Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

3.0 JUL 2013
3298 PH

First Regular Session \ } oa)

House Bill No.__ 2050

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS.

Introduced by Hon, Delphine Gan Lee
——
EXPLANATORY NOTE

The government is reportedly spending P914 million for the establishment of trading
centers in four areas where farmers and livestock raisers can directly sell their products to
institutional buyers and gain higher profit. Agricuture Secretary Proceso Alcala recently
announced that four Agri-Pinoy Trading Centers (APTCs) will be put up in Benguet,
Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Southern Mindanao, and will benefit at least 12,000 farmers
and livestock raisers, The Secretary said the APTCs are patterned after the successful
agricultural trading center called Sentrong Pamilihan ng Produktong Agrikultura
ng Quezon, in Sariaya, This trading center was established in 2006 and since then has
successfully increased the productivity and incomes of Quezon vegetable farmers.

‘This bill seeks to establish more Agric-Pinoy Trading Centers to institutionalize and
make more permanent this program of the present administration. It will thus insulate this
program from the changes that elections or a change in administration may bring. By
providing better funding and a clearer mandate from the State, the Department of Agriculture
will be better equipped in setting up these facilities all over the country.

HON. DEI LEE
Representafive, AGRI Party-List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

House Bil No,__ 2950
——
Introduced by Hon, Delphine Gan Lee
ee

AN ACT
CREATING AN AGRI-PINOY TRADING CENTER
IN EVERY PROVINCE

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

CTION 1, Short Title. - This shall be known as the “Agri-Pinoy Trading Center
Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policies. ~ The State recognizes that the agriculture and
fisheries sector provides food and vital raw materials for the rest of the economy;

The State also recognizes that rising productivity and efficiency in the sector are
critical in maintaining the affordability of food and purchasing power, especially among the
poor;

It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote, propagate, develop further and
implement the creation of agricultural trading and processing centers in the Philippines that
will cumulatively help farmers by eliminating middlemen and thus increase their income by
giving them access to buyers who can offer competitive prices. Towards this end, a
comprehensive program for the creation of a nationwide system of agricultural trading and
processing centers is hereby established.

The State recognizes and supports the central role of the farmers, indigenous people
and other stakeholders at the grassroots in this program.


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SECTION 3. Definitions. — As used in this Act, the term “trading center” shall refer to
an establishment where farmers can offer their products for sale directly to wholesalers and
direct consumers thus eliminating middlemen in the sale of agricultural products.

For purposes of this Act, the term “Secretary” shall refer to the Secretary of the
Department of Agriculture.

SECTION 4. Creation of Agri-Pinoy Trading and Processing Centers. — The
Department of Agriculture (hereinafter the “Department”) shall establish and manage an
Agri-Pinoy Trading and Processing Center in every province with the following standards for
their creation and operation:

(a) The centers shall first be set up in provinces with available participatory funding

from the private sector and Local Government Units (LGUs);

(b) For the first five (5) years, the centers shall concentrate on the top three (3)
agricultural products of the province. ‘The list shall be expanded to five after this
period;

(©) The goal of these centers is to provide an avenue where farmers and livestock
raisers can directly sell their products to institutional buyers and gain higher
profit;

(d) Each center shall be equipped with a processing plant and cold storage,

commercial areas, warehouses and post-harvest facilities.

SECTION 5. Work Plan, - In line with this Act, the Department shall develop the
following:

(a) A plan of bringing the program down to the grassroots, utilizing available
personnel and facilities on the local level and those of LGUs;

(b) A pattern of cooperation and mutual assistance with LGUs, People’s
Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations, which will maximize people
empowerment and participatory approaches to program formulation, implementation
and monitoring; and

(©) A schedule of short-term, medium-term and long-term targets on research and
development, marketing, trade promotion/initiatives, capacity building, among others.

SECTION 6. Funding. - The amount of twenty five billion pesos
(P25,000,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the initial year of this Act. Every year


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thereafter, the amount of ten billion pesos (P10,000,000.00) shall be included in the budget of
the Department for the implementation and continued expansion of this program,

SECTION 7, Implementing Rules and Regulatio1
and regulation to implement the provisions of this Act within ninety (90) days from the date

— The Secretary shall adopt rules

of effectivity of this Act,

SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act ot the application of
such provision to any person or circumstance is declared invalid, the remainder of the Act or
the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected by

such declaration,

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. ~ Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent

with this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause, — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Adopted,