Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3272

HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REP. JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The country is now in the throes of a rice crisis. Unless addressed
decisively and clearly, the rice crisis threatens to 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 to solving the rice
crisis. 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 the 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.

JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. ___

INTRODUCED BY REP. JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT UNIT COOPERATIVE
EXTENSIONRESEARCH SERVICE, PROVIDING FUNDS
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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 2010."

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 (SUCs) 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 SUC of a designated province shall be responsible for
providing technical assistance to the LGU and DA of that province. The
SUC 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 follows:

(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 an "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 Bajios
(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. The 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.
Act is declared invalid, the other prov
remain in full force and effect.

If any of the provisions of this
ions not affected thereby shall

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,