – The International Market for Philippine Pineapples (Part I)- Asparagus: The Next big thing? – 101 Facts about Rice in the Philippines (Part IV)* March 2002 – Digging up the Cassava Industry- Towards a Long-Term Strategy for the Coconut Industry (FAP**) – 101 Facts about Rice in the Philippines (Part III)* February 2002 – A Spread of the Peanut Industry- Revising the Abaca Industry – 101 facts about Rice in the Philippines (Part II)* – Coping in a Soft Market: The Red Ribbon Way* January 2002 – Sizing up the Fruit Spreads Market- Condiments: Seasonings for all Seasons – 101 Facts about Rice in the Philippines (Part I)* December 2001 – Cutflowers in Gloom- Sugar Industry: On the Rebound (FAP**) November 2001 – Agriculture in 2001-2002: Sustaining Growth Amid Uncertain Times- Techno Foods Inc.: Surviving in an Industry of Giants – An Update on the Philippine Fastfood Industry (Part II) October 2001 – An update on the Philippine Fast Food Industry (Part I)- Going Bananas September 2001 – Rooting for Potato- The Oleochemicals Industry: Go Natural for Life August 2001 – Agricultural Machinery: An Industry in Waiting- A Bite of the Philippine Chocolate Industry – The Food Service Industry: Coping in a Soft Market* July 2001 – An Overview of the Philippine Bread Industry- Food and Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities – Challenges, Opportunities and a Call for Partnership* June 2001 – Screaming for Ice Cream- Agriculture under the Ramos & Estrada Administration (FAP) May 2001 – Emerging Challenges in Food Marketing- Golden Rice: A Precious Find – Thai King’s Idea Give New Hope to Poor Farmers* April 2001 – Traversing the Way of Franchising- Pearl Shakes: The New Thirst Quenchers March 2001 – Feasting on the Philippine Milkfish Industry- Is Mindanao Really a Food Basket (FAP) February 2001 – Agricultural Priorities in the Next 100 Days*- Instant Noodles: Serving Beyond Bowls – Fish Canning: Holding up under the Strain January 2001 – Benchmarking: The Challenge of the Future- Soft drinks Companies: Asking for More of the Beverage Market – Food Retailing: Riding a Tidal Wave Change December 2000 – Processed Meat: More than just for Convenience- Brewing the Coffee Industry (FAP**) November 2000 – Lapping up the Philippine Dairy Market- Agriculture Performance and Rural Incomes in 2000 and 2001 – Diets around the World: How the Menu Varies* October 2000 – Crunching Into the Biscuits and Cookies Market- Bottled Water: Gobbling up the Beverage Market – Master’s Program in Food Systems Management – A Speech by Agriculture Sec. Edgardo J. Angara* September 2000 – Canned Tuna: Coping with Global Competition- Grains Biotechnology: Is there a better option? (FAP**) August 2000*** – Ketchup: Spicing up the Condiments Market- Where is the cattle industry headed? July 2000 – Philippine Agriculture: Performance, Prospects and Challenges June 2000 – Analysis of the Impact of the Current Skirmishes on Agriculture in Mindanao and the Country (FAP) May 2000 – Private label brands captivate Europe’s consumers- Asia food franchising corporation – Biotech and the Poor – Two commanding markets at opposite ends of Asia April 2000 – World food prospects: Critical issues for the early 21st century- Food shows (why and what) – The role of private sector in biotechnology March 2000 – Philippine Agriculture: Performance and Prospects, 1999-2000 (FAP**)- 1999 Review of Selected commodities (FAP**) February 2000 – Biotechnology for Developing-Country Agriculture: Problems and Opportunities January 2000 – Banana and Other Commercial Crops Comments You do not have permission to add comments.