Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Nineteenth Congress
Second Regular Session
HOUSE BILL No. 8656
a
RECEIVED
nmaid
I     DATES  1  JUL
Introduced by Representative Claude P. Bautista
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to provide for a tranaparent food security system, establishing
for the purpose the Agriculture Information System (AIS).
Sechon 59 Ardcle XII1 (Social Justice and Human Rights) of the 1987
Constitution states that:
"Section  5.    The  State  shall  recognize  the  right  Of farmers,
farmworkers,  and  landowners,  as well  as  cooperatives,  and  other
independent farmers'  organizations  to  participate  in  the  planning,
organization,  and management  Of the  program,  and  shall  provide
sur}Dort to af[riculture through aDDropriate techn_o_I_a_g\} and research.
and  adequate  financial,  prodIAction.  marketinII, _am_d _other  support
se7ryz.ces. " (Uhderscoring supplied)
The  aforecited  constitutional  provision  emphasizes  the  importance  of the
agricultural  sector  as  one  of the  main  sources  of  livelihood  among  Filipinos.
Presently, the thrust of the government to build a strong economy focuses on the
attainment of adequate food supply at the core of food security issues. The concept
of digitalization in agriculture is an appropriate technology to promote and fast-track
digital platforms in the food value chain beneficial to both producers and consumers.
This bill mandates the Department of Agriculture to innovate tranaparency in
the  food  security  system  by  establishing  a  synchronized  agriculture  information
system   to   enable   the   government   to   access   accurate   real   time   agricultural
information.  The  AIS  will  serve  as  a dynamic  online  computer  database  where
information on the demand for apecific agricultural and fisheries commodities is
gathered and uploaded  simultaneously with the production  data from  farmers  in
every barangay.  The AIS will also merge and synchronize agricultural data from
different sources into a cohesive database desiglied to facilitate linkages from place
of origin or from the farm to local and global markets.


The proposed measure is patterned after the concept of Municipal Agriculture
hformation System, Farmers Agriculture Resource Management System, popularly
known as the  "A44JS F4RA4:S. " It is a web-based system that stores, manages and
processes infomation for tracking real-time agricultural production and marketing
databases that link famiers and their products directly to premium markets and direct
buyers.  With  real-time  information  our  farmers  have  a  better  chance  of being
competitive players in the supply-chain.
An  effective AIS provides  policy  makers,  planners  and  economic  players
access to reliable and timely information that is necessary for policy development,
emergency   preparedness,   planning,   and   decision   making   in   the   context   of
progranime management.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Nineteenth Congress
Second Regular Session
HOUSE BILL No. 8656
Introduced by Representative Claude P. Bautista
1                                                                     AN ACT
2     PROVIDING FOR A TRANSPARHNT FOOD SECURITY SYSTEM,
3     ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE AN AGRICULTURE
4     INFORMATION SYSTEM AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
5
Be it enacted by the Senate and House Of Representatives Of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1.  Sdrorf rz.£Jc. -This Act shall be known as the  "Fooc7 Sccztrz.ty
Ll     and Transparency system Act".
12                 SEC. 2.  Dcc/¢rof!.o# a/Po/g.cj7. -It is hereby declared the policy of the state
13     to uplift the socioeconomic conditions offarmers and farm communities nationwide
14     in order to promote the welfare and empower the agricultural sector in the overall
15      development and progress of the country.


`1
10
Towards  this  end,  the  State  shall  establish  a  comprehensive  agriculture
infomation system for food transparency and agricultural production regulation, to
enable  access  to  real-time  agricultural  information  which  may  rationalize  the
objectives and policy directives in the agricultural sector.
SEC. 3.  Otyiecfl.I;es. ~  The objectives of this Act are as follows:
(a) Provide an up-to-date database of agricultural and fisheries products in a
locality;
(b)  Foster  information  sharing  between  farmers  and  potential  buyers  of
agricultural and fisheries products;
(c)   Secure  a  market  for  agricultural  and  fisheries  products  and  ensure
11     appropriate return of investment for farmers and fisheries stakeholders;
12                 (d)  Allow  local  government  units  to  manage  a  secure  and  independent
13      platform that creates linkages for farmers and fisheries stakeholders;
14                 (e)  Provide  data  on  specific  commodities  that  are  readily  avallable  in  a
15     particular  locality  for  purposes  of production  monitoring  in  order  to  meet  the
16      demands of the market;
17                 (I) Provide a secure, transparent, and independent modem web application
18     that may be accessed anytime by the public through a multi-platform  support or
19      cross-platform  support  devices  which  may  be  linked to  existing  systems  in  the
2o     Department of Agriculture (DA);
4


1
(g) Streanline training and seminars in the management of the operations;
(h) Monitor the use of inputs given by producers, buyers, and other segments
3     of the value-chain including information during post-harvest and processing; and
4                (i) Ensure that all forms of assistance alven to local government units qGUs),
5     registered  cooperatives  and  other  qualified  individuals   and  organizations  are
6      reflected.
7                SEC. 4. Food rra„£p¢re„cj7 fj7stem  -The Department of Agriculture shall,
8     in   coordination   with   the   Department   of   Information   and   Communication
9     Technology  (DICT)  and  Department  of  Science  and  Technology,  establish  an
lo     Agriculture Information  System (AIS) that serves as a dynamic  online computer
11     database where information on the demand for specific agricultural and fisheries
12     commodities are gathered and uploaded simultaneously with the production data
13     from farmers in every barangay. The AIs merges and synchronizes agricultural data
14     from different sources into a cohesive database  designed to facilitate linkages from
15     place of origin to local and global markets. The AIs also integrates with the existing
16     systems of the DA with the following features and contents:
17                 (a) Province, municipal and city-wide identification of individual farmers, fish
18     breeders, and fisherfolk as well as qualified organizations which produce specific
ig     fann and fisheries products, regardless of quantity;
20
(b) Crop harvest, volume, and type forecasting;
5


1                 (c) hventory of specific classification of crop varieties planted, livestock and
2     type of fish raised in aparticularLGU;
3                 (d) Farmers and fisherfolk demographics, including age group, gender, ethnic
4      group, income, seminars and tralnings attended, and assistance received;
5                 (e) Selected reports presented in both tabular and graphical form;
6                (I) Registry of farmers' contact details and farm location to facilitate market
7      linkages;
8                  (g) Search engine which allows famers, fish breeders, and fisherfolk to look
9     for potential and actual buyers and for such buyers to search for farms, farmers, and
lo      available agricultural and fisheries products; and
11                 (h) Customizable dashboard which is accessible only to registered farmers and
12     fisherfolk clients and contains the farmers' and fisherfolk's profile such as the area
13      of the farm or fishpond, crops planted, livestock and type offish raised.
14                  SEC.   5.   jRegtsfr¢fz.o#.   -  AIl   provinces,   cities   and   municipalities   shall
15     encourage and facilitate the free registration of all farmers, fisherfolk, and buyers
16      transacting within their respective areas in the AIS.
T]                S;EC. 6. Functions and Responsibilities of cities and Municipalities. -The
18     city andmunicipal governments shall  exercise     the     following     functions     and
19      responsibilities:
6


1                 (a)   The   Municipal   Agriculture   Office   shall,   in   coordination   with   the
2     Municipal Agrarian Reform  Office, gather,  encode,  and consolidate all  pertinent
3     data on the profile and demographics offarmers, fisherfok as well as buyers;
4                 a) Monitor and control farm inputs including machineries and equipment;
5                 (c) For municipalities and component cities, prepare and submit real-time data
6     under paragraphs (a) and (b) to the provincial agricultural office and to the respective
7     regional offices of the DA;
8                 (d) For highly urbanized cities, submit real-time data to the respective regional
9     officesoftheDA;
1o                 (e) Establish farmer and buyer linkages and act as a gatekeeper at the city or
11     municipal level in the nationwide marketing of agricultural products;
12                 (I)  Serve  as  the  web  administrator  at  the  municipal  or  city  level  and  be
13     responsible   for  integrating   farm   and   fisheries   locations   into   the   geographic
14     integration system map; and
15                 (g)  Perform  such  other  functions  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  effective
16      implementation of this Act.
T]                EEC. 7. Functions and Res|Ionsibilitles of the province.  ~ The provincial
18      goverrment shall have the following functions and responsibilities:
7


1                (a) The provincial planning and Development office is the web administrator
2     at the provincial level and is responsible for integrating farm and fisheries data into
3      the geographic integration system maps for agriculture and fisheries;
4                 (b) The Local Economic and Investment promotion office acts as the lead
5      administrator of the AIS in the provincial level and ensures the balance between
6      supplyand  demand;
7                 (c)  The provincial Agricultural  office monitors  the  submission  of reports
8     from municipalities and component cities, and ensures the completeness, accuracy,
9     and validity of data submitted by the municipal agricultural offices and the municipal
1o     agrarian reform offices;
11                 (d) Except for highly urbanized cities, prepare and submit such data to the
12     regional office of the DA; and
13                 (e)  Perform  such  other  functions  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  effective
14     implementation of this Act.
T5                fsEC;. 8. Functions and Responsibilities of the Regional of f ice of the DA. ~
16     The      regional   office   of  the   DA   shall   have   the   following   functions   and
17      responsibilities:
18                 (a) Integrate the data provided by the provinces and highly urbanized cities in
19     the    existing  information  systems  of the DA  such  as  the National  Farmers  and
2o     Fisheries  Information  System  which  is  a web-based  data collection  system  that
8


1     serves  as  a  platform  for  updating  the  Registry  System  for  Basic  Sectors  in
2     Agriculture;
3                 (b)  Collaborate with the regional  offices  of the Department  of Trade  and
4     Industry (DTI) in order to facilitate the availment of the various programs of the DTI
5      as well as strengthen market linkages through such programs;
6                (c) Recommend to the central office of the DA appropriate interventions in
7     the form of marketing, importation, and training assistance, as may be needed;
8                 (d) Validate the data from the LGUs acting as the system administrator at the
9     regional level and provide real-time report to the central office of the DA; and
lo                 (e)  Endorse  for  financial  assistance  the  qualified  fifth  and  sixth  class
11     municipalities that may be given assistance in establishing and maintaining their
12      respectiveAIS.
T3                S;EC;. 9. Functions and Responsibtlides of the central oifjf iice of the DA. -
14     The central   office of the DA shall have the following functions and responsibilities:
15                 (a) AIlocate funding for the integration of the AIS with existing information
16      systems;
17                 (b)   Coordinate   with  the   DICT   to   upgrade,   expand,   and   integrate   its
18      information systems;
ig                 (c)  Ensure that the  implementation,  appropriate verification processes  and
2o     information  safeguards are in place pursuant to existing laws and regulations, in
9


1     coordination  with  the  DICT,  Philippine  Statistics  Authority,  National  Privacy
2     Commission, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department
3      of science and Technology;
4                 (d) Approve the prioritized interventions by the regional offices and allocate
5      corresponding funding;
6                 (e) Collaborate with other agencies for the creation of market linkages in the
7     domestic and international markets; and
8                ® Provide safety nets in the import and export of agricultural products in
9     orderto  support farmers.
1o                SEC.10. D##.cs a/ffte score/¢ry. -The secretary ofAgriculture shall monitor
11      and ensure the compliance by all provinces, cities and municipalities as provided for
12     under this Act and shall, as soon as practicable, establish a centralized AIs that shall
13      integrate and link all existing  information systems in the country.
14                 SEC.11. jReporff. -The secretary of Agriculture shall prepare and submit to
15     the president of the philippines and both Houses of congress an annual report on the
16     implementation  of the program  which  contains  the  list  of accomplishments  and
17     recommendations for improvement.
T8                SEC.12. In'xplementing Rules and Regulations. -Wirhir+ r[inrty (90) days
19     after the  effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate the
2o     necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
10


1                 SEC.13. 4zxprop".¢fo#s. -The secretary ofAgriculture shall include in the
2      Department's prograns the establishment of the integrated and centralized AIS, the
3       funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. The
4      LGUs shall provide the necessary funds for the establishment of an AIS in their
5       respective annual budgets.
6                 SEC.14. Separ¢bz./rty cJ¢wse. -If any provision of this Act is declared invalid
7       or  unconstitutional,  the  other  provisions  not  affected  by  such  declaration  shall
8      remain in full force and effect.
9                 SEC.15. jRepen[Jg.#g c7¢#se -All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
1o     rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of
11     this Act are  hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
12                 SEC.16. E/Tccfz.trty. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
13     publication in the official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
14              Approved,
11