FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SEN~T..e 
S. No. 1007 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 16 mandates that the State shall protect and advance 
the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and 
harmony of nature. In Section 20 of the same Article, the Constitution states that the State 
recognizes the indispensable' role of the private sector, encourages private enterprise and 
provides incentives to needed investments. 
The United States Congress reported a finding that farm worker productivity is based on 
the input of large quantities of fossil fuel based energy and chemicals, with typically an input of 
as much as 10 fossil calories used to produce a calorie of food output. Food production in this 
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manner cannot be sustained if fossil fuels are depleted and become increasingly costly and 
scarce, and biofuels are not a viable alternative if their production consumes more energy than 
they contain. Reduction of energy consumption through maximum efficiency is a prerequisite to 
sustainable reliance on renewable resources at an affordable scale. 
For over a century, agriculture extension has shown that demonstration of viable 
techniques and technologies is a powerful force for their adoption and promotion. 
This bill seeks to develop a program to encourage the participation of the private sector in 
developing and applying technologies which makes use of renewable energies in the agricultural 
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sector. 
~'-
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MIRIAM DEF\}"SOR s}(NTIPflO 
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• This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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TO PROVIDE FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND 
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COMMERCIAL APPLICATION ACTIVITIES TO ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF 
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FARMS THAT ARE NET PRODUCERS OF BOTH FOOD AND ENERGY, AND FOR 
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OTHER PURPOSES 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Food and Energy Farm 
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Research Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to promote the 
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use of renewable energy. To this end, the State shall promote activities that encourage the 
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research and application of renewable energy technologies. 
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SECTION 3. Definition - For purposes ofthis act, the term: 
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(A) ELIGIBLE ENTITY- means"-
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(1) a regional or local agency; 
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(2) a nonprofit organization or institution that farms or provides farm or 
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educational services to persons or organizations that own or operate farms; 
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(3) a farm or fmmer or for-profit corporation that farms, or group of such fanTIs, 
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farmers, or corporations, at least 50 percent of the gross revenue of which is 
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derived from the sale of food or fiber grown on the farm, if the acreage under 
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their control, individually and collectively, whether through ownership or 
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leasehold interests, is less than 65 hectares; and 
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(4) institutions of higher education, as defined in section by the Commission on 
Higher Education. 
(B) RENEWABLE ENERGY- means energy obtained from a resource in a manner 
capable of being indefinitely sustained or replenished. 
(C) SECRETARY- means the Secretary of Energy. 
(D) SELF-POWERED FARM- means a farm or collection offarms that--
(I) is capable of independence from offsite sources of energy, fuel, and raw 
materials for fuel; 
(2) is a community resource for--
(i) food; and 
(ii) energy, fuel, or raw materials for fuel; 
(3) minimizes or eliminates ongoing operating expenditures to offsite entities for 
fossil fuel-derived energy; 
(4) employs sustainable farming practices for long term soil fertility; and 
(5) produces at least 2 times as much energy, including fuel or raw materials for 
fuel, as it consumes both on site and in the transfer of farm products to market. 
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SECTION 4. Department of Science and Technology Recommendations -The Secretary 
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shall enter into an arrangement with the Department of Science and Technology for--
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(I) the development of recommendations for appropriate evaluation measures and 
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criteria for the programs under this Act; and 
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(2) an evaluation of the feasibility of prize and best practices award programs as 
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tools to promote self-powered farms, and recommendations for how to carry out 
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such programs, iffeasible. 
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Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
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transmit to the Congress a report containing the recommendations and evaluation as described in 
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this section. 
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SECTION 5. Research And Technology Development Program - The Secretary shall 
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establish a pro gram, taking into account the recommendations of the Department of Science and 
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Technology under Section 4, for the research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
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application of energy technologies or other technologies that have the potential to increase 
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energy efficiency or otherwise to enable self-powered farms. The Secretary shall award grants 
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under this section to eligible entities, or consortia thereof, on a competitive basis. The Secretary 
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shall encourage participation in the program under this section through the Agricultural 
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Cooperative Extension System. 
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SECTION 6. National Agricultural Demonstration Program Awards - The Secretary 
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shall establish a program, taking into account the recommendations of the Department of Science 
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and Technology under Section 4, for making awards to not more than 30 national agricultural 
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research programs for the demonstration in a farm setting of the integration of technologies 
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developed under Section 5, or other technologies, in a manner that best achieves the goal of self-
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powered farms. 
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SECTION 7. Loan Programs. -The Secretary shall provide, on a competitive basis, 10w-
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cost revolving loans and loan guarantees to eligible entities for the commercial application of 
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energy technologies or other technologies that will contribute to the goal of establishing self-
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powered farms. 
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(A) Preferences- In providing loans or loan guarantees under this section, the Secretary 
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shall give preference to applicants who propose to derive the highest proportion of their 
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energy needs from technologies that use biobased feedstocks or other renewable energy 
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sources. The Secretary shaH give highest preference to applicants who propose to meet 
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their energy needs from biobased feedstocks or other renewable energy sources produced 
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on that farm. 
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(B) Oversight- The Secretary shall establish procedures to enable the Secretary to oversee 
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the operation of projects supported by loans or loan guarantees under this section, to 
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ensure that such projects are operated consistent with the goals and requirements of this 
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Act. 
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(C) Loan Amount- The amount of a loan under this section shall not exceed 80 percent of 
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the cost of the proj ect for which the loan is provided. 
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(D) Guarantee Amount- The Secretary shall not guarantee under this section more than 
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80 percent of the principal of any loan. 
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SECTION 8. Consultation. - In carrying out this Act, the Secretary shall consult with the 
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Secretary of Agriculture. 
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SECTION 9. DOST Review. - The Secretary shall enter into an arrangement with the 
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Department of Science and Technology for a review of the programs under this Act and the 
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development of recommendations for improvements to such programs. Not later than 4 years 
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after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a report 
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containing such review and recommendations. 
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SECTION 10. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
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hereby necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, 
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the amount necessary for the continuation of the program shall be included in the annual 
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appropriation of the Department of Science and Technology. 
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SECTION II. Separability Clau~e. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 12. Repealing Clause; - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
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with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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