The Department of Agriculture (DA) urged Congress to pass 17 measures aimed at improving the productivity of the country’s farm sector and increasing farmers’ income.
Of the 17 measures pitched by the DA, one has been endorsed by President Duterte during his recent State of the Nation Address—the proposed National Land Use
Act (NLUA).
The President called on the Senate to pass the NLUA, which will put in place a national land use policy that will address the country’s competing land requirements for food, housing business and environmental
conservation.”
Other measures pitched by the DA are pending at the committee level of the House of Representatives and the Senate. These are:
- A bill that aims to promote scientific propagation, processing, utilization and development of Philippine native
animals; - House Bill (HB) 434, which will institutionalize the National Veterinary Quarantine
Services; - HB 3356, which seeks to convert the Bureau of Animal Industry into the National Livestock and Veterinary Services Authority;
- The proposed Act Providing a Framework for the Right to Adequate Food;
- The proposed Dairy Development Act, which aims to
restructure and realign agencies in charge of developing
ruminants; - Measure that would establish the Philippine Banana Research and Development Center in Panabo, Davao del Norte;
- The proposed Abaca Industry Development Act;
- A bill that would establish a quick credit program for farmers and fishermen;
- HB 2912 calling for the establishment of the Philippine Rubber Industry Development Board;
- The proposed Sagip-SAKA Act, which would mandate national and local government agencies to directly purchase agricultural and fishery products from accredited farmers’ and fishermen’s cooperatives; and
- The Integrated Urban Agriculture Act, which seeks to institutionalize integrated urban farming.
The DA also asked Congress to pass bills that would amend Presidential Decree 1467 to strengthen the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., Republic Act 8178 (Agricultural Tarrification Act or the Lifting of the Quantitative Restriction on Rice), RA 1556 (Livestock and Poultry Feeds Act), Organic Agriculture Act and RA 7307, which will be amended by a bill that would establish a Carabao Center in the Bicol
region.
Mark Joseph Fernandez and Joahana Lei Casilao