TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
te.'ftti* of I-1' h' ■ • 'r.i ':'
25 JUL 14 AH :44
SENATE 
S. No. 517
RliCOVLD BY;
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SEED LIBRARIES TO 
PROMOTE LOCAL BIODIVERSITY, FOOD SECURITY, COMMUNITY 
RESILIENCE, AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION, PROVIDING FOR A PHASED 
IMPLEMENTATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Philippines is a nation rich in both biological and cultural diversity. Yet, our 
food systems remain vulnerable. Smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of our 
agriculture, are increasingly dependent on costly, commercial seed varieties that must be 
repurchased every planting season. At the same time, the combined impacts of climate 
change, natural disasters, and market disruptions continue to expose weaknesses in our 
seed supply chains.
Across generations, Filipino communities—including indigenous peoples, upland 
cultivators, and rural women—have preserved a powerful tradition: saving, exchanging, 
and protecting seeds. These time-honored practices have allowed farmers to maintain 
locally adapted varieties, suited to the soil, weather, and ecological conditions unique to 
each region. Today, however, these practices face the threat of extinction.
This bill seeks to institutionalize seed libraries throughout the country. These are 
community-based facilities that will conserve, propagate, and distribute a wide range of 
viable, locally adapted seeds, including heirloom crops, native trees, and climate-resilient 
varieties. The goal is to improve access to diverse planting materials that support food 
security, ecological restoration, and community resilience.


Globally, seed libraries have evolved from simple shelves in community centers 
into vital tools of public policy. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the 
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) both 
emphasize the importance of community seed banks in promoting agricultural biodiversity 
and long-term resilience.1 Other countries, such as India, Brazil, and Kenya, have 
successfully integrated seed libraries into their rural development and climate adaptation 
programs.
The Seed Libraries Act is informed by these international best practices but shaped 
by the Philippine context. It proposes a phased and locally grounded implementation, led 
by the Department of Agriculture and supported by key agencies such as the Department 
of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Education, Commission on Higher 
Education, and Department of the Interior and Local Government. Local government units, 
academic institutions, farmers' organizations, and indigenous cultural communities will 
play central roles in identifying sites, managing operations, and ensuring sustainability.
Seed libraries shall also function as learning spaces. Through capacity-building 
programs and school-based initiatives, communities will gain practical skills in seed saving, 
propagation, and climate-adaptive agriculture. To promote transparency and inclusive 
access to information, a national seed library portal will be created. This platform will 
share anonymized, non-sensitive data on seed availability, usage patterns, and community 
engagement, consistent with open government data standards.
This measure affirms the right of farmers and indigenous peoples to save, use, and 
exchange seeds. It also promotes innovation through incentives for seed donations, 
mobile libraries, seed fairs, and other locally driven models. Ultimately, this bill recognizes 
that food and seed sovereignty are critical foundations for a just, resilient, and self-reliant 
future.
In view of these, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
'TOREN LEGARDA
1 Source: https://seeds.ca/cool_timeline/itpgrfa-international-seed-bank-treaty/
2


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
=C*i. 
:
of III.’ f.' '
25 JUL 14 All -44
SENATE
s. NO. 517
RECEIVED BY:
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SEED LIBRARIES TO 
PROMOTE LOCAL BIODIVERSITY, FOOD SECURITY, COMMUNITY 
RESILIENCE, AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION, PROVIDING FOR A PHASED 
IMPLEMENTATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. -This Act shall be known as the "Seed Libraries Act."
2 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to ensure food and
3 
ecological security through the conservation, development, and equitable use of locally
4 
adapted seeds, planting materials, and traditional knowledge systems. The State
5 
recognizes that access to diverse, resilient, and high-quality seeds is essential to
6 
achieving food self-sufficiency, biodiversity restoration, and climate resilience,
7 
particularly for smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities.
8 
The State shall uphold the rights of farmers and indigenous peoples to save,
9 
use, exchange, and propagate seeds, and shall promote inclusive and participatory
10 
mechanisms for seed sharing and innovation. In pursuit of these goals, the State shall
11 
institutionalize community-based seed libraries as decentralized platforms for securing
12 
seed access, preserving genetic diversity, and enabling adaptation to ecological and
13 
market changes.
14 
Sec. 3. Establishment of Seed Libraries. -
15 
a) The Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with the
16 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),


1 
Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education
2 
(CHED), and Department of the Interior and Local Government
3 
(DILG), shall lead the phased establishment of seed libraries across
4 
provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays, prioritizing areas
5 
with food insecurity, climate vulnerability, and agricultural potential;
6 
b) Seed libraries shall serve as community-managed facilities for the
7 
collection, conservation, documentation, exchange, and propagation
8 
of diverse, locally adapted, and culturally significant seeds. These
9 
shall include food crops, native trees, climate-resilient varieties,
10 
medicinal plants, and indigenous or heirloom species; and
11 
c) The DA and partner agencies shall work with local government units
12 
(LGUs), farmers' organizations, indigenous cultural communities,
13 
women's cooperatives, and academic institutions to determine
14 
appropriate models, governance structures, and sustainability
15 
mechanisms for seed libraries, ensuring that these facilities respond
16 
to local agricultural and ecological priorities.
17 
The DA, DENR and DepEd shall coordinate and organize seminars, workshops
18 
and other trainings for the professional benefit of custodians of seed libraries and
19 
issue rules and regulations, individually or jointly, in order to support capacity building
20 
for seed collection, storage and germination.
21 
Sec. 4. Functions of Seed Libraries. - Seed libraries shall perform the following
22 
core functions, subject to further detail in the Implementing Rules and Regulations
23 
(IRR):
24 
a) Maintain and conserve a diverse inventory of viable seeds suited to
25 
local conditions and agroecological zones, including food crops,
26 
traditional varieties, and species critical to nutrition, climate
27 
resilience, and ecosystem restoration;
28 
b) Facilitate equitable access to seeds through lending, exchange, or
29 
donation programs, including provisions for emergency seed relief
30 
during disasters, conflict, or supply disruptions;


1 
c) Preserve and transmit knowledge by documenting and promoting
2 
both traditional and scientific practices in seed saving, germination,
3 
and propagation;
4 
d) Act as community learning hubs for capacity building, farmer
5 
education, youth engagement, and extension services focused on
6 
seed stewardship, agroecology, and climate-adaptive agriculture;
7 
e) Coordinate with national and international seed banks, genebanks,
8 
and research institutions for access to genetic diversity, technical
9 
expertise, and training resources; and
10 
f) Enable open access to seed-related data through digital platforms,
11 
consistent with national open government data policies, including
12 
anonymized datasets on seed usage, success rates, varietal diversity,
13 
and community needs.
14 
Sec. 5. Seed Quality, Viability, and Knowledge Management - The
15 
implementing agencies shall, through the IRR, establish and periodically update
16 
standards and protocols on seed collection, handling, viability testing, documentation,
17 
and storage, incorporating both scientific and traditional systems.
18 
All seed libraries shall maintain basic records on seed sources, distribution,
19 
replenishment, and germination rates. These data, along with aggregate indicators of
20 
seed library performance, shall be published in a publicly accessible online platform
21 
maintained by the lead agency, subject to data privacy and intellectual property
22 
safeguards.
23 
Sec. 6. Capacity Building and Education. - The DA, DENR, DepEd, and CHED,
24 
in collaboration with technical institutions and LCDs, shall develop and implement
25 
training programs, toolkits, and learning materials on seed saving and conservation.
26 
Seed libraries shall be promoted as multi-use community knowledge centers,
27 
supporting hands-on agricultural education, research, and skills development for
28 
learners, farmers, and youth, and reinforcing the goals of food sovereignty, ecological
29 
awareness, and local innovation.
30 
Sec. 7. Incentives and Support Measures. -
31 
a) Donations in the form of seeds, planting materials, tools, equipment,
32 
facilities, or technical support to duly accredited seed libraries shall be


1 
exempt from donor's tax and fully deductible from gross income,
2 
subject to rules issued by the Department of Finance; and
3 
b) LCDs, SUCs, and partner institutions shall be encouraged to adopt
4 
innovative operational models such as: Mobile or pop-up seed libraries;
5 
Open-access digital seed databases and interactive maps; Community-
6 
based seed fairs, bartering programs, and planting festivals; Climate-
7 
smart propagation units for adaptive varietals.
8 
Sec. 8. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of
9 
this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its
10 
enactment into law and for the next five (5) years; thereafter, the appropriate units
11 
shall undertake the maintenance of seed libraries.
12 
Sec. 9. Tax Exemption. All donations to all seed libraries, whether in seeds or
13 
equipment to store and keep seeds viable, shall be valued and may be used for tax
14 
deduction purposes in full as long as the seed library custodian and his or her
15 
immediate supervisor accepts the donation as needed for its operations and stocking.
16 
Sec. 10. Submission of Reports. - The Department of Agriculture (DA), in
17 
coordination with the implementing agencies, shall submit an initial implementation
18 
report to the Committee on Agriculture of the Senate and the House of
19 
Representatives within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, and every year
20 
thereafter. The report shall include:
21 
1. The number and locations of seed libraries established;
22 
2. Types and quantities of seeds collected, distributed, and replenished;
23 
3. Indicators of seed viability, diversity, and usage performance;
24 
4. Trainings, capacity-building activities, and community engagement
25 
conducted;
26 
5. Budget utilization and resource requirements; and
27 
6. Challenges encountered and recommendations for policy and
28 
operational improvement.
29 
To promote public transparency and accountability, the DA shall publish a public
30 
version of the report annually through a national seed library portal, which shall
31 
include anonymized and non-sensitive datasets, in line with open government data
32 
principles.


1 
The DA shall maintain a publicly accessible national seed library portal to
2 
publish non-sensitive datasets, including seed varieties conserved and distributed,
3 
usage patterns, germination and replenishment rates, and community participation
4 
metrics. The portal shall support data visualization, interactivity, and public feedback
5 
mechanisms, consistent with open government data standards.
6 
Sec. 11. Rules and Regulations. - Within one hundred twenty (120) days from
7 
the approval of this Act, the DA, in coordination with the DENR, DepEd, CHED, and
8 
DILG, shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations.
9 
Sec. 12. Repealing Clause. - All acts, presidential decrees, executive orders,
10 
and issuances inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
11 
Sec. 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
12 
unconstitutional or inoperative, the other provisions not so declared shall remain in
13 
force and effect.
14 
Sec. 14. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
15 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,