FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 449 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The National Food Authority (NFA) is one of the critical agencies of the 
government tasked to ensure continuous and adequate food supply and to 
maintain prices of food at affordable level for the common people. 
One of the recurring problems of the nation is rice shortage. Thus, NFA 
was established as a successor to the National Grains Authority and the National 
Rice Corporation to enable government to regulate the activities of rice traders as 
well as to regulate the cost and price of rice. 
As presently constituted, the NFA Council does not include any 
representative from the farmers as well as the private sector, representing the 
interests of rice consumers and entrepreneurs engaged in rice production. 
Under Presidential Decree No.4 issued on September 26, 1972, entitled, 
"Providing for the Development of the Rice and Corn Industry and Creating for 
this purpose the National Grains Authority", a representative from the consuming 
sector and traders were included in the composition of the National Grains 
Industry Development Council. Subsequently, with the issuance of Presidential 
Decree No. 1485 on June 11, 1978, further amending certain provisions of the 
National Grains Industry Development Act, representation from the rice 
producers and rice and corn millers and traders was deleted. On January 14, 
1981, Presidential Decree No. 177, entitled, Reconstituting the National Grains 
Authority to the National Food Authority, Broadening its Functions and Powers 
and for the other purposes" was issued which. likewise, deleted representation 
from the following sectors, namely, the consuming sector and the representatives 
from the rice producers and rice and corn millers and traders. 
It is necessary to include farmers and private sector in the Council to 
assist in the formulation of policies and strategies to mainly stable rice supply at 
affordable prices and likewise in the development of pricing policies, the 
employment of rice production technology as well as in the implementation of 
import and export mechanism sensitive to the problems and concern or rice 
growers and rice consumers. Likewise, the representation of these particular 
sectors will enable the Council to reduce bureaucratic practices because they are 
aware of the problem on a first hand basis and have the expertise, experience as 
well as the desire for immediate results to cut through red tape. 


This bill seeks to achieve above mentioned objectives by including 
representatives from the farmers and the private sector in the NFA Council. 
OY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
4,49 
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INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE INCLUSION OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE 
PRIVATE SECTOR AND FARMERS ORGANIZATION IN THE NATIONAL 
FOOD 
AUTHORITY 
COUNCIL 
AMENDING 
FOR 
THE 
PU.RPOSE 
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1770, AS AMENDED AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 6 of P. D. No. 1770 is hereby amended to read as 
follows: 
"Sec 6 - Composition of the National Food Authority 
Council. The Council shall be composed of the following: 
[The Minister of Human Settlements] 
A) The Administrator, National Food Authority; 
B) The [Minister] SECRETARY of Agriculture; 
C) The [Minister] SECRETARY of Finance; 
D) The [Minister] SECRETARY of Trade and 
Industry; 
E) The Governor, Central Bank of the Philippines; 
F) The Chairman, Development Bank of the 
Philippines; 
G) A Representative of the Office of the Philippines; 
H) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CONSUMING 
SECTOR; 
I) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM A LEGITIMATE 
FARMERS ORGANIZATION; 
J) A REPRESENTATIVE FROM A LEGITIMATE 
FARMERS ORGANIZATION 
The Chairman shall be the [Minister of Human Settlements] SECRETARY 
OF AGRICULTURE and the Vice-Chairman shall be the Administrator of the 
National Food Authority shall be appointed by the President of the Republic of 
the Philippines 
THE 
REPRESENTATIVE 
OF 
ANY 
LEGITIMATE 
FARMERS 
ORGANIZATION SHALL BE AT LEAST THIRTY FIVE (35) YEARS OF AGE, 
WITH SUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE INI FARMING, OR PROVEN HONESTY, 
INTEGRITY, RECOGNIZED COMPETENCE, AND HAS FAMILIARITY OF RICE 


• 
PRODUCTION 
TECHNOLOGIES. 
THE 
REPRESENTATIVE 
OF 
THE 
CONSUMING SECTOR SHALL BE A FILIPINO CITIZEN, AT LEAST THIRTY-
FIVE (35) YEARS OF AGE, OF PROVEN HONESTY, INTEGRITY, AND 
RECOGNIZED BY THE PHILIPPINES TO HOLD OFFICE FOR A TERM OF 
FOUR YEARS UNLESS SOONER REMOVED FOR CAUSE OR UNTIL THEIR 
SUCCESSORS SHALL HAVE BEEN QUALIFIED AND APPOINTED. 
The Council shall meet regularly at least once a month on any date to be 
determined by the Chairman. 
Provided: 
That the Chairman may convene 
special meetings to discuss urgent matters. 
The Council Members shall be 
entitled to per diem of not less than [EIGHT HUNDRED PESOS (P8DD.DD] (TWO 
THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED PESOS) for each meeting actually attended by 
them and such other remuneration as may be determined by the Council. 
The management of the Authority shaH be vested in an Administrator who 
shall have the rank of a [Minister] SECRETARY and shall be assisted by two (2) 
Deputy Administrators and as many Assistant Administrators as may be 
determined by the Council and whose respective qualifications shall 
be the 
same as those provided for in the said Decree. 
The Administrator shall receive a compensation, to be determined by the 
Council in accordance with provisions of pertineht compensation law. 
SEC. 2. Such sum as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of 
this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 3. All existing laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, rules 
and regulations of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication 
in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,