SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC· 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
) 
) 
) 
Senate Bill No. 2 0 21 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
RECEIVE)) BY ... f 
The country may face an impending rice crisis in view of rampant rice 
smuggling and continued rise in gains prices. Unless addressed decisively and 
clearly, the rice crisis will unleash adverse political and economic consequences for 
our country and for the Filipino people. The times call for us to seize the bull by the 
horns and deal with the problem with a comprehensive and long-term solution. All 
these represent an integrated approach. With the enactment of the Local Government 
Code of 1991, all extension personnel of the Department of Agriculture (DA) were 
devolved to provincial and municipal government units. Thus, the function of providing 
technical services to farmers is the responsibility of local government units. 
For some reason, however, the expertise of LGU personnel in most regions of 
the country has deteriorated to alarming levels. In some LGUs, the agriculture 
extension office does not even have even the minimum complement or expertise, 
much less an effective fund allocation for agriculture. LGUs have also expressed 
discontent over devolution because while the extension function has been devolved, 
the appropriate agriculture funds still emanate from the DA. 
This impasse has been the status quo in terms of agricultural extension for 
some decades now and it is hurting the overall performance of our agricultural sector. 
The question of how farmers can access new and innovative technologies is a critical 
issue in the Philippines. 
The challenge confronting the government is how the government can provide 
technical services to our farmers on a national scale to effect positive growth to the 
impending food security crisis. This bill proposes the creation of a national cooperative 
extension service to address the problem of effective delivery of extension services to 
our farmers. This bill also seeks to introduce other reform measures in the area of 
agricultural extension such as seed quality testing, soil analysis, remote testing and 
GIS facilities and support for bio-based fertilizers that shall supplement the extension 
services provided under this bill. 
While rice crisis is a complicated international and local problem, the provision 
of technical and research inputs to our farmers through the proposed cooperative 
extension services is a step in the proper direction. This, in consonance with other 
allied reforms, will hopefully reverse the rice crisis and set our country on the path of 
food security and rural development. For the foregoing reasons, the passage of this 
measure is earnestly sought. 
OY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
RECEIVt<\1 ti1.f 
Senate Bill No. 
2021 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING 
A 
DEPARTMENT 
OF 
AGRICULTURE, 
AGRICULTURAL 
COLLEGE 
AND 
LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT 
COOPERATIVE 
EXTENSION RESEARCH 
SERVICE, 
PROVIDING 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
STATE 
UNIT 
FUNDS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Agricultural 
Cooperative Research Extension Act of 2013 ". 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State to accelerate the growth and development of the rural areas, improve 
agricultural modernization as a key strategy to increase agricultural productivity, 
and address national food security and rural poverty. Towards this end, the State 
shall undertake the establishment of an agricultural cooperative extension service 
to provide technical services to farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural 
sector. 
SEC. 3. The Cooperative Extension Research Service. - There shall be 
created a Cooperative Extension Research Service composed of the Department 
of Agriculture (DA), designated State Universities and Colleges (SUes) and the 
Local Government Units (LGUs). 
SEC. 4. Components and Functions of the Cooperative Extension 
Research Service. - The LGUs, in line with the devolution of extension personnel 
under Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, shall 
provide extension services to farmers. 
The DA is tasked with planning and monitoring, knowledge management 
and training of extension personnel of the various LGUs. 
The sue of a designated province shall be responsible for providing 
technical assistance to the LGU and DA of that province. The sue shall also be 
responsible for providing technical as well as operational assistance in the overall 


planning, implementation and monitoring of the agricultural program of the 
province. 
SEC. 5. Purpose of the Cooperative Extension Research Service. - The 
purposes of the Cooperative Extension Research Service are as fqllows: 
(a) Ensure the cooperation between the DA, the LGUs and the SUCs at the 
local level to ensure the direct provision of research and extension services 
to the farmers: 
(b) Establish and implement a nationwide extension system to service 
farmers at the local level; 
(c) Link the extension service to sources of new information and 
technologies from the SUCs; 
(d) Conduct downstream and on-farm research to address location-specific 
constraints to increase productivity and profitability that are fine-tuned to the 
practices of local farmers/stakeholders. 
SEC. 6. Structure of the Cooperative Extension Service. - National level 
extension programs shall be orchestrated by the DA in close collaboration with the 
UPLB. At the regional level, the Regional Field Unit (RFU) together with the DA 
Regional Integrated Agricultural Research Center (RIARC) and the Agricultural 
Training Institute (ATI) shall orchestrate the program in cooperation with the 
designated provincial SUC and local governments. 
Provincial level SUCs and their municipal level counterparts can host the 
Rice, Corn and Livestock Action Center (RCLAC) where farmers can obtain initial 
solutions to their technological problems. The RCLAC shall host the seed 
laboratories, pest clinics, soil quality laboratories, veterinary clinics, grain quality 
testing laboratories, agricultural machinery services and other such agricultural 
support services. These shall be housed in municipal centers to be as near to the 
farmers as possible. 
There shall be agricultural extension services at the barangay level to be of 
direct and accessible service to the farmers., 
SEC. 7. Funds. - Funds from for the research-extension service shall be 
from different sources: the DA, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the 
LGUs. There shall be a new regular fund in the amount of Ten Million Pesos 
(P10,000,000.00) shall be made, available to SUCs to be used, as incentives to 
their experts to conduct extension in their area of assignment or to recruit 
additional manpower to increase the coverage of their extension work, This may 
also be used to leverage as counterpart with LGU and DA funds to come up with a 
unified agricultural development plan for the province. 
Additional funds shall also be provided SUCs for the construction of 
laboratories, clinics, facilities and for the training of technical personnel. 
SEC. 8. Agricultural Radio Programs. - There shall be established ari "On 


the Air" Agriculture School Radio Program as an important support to on-farm 
extension services. This program shall be hooked to national radio networks to 
ensure a national coverage. 
SEC. 9. Remote Sensing and GIS Facilities. - There shall be a Remote 
Sensing and GIS Laboratory established at UP Los Banos (UPLB) to service and 
assist the SUC-DA-LGU in its agricultural planning and monitoring programs in the 
province. 
SEC.10. Support for Bio-based Fertilizers. - The State shall provide 
support for the UPLB to strengthen its capacity to produce bio-based fertilizers 
specially the BIO-N and BIOCON technologies by upscaling its production facilities 
and providing a laboratory to handle quality assurance of bio-fertilizers. 
SEC. 11. Soil analysis. - Soil analysis services shall be provided to 
farmers through soil analysis laboratories in the regions and through the provision 
of soil analysis kits developed by the UPLB for use by the local governments in 
soil quality assessment. SUCs can train the LGUs in the use of soil test kits and in 
the interpretation of the results. 
SEC. 12. National Seed System and Seed Quality Assurance Program. 
- Certified or good selected seeds shall be produced at the UPLB and other SUCs 
in order to assure farmers of steady and adequate supply of these seeds. 
SEC. 13. National Grain Quality Assurance Program. - The SUC-LGU-
DA shall also establish a laboratory for grain grading and certification. The SUC-
LGU-DA shall also provide for good drying facilities to ensure the quality of grains 
of farmers. 
SEC. 14. National Crop Pest Disease Surveillance and Monitoring 
System. - A nationwide crop pest and disease surveillance and monitoring system 
shall be established to assist farmers in pest management decisions. The system 
shall also inform researchers of new strains of pests and diseases that may be 
brought about by climate change. 
The National Crop Protection Center of the UPLB can take leadership in this 
program in collaboration with the Regional Crop Protection Centers and the 
provincial SUCs. 
SEC. 15. National livestock Pest Disease Surveillance and Quarantine 
Program. - A national quarantine system shall be established to prevent the 
spread of disease among livestock. Tile College of Veterinary Medicine of UPLB 
shall take the leadership in this program in coordination with the relevant SUCs 
and the private sector. 
SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws or parts thereof, decrees, orders, 
rules and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly. 


SEC. 17. Separability Clause. - If any of the provlslon$ of this Act is 
declared invalid, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force 
and effect. 
SEC. 18. Effectivity, - This Act shall take effect immediately following its 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation or the Official Gazette, whichever 
comes first. 
Approved,