Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

975

House Bill No.

Introduced by REP. AUGUSTO BOBOY SYJUCO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Bio-organic farming is defined as a system of agricultural production which
avoids the use of chemical or inorganic farm inputs, pesticides, weedicides and
feed additives and relies on biological means of conditioning and enriching the
soil and controlling of pests.

While reducing pollution and ‘abating the destruction of useful organisms
for the agricultural ecosystems, this system also helps solve the problem of
waste and garbage disposal through the use of plant and animal waste and crop
residues. It should also be noted that bio — farming, by not requiring any
importation, helps the country reduce its importation expenses and lowering the
cost of farm inputs.

Many aspects of bio — farming methods, such as vermiculture, the
production and application of bio — organic fertilizers and other farm inputs, and
the techniques of “integrated pest management’ have been developed and
applied for some years now in the Philippines. However, much more can and
should be done.

It would be to the advantage of our environment, our economy and
ultimately our people, to adopt this measure providing for the promotion of bio —
organic farming in the Philippines.

In view of the foregoing, passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

AUGUSTO BOBOY SYJUCO
2" District, Province of Iloilo


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

975

House Bill No.

Introduced by REP. AUGUSTO BOBOY SYJUCO

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE PROMOTION OF BIO - ORGANIC FARMING
IN THE PHILIPPINES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby declare the policy of the
Sate to promote, propagate and assist the practice of bio — organic farming in the
Philippines that will cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the soil,
increase farm yield, reduce pollution and destruction of the environment, prevent
the depletion of natural resources, and reduce our dependence on imported farm
inputs.

SEC. 2. Bio - organic Farming. - For purposes of this Act, “bio - organic
farming” shall mean an agricultural production system which avoids the use of
chemical or inorganic farm inputs, pesticides, weedicides and feed additives and
relies on biological means of conditioning and enriching the soil and controlling of
pests, such as but not limited to the use of beneficial organisms, the utilization of
plant and animal wastes through composting, crop rotation, intercropping,

multiple cropping, and the adoption of integrated pest .


management or pesticide-free community ecology approached to pest
management. It also covers areas such as but not limited to, soil fertility
management, varietal breeding and selection under chemical and pesticide-free
conditions, and other cullural practices that .enhance productivity without
destroying the soil and harming farmers, consumers, and the environment.

SEC. 3. Program. - There is hereby established a
comprehensive bio-organic farming program which shall adopt and develop the
propagation of bio-organic cultivation and production methods, the education of
more and more farmers thereon, the extension of assistance to individuals and
groups who are practicing and promoting these methods as well as those who
are willing to do so, other pertinent activities, and documentation and evaluation
of the program.

SEC. 4. Bio-Organic Farming Authority. - To carry out the
policy and the program provided in this Act, there is hereby created a Bio-
Organic Farming Authority (BOFA) under the Office of the President. The BOFA
of Members (hereinafter referred to as the Board) which shall provide the
direction and general guidelines for the program, with an Executive Directorate
which shall implement the program in its various aspects in accordance with the
direction and guidelines of the Board. The various government departments and
agencies and the officials thereof named in this Act, in collaboration with private
individuals and groups also herein named, are hereby directed to intensify and
coordinate their activities with the program of the BOFA.

The BOFA shall ensure the full participation of people's organizations
(Pos), non-government organizations (NGOs), and the general public through
mechanisms, such as but not limited to, public hearings, meetings, and joint
projects.

SEC. 5. The Board. The Board shall provide the direction and

general guidelines for the program, and shall supervise its implementation and


exercise all the powers not otherwise conferred on other bodies and individuals
under this Act.

SEC. 6. Composition of the Board. - The Board shall have the
Secretary of the Department of Agriculture as Chairman and the following as
members:

1 the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), or
his duly authorized representative;
3 the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

(DENR), or his duly authorized representative;

3. the Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS)
or his duly authorized representatives;

4 the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)
or his duly authorized representatives;

5. the chairman of the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (PFA): or his duly
authorized representative;

6. two (2) representatives from small farmers organizations;

7. two (2) representatives of non-government organizations (NGOs) involved
in sustainable agriculture for at least three (3) years; and

8. two (2) representatives of agriculture state and private colleges and
universities.

The representatives of small farmers and of NGOs, and of agricultural
‘state and private colleges and universities, shall be chosen by the Secretaries of
DA and DOST, respectively, from among nominees submitted to the agency
concerned by their representative national organizations. They shall be
conversant with bio-organic farming and committed to the policies and program
provided under this Act.

SEC. 7. Organization of the Board. - Within sixty (60) working
days from the effectivity of this Act, the national organizations of small farmers, of

NGOs, and of agricultural colleges and universities shall submit their respective



nominees to the DA Secretary and the DOST Secretary as the case may be, who
shall evaluate the qualifications of the nominees and appoint the most qualified
members for the Board

The Chairman shall call the members of the Board, or a majority thereof if
not all have been designated, to a meeting to organize themselves and prescribe
its rules and procedures for the attainment of the objectives of this Act. A
majority of all the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

The Board shall also determine its budget, including travel expenses,
allowances and per diems of its non-government members when attending
official Board meetings or attending to matters assigned to them, and costs of
office space, equipment and supplies.

The Board may appoint fulltime assistants, secretaries, and other
employees, subject to existing Civil Service rules and regulations.

SEC. 8. Executive Directorate. - ‘The Executive Directorate,
hereinafter referred to as the Directorate, shail be headed by a fulltime
Executive Director who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines not
lated than thirty (30) working days after the Board’s organizational meeting and
whose compensation shall be fixed by the Board. The Executive Director shall
be assisted by the members of the Directorate, who shall be composed of the
following public officials and representatives of private groups, and who are
hereby directed to extend full support and cooperation:

- The Director, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, DA;

- The Director, Bureau of Plant Industry, DA;

- The Director, Agricultural Training Institute, DA;

- The Director, Bureau of Agricultural Research, DA;

- The Executive Director, Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA);

- A representative, to be designated by the Secretary of the Department of

Environment and Natural Resources;


= A representative, to be designated by the Secretary of the Department of

Education, Culture and Sports;

- A representative, t 0 be designated by the Secretary of the Department of
Interior and Local Government;

- The Executive Director, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and
Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD);

= A representative from the Farmers Cooperative Sector;

- Two (2) representatives of other NGOs involved in sustainable agriculture
‘or development for the past three (3) years to be chosen by the Secretary
of Agriculture from among the nominees of the NGO sector;

e A representative each of agricultural state and private colleges and
universities to be chosen from among the nominees of national
organizations of said colleges and universities; and
Three (3) representatives of small farmers, to be chosen by the Secretary
of Agriculture and Food from among the nominees of national
organizations of small farmers.

All the members or representatives in the Executive Directorate
shall be conversant with bio-organic farming and committee to the policies
and program provided under this Act.

The Executive Director is hereby empowered to call upon any government
agency for assistance in the performance of his tasks. ,

The Departments of Agriculture, and of Science and Technology shall
jointly provide an office and staff for the Directorate.

The salary and office expenses of the Executive Director and the
members and staff of the Directorate as well as the travelling expenses.
Allowances and per diems of private representatives in the Directorate attending
official Directorate meetings and performing other tasks assigned to them, shall

be taken from the appropriations provided under this Act.


SEC. 9 Appointment of Tasks. - The Executive Director
shall apportion and coordinate the tasks embraced by the program provided in
this Act among the various members of the Directorate according to their fields(s)
of specialization, Such tasks shall include, but shall not be limited, to, research,
education, extension, training of farmers, training of trainors including the giving
or acquisition of scholarships and observation grants heré and abroad, pesticide-
free 1PM, small scale and commercial production of organic farm inputs, an
accreditation system to insure their quality, and sustained promotional
campaigns. The members of the Directorate shall at all times observe
cooperation with one another, complement and/or supplement each other's
tasks, and involve their offices and/or organizations in the accomplishment of
such tasks.

SEC. 10. Work Plan. Within sixty (60) working days after assuming
office and after the first organizational meeting of the Directorate, the Executive
Director shall submit to the Office of the President for approval:

a) A report on the setting-up and organization of the Directorate and staff:

b) A scheme of distribution and complementation of functions among the
members of the Directorate;

¢) A plan of bringing the program down to the grassroots, utilizing available
personnel and facilities on the local level and those of local government
units;

d) A pattern of cooperation and mutual assistance with local government
units, POs and NGOs, which will maximize people empowering and
participatory approaches to program formulation, implementation and
monitoring; and

@)  Asschedule of short-term, medium-term, and long-term targets.

SEC. 11 Bio-organic farming and Protection of the Environment.

-The BOFA shall constantly devise and implement ways and means not only of

producing bio-organic fertilizers and other farm inputs and needs on and off the


farm but also of helping to alleviate the problems of industrial waste and
community garbage disposal through appropriate methods of sorting, collecting
and composting.

Likewise, the bofa in coordination with the Department of Education,

Culture and Sports shall set-up Bio-organic demonstration farms in various

schools nationwide.

The Executive Director shall conduct continuing studies, with consultations
among the people and officials involve as well as POs and NGOs, in order to
advise local gaualnanantg from the Barangay to the Provincial level, on the
collection and disposal of garbage and waste in such a way as to provide raw
materials for the production of organic fertilizer and other farm inputs.

SEC. 12 Incentives. ~ The Government shall extend incentives
for the manufacture and propagation of bio-organic farm inputs by maximizing
their use in all government and government-supported agricultural production,
research and demonstration programs. The Department of the Interior and Local
Government, Department of Trade and Industry, Land Bank of the Philippines
and other government lending, and non-lending constitutions shall also assist
organic input producers through the provision of adequate financial, technical,
marketing and other services and resources.

SEC. 13. Appropriations. —- The sum of fifty million pesos
(P/ 50,000.00) for the effective implementation of this Act is hereby appropriated
out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Thereafter,
such amount as may be necessary for the continuous implementation of the
program shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

At least seventy-five percent (75%) of the BOFA’s budget shall be allotted
for holistic and integrated scientific research, information, education, and training
of farmers and demonstrations on the farm level, including the provision of full-

time bio-farming extension workers who will work with farmers associations and


cooperatives, Pos, NGOs, barangay assemblies, rural communities, and other

groups
SEC. 14." Separability Clause.- If for any reason, any provision of

this Act is held unconstitutional or invalid such parts not affected thereby shall
remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 15. Repealing Clause. - _ alll laws, decrees, orders, rules,
regulations and issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this

Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 16. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after is complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general

circulation.

Approved