EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES  
) 
Third Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. _______ 
Introduced by Representatives DAVID "JAY-JAY" C. SUAREZ 
and ANNA MARIE VILLARAZA-SUAREZ 
AN 
ACT 
PROVIDING 
FOR 
A 
NATIONAL 
FERTILIZER 
PROGRAM, 
ESTABLISHING 
A 
FRAMEWORK 
FOR 
ITS 
INSTITUTIONALIZATION, 
PROVIDING MECHANISMS FOR ITS APPROPRIATE IMPLEMENTATION, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Under Article XII, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution, it provides that "[t]he goals of 
the national economy are a more equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and 
wealth; a sustained increase in the amount of goods and services produced by the 
nation for the benefit of the people; and an expanding productivity as the key to 
raising the quality of life for all, especially the underprivileged. The creation of the 
Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) is fundamentally anchored from this 
constitutional provision to assure that the agricultural sector has an adequate supply 
of fertilizer at reasonable prices, rationalizing the manufacture and marketing of 
fertilizing. 
However, with the increasing prices of fertilizers, the FPA1 could only attribute it to 
the market power of importers after the removal2 of price caps that came with the 
industry's liberalization. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed challenges 
in the food systems as countries change their trade policies, yielding to successive 
increases in world market prices leading to the pump in the local cost of fertilizers. 
As we know it, the price of fertilizers and other agricultural inputs take part in a 
considerable percentage of our farmers' production cost, thereby causing a massive 
1 PD 1144 mandates the FPA to control and regulate all marketing companies, whether importer, 
indentor, wholesaler, or retailer, by managing and handling prices, terms, mark-ups, distribution 
channels, promotion, storage, and other marketing factors in the domestic fertilizer market. 
2 Because of the Trade Liberalization Act, the FPA cannot impose a price ceiling in the sale of fertilizers. 
It is the importers who set the price. The fertilizer trade was first deregulated in 1981 through the 
removal of procurement controls, the scrapping of the government’s price-setting functions, and the 
withdrawal of an import licensing scheme for fertilizer. 
January 25, 2022
1:57 pm
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dent against the income of our farmers. With the present situation on the increasing 
prices of fertilizers, the high cost of the same has become an added burden to the 
Filipino farmers. This prompted them to situate themselves to no other recourse but 
to accrue unnecessary loans, making the step of reaching financial freedom miles to 
reach. 
It is incumbent upon Congress to identify, prioritize, and institute the necessary policy 
intervention to provide immediate, effective, and sustainable relief for Filipino farmers 
amid the continuing spiraling of fertilizer costs. 
As such, this proposed bill seeks to establish a national policy on instituting a National 
Fertilizer Program (NFP) that will: 
i.
Present a policy framework that will lay down the present challenges of the
fertilizer industry, identification of possible continuing solutions, and the
appropriate roadmap towards sustainability on domestic fertilizer production
and utilization;
ii.
Immediate grant of financial relief to our farmers by appropriating initial
funding in the amount of Twenty Billion Pesos (Php 20,000,000,000.00).
The same consists of Ten Billion Pesos (Php 10,000,000,000.00) to be
allocated for actual subsidy for our farmers. The other Ten Billion Pesos
(Php 10,000,000,000.00) is for NFP establishment and operationalization.
The long-term goal of this measure is for the NFP to develop locally produced fertilizers 
with the highest quality and lowest possible prices so that the production cost of our 
farmers will eventually decrease, influencing an upward curve for their income. 
In economic terms, it is understood that the price increase will result in a reduction in 
fertilizer input, which will significantly affect productivity. This policy proposal to 
support our farmers would increase local fertilizer supply and promote market 
competition to balance local prices. Intrinsically, the fastest way to address the rising 
costs is through subsidies and must be handed out immediately to our beneficiaries 
so as not to hamper production. 
With the ongoing global trade uncertainties in this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
sustaining local production by assisting our local farmers would support jobs and 
income for the agriculture sector and secure the country's food availability throughout 
the public health crisis. 
For this reason, the approval of this measure is respectfully sought. 
DAVID "JAY-JAY" C. SUAREZ 
ANNA MARIE VILLARAZA-SUAREZ 


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE  
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session  
 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. _______ 
Introduced by Representatives DAVID "JAY-JAY" C. SUAREZ 
and ANNA MARIE VILLARAZA-SUAREZ 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL FERTILIZER PROGRAM, ESTABLISHING A 
FRAMEWORK FOR ITS INSTITUTIONALIZATION, PROVIDING MECHANISMS FOR 
ITS APPROPRIATE IMPLEMENTATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Dangal at Sigla ng 
Magsasaka sa Abono ng Pag-Asa Act." 
Sec. 2. Objectives. This Act aims to: 
(i.) To establish a national policy on Philippine Fertilizer Program that will 
provide support mechanism, both short-term and long-term, to the farmers; 
(ii.) 
To facilitate farmers' efficient access to fertilizers and help them to 
become self-sufficient in producing and using the same; and 
(iii.) 
To increase farm productivity and farmers' income. 
Sec. 3. National Fertilizer Program. The Department of Agriculture herein referred 
to as the "Department" shall implement a National Fertilizer Program, which shall benefit 
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qualified farmers. The National Fertilizer Program or NFP shall ensure that the following 
precepts are central in the preparation thereto, namely: 
 
(i.) 
Secure that the right of the farmers to balanced and gainful access to 
agriculture opportunities through the promotion of activities geared 
towards agricultural sustainability; 
(ii.) 
Establish a framework for the utilization of available technology that will 
contribute to the self-sufficiency of fertilizer production in ensuring a well-
crafted 
balance 
between 
economic 
development 
and 
resource 
enhancement; 
(iii.) 
Enjoin the relevant non-government organizations, people's organizations, 
and the private sector to take the lead in initiating programs that will 
improve farmers' productivity; 
(iv.) 
Enlist the participation of local communities, including the indigenous 
people, by providing them the necessary assistance in the determination of 
economic opportunities that will concretize sustainability and the full 
enjoyment of the benefits thereof; and,  
(v.) 
Envision a vibrant rural economy by transforming the country's fertilizing 
system to obtain a strong food value chain and affordable and nutritious 
foods. 
 
Sec. 4. Development of Locally-Produced Fertilizers. The primary objective 
is for the National Fertilizer Program to develop locally produced fertilizers with the highest 
quality and lowest possible prices so that the production cost for our farmers will eventually 
decrease and their income will subsequently increase. The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority is 
hereby mandated to assure the agriculture sector of an adequate supply of fertilizer at 
reasonable domestic market prices, rationalizing and innovating the production and marketing 
of fertilizer, and protect the public from relevant risks. 
Provided, that the Department shall ensure that the development of locally-produced 
fertilizers is consistent with the national policy on organic agriculture, with the appropriate 
development of production systems through technological utilization as assisted by the 
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as a means to promote domestic sufficiency 
and sustainability. 
 
Sec. 5. Fertilizer Subsidy. The Department, together with the National Economic 
Development Authority (NEDA), shall provide an economically acceptable percentage of 
fertilizer subsidy to qualified farmers from the cost of procurement of such fertilizer, based on 
prevailing market forces. Provided, that the Department shall initiate the necessary immediate 
intervention in the provision of such subsidy for cases when the prices of fertilizers are high. 
 
Sec. 6. Identification of Beneficiaries. All farmers registered under the Registry System 
for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) are qualified to be considered beneficiaries of the 
subsidy under the NFP, regardless of tenurial status and landholding in the identified areas 
where the majority of the RSBSA-registered farmers are located. The Department shall 
establish a regional electronic database for the RSBSA that contains the names, contact 
information, and addresses of farmers qualified to avail of the subsidy under the program. 


Any unauthorized sharing or use of any gathered data shall be subjected to violations with 
corresponding penalties under existing laws. 
In addition, the beneficiaries shall be a bona fide member of the respective Provincial 
Farmers Federation or Association, or any equivalent to such, formally endorsed by the 
corresponding Provincial Agriculture Office, as authorized by the Provincial Government. 
 
Sec. 7. Farm Eligibility. The following are the eligibility requirements for farms: 
(i.) 
The farm must not be part of a riverbed, lakebed, marshland, shoreline, or 
riverbank; 
(ii.) 
The farm must have adequate irrigation and drainage systems. Provided, that 
for cases of rainfed areas, it shall still be eligible in due consideration of the 
farmers engaged in propagating drought-tolerant vegetables during the dry 
season; 
(iii.) 
The farm must be accessible to regular means of transportation; and, 
(iv.) 
The farm must be suitable for production purposes. 
 
Sec. 8. Mechanics of Implementation. The Department is hereby mandated to 
ensure that the following mechanics shall be required and complied with for the 
implementation of this Act.  
(i.) 
The beneficiaries shall be required to register with a government-
issued identification card; 
(ii.) 
The Department shall facilitate the necessary training on the farmer-
beneficiaries for the proper use of the subsidized fertilizers;  
(iii.) 
The Department shall enable the active engagement of the Provincial 
Association of Farmers in agri-supply trading and shall enjoin active 
participation in the relevant bidding or procurement process; and, 
(iv.) 
The report of qualified farmers and actual beneficiaries shall be 
submitted to the Commission on Audit every quarter. 
 
Sec. 9. Submission of Program Report. The Department shall annually submit 
to the Agricultural Committee of both Houses of Congress a report indicating the status 
of implementation of the program. Each report required shall include, for the one-year 
period ending on March 1 of the year in which the report is submitted the following: 
 
(i.) The number of farmers that are selected in the program; 
(ii.) Summation of information regarding the demographic characteristics of the 
farmers;  
(iii.) 
Description of the steps taken by the Department to help the farmer-
beneficiaries; and, 
(iv.) 
An assessment of the success or failure of the program on the standards of 
increasing production and improving the living condition of the farmers. 
 


Sec. 10. Appropriations. An initial amount of Twenty Billion Pesos (Php 
20,000,000,000.00) shall be allocated to implement this Act and shall be divided into 
two (2) portions. For the initial implementation of this Act, an amount of Ten Billion 
Pesos (Php 10,000,000,000.00) for the provision of subsidy and the other Ten Billion 
Pesos (Php 10,000,000,000.00) for the operationalization of the program are hereby 
authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, such sums as 
may be necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the 
succeeding General Appropriations Act (GAA).  
 
Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations, issuances, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provision of this Act are 
hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
Sec. 12. Separability Clause. – If any part, section, or provision of this Act shall 
be held invalid or unconstitutional, no other part, section, or provision thereof shall be 
affected thereby. 
 
Sec. 13. Effectivity. – This Act takes effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,