Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 461i

Introduced by Hon. Agapito H. Guanlao

EXPALANATORY NOTE

Food security and food staples self sufficiency is challenged on many fronts.
Today, the country’s food and food staples production must meet the requirements to
feed 100 million Filipinos, amid the challenges and pressures of shrinking agricultural
lands, degradation of food resource bases and the looming threat of decimation of
food ecosystems and biodiversity caused by extractive activities and climate change.

These in more than a way erode the economic viability of farming, rice farming
for that matter, and further, due to inadequacies in government support to the
agricultural sector - financial and credit, technological, skills transfer. Cuts and
abolition of agricultural subsidies have kept production costs high eat away the
viability of rice farming as a main source of livelihood.

This legislative measure finds rational over attaining adequate focus on food
staples self-sufficiency and food security.

The bill proposes the creation of a body that rationalizes the current
organizational and programmatic initiatives of government in agriculture. As a body
that shall be attached to the Office of the President, it shall be tasked to fine-tune
the policy framework of government in the pursuit of food security thrusts and
priorities. It seeks to attain focus by harmonizing the programs, functions, provide a
single direction to the National Food Authority (NFA), the National Irrigation
Administration (NIA), the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA) and the Philippine
Coconut Authority (PCA) without effecting changes in their Charters.

This measure also enables strengthen extension work employing the agencies’
existing personnel complimentary to existing agricultural extension work carried out
in a manner that is seeping.

Moreover, this bill takes cognizance of the need to strengthen through
legislation the creation of the Office of the Presidential Assistant on Food Security
and Agricultural Modernization or PAFSAM through the creation of the National Food
Security Council, to work and coordinate closely with the Department of Agriculture.

Thus, passage of this piece of legislation is earnestly sought.

AG, H. GUANLAO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4gil

House Bill No.

Introduced by Hon. Agapito H. Guanlao

AN ACT
CREATING THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY COUNCIL,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR THER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

Section 1. Creation. A body to be known as the National Food Security Council
hereinafter referred to as the Council, is hereby created, and attached to the Office
of the President.

Section 2. Definition. For purposes of this Act, food security shall mean “the
availability, at all times, affordable, accessible, healthy and safe food, shared by all
and by all future generations of Filipinos; produced with utmost care and protection
of our food resource base and ecosystems; where food are produced under a policy of
utmost support and where gains from its production are shared foremost by those who
till and toil to make bountiful food possible for our people and others.

Section 3. The National Food Security Strategic Development Framework (FSSDF).
‘A National Food Security Strategic Development Formulated herein referred to as the
Framework, is being formulated to include a concerted and harmonized undertaking
of both government and non-government organizations to ensure the adequate and
continuous supply of rice, corn, grains and other key food products generated
principally from domestic land- and fishery based agricultural activity distributed at
reasonable and affordable prices at all times, especially in times of calamities and/or
emergencies.

Towards this end, the State hereby recognizes all sectors, including national and local
government agricultural and field extension workers, to participate in the sharing of
resources, provide for the planning, marketing and institute marketing and control
systems, to maximize agricultural production with the government providing the
technical support, regulatory and monetary requirements while progressively
minimizing its active participation in roles assigned to the private sector.


Section 4, Mandate. The Council shall be the primary body of the Executive Branch of
Government tasked with policy making, planning, regulating and coordinating policies
and directives concerning food and food staples production and all necessary
complementary requirements that will promote food self-sufficiency and security. To
carry out this mandate, the Council shall be guided by the following policies of:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

Ensuring availability and affordability of food by closely monitoring the
production of food such as but not limited to agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries
and mari-culture, and the like;

Rationalizing the utilization of infrastructure that complement food production
such as irrigation facilities, pre and post-harvest machineries as well as those
that support storage/warehousing and marketing;

Ensuring agricultural productivity by promoting, monitoring and utilizing
environment-friendly production technologies and the development and
application of pest-management methods, including the regulation of inputs for
pest management and control;

Affording special support and ensure the economic viability of specific crops for
of crop species such as, but not limited to coconuts, taking into consideration
their the propagation, rejuvenation, promotion and marketing;

Rationalizing agriculture extension work and its development in the light of
their role in the State’s over-all food security thrusts and directions;

Integrating national and local food security directions and thrusts with the
framework and operational guidelines of the National Convergence Initiative;
and,

Ensuring the availability and accessibility of food grains, flour and other food
commodities in the market and to closely monitor and regulate imports for the
same, especially rice and corn.

Section 5. Composition. The National Food Security Council shall be composed of
the National Food Authority (NFA), the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), the
Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA) as
the Executive Committee.

The other members of the Council shall include the following:

(1) Department of Agriculture
(2) Department of Agrarian Reform
(3) Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(4) Department of Finance
(5) Department of Interior and Local Government
(6) Department of Trade and Industry
(7) Department of Budget and Management.
(8) Land Bank of the Philippines
(9) Two (2) Representatives each from the Senate and the House of
Representatives (Chairs of the Committee on Agriculture and Food and
the Special Committee on Food Security) as Ex-Officio member
(10) Representatives from each of the following basic sectors:
(a) National Farmers Organization (1)
(b) National Organization of Backyard Farmers (1)
(c) National Organization of Grains Farmers (1)
(b) National Fishermen’s Organization (1)
(c) Agri-business and agri-business enterprises (1)
(d) Indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples (1)
(e) Civil Society Organization (1)
(0) Non-government organizations (NGOs);


(m) Cooperatives (1)
(n) Consumers (1)
(0) Private Sector (1)
(p) Academe (1)

Section 5. The Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization
shall be Chairman of the NCFS, shall be appointed by the President with the rank of a
Cabinet Secretary and shall serve a term of six (6) years. The Chairman shall appoint a
vice-chairperson for agricultural production and a vice-chairperson for organization
and structural development. The latter shall have jurisdiction over agricultural and
field extension workers.

Powers and Functions. To carry out its mandate, the Council shall govern and
coordinate the existing tasks and functions of the National Food Authority, the
National Irrigation Administration, Philippine Coconut Authority and the _ Fertilizer
and Pesticides Authority and shall effect the harmonization of the mentioned agencies
pursuant to Section 3 of this law.

The Council shall have the following functions:

1. To provide the Office of the President with policy inputs necessary data and
information, based on extensive policy research, concerning food security and
production trends and developments;

2. To coordinate with different national and local government agencies and the
private sector in the pursuit of implementing national and local food security
targets and directions within the ambit of the National Food Security Strategic
Development Framework;

3. To formulate and recommend policy and other measures to effect the
implementation of national and local food security policies and initiatives;

4, To strengthen, maximize and extend financial assistance to existing capacity
building initiatives extended to agricultural extension workers and establish
their linkage and integration with local government units and like agencies,
and to ;

5. To manage government, non-government and foreign sources of funds
necessary for the implementation of food security programs aside from those
already being implemented by other national government agencies;

6. To harmonize finance and credit facilities for farmers and agricultural workers
such as, but not limited to crop insurance, multi-purpose and emergency
loans, loans for mechanization purposes; and the like, PROVIDED that such
facilities will be utilized to increase and improve food production;

7. To ensure the sustainability of agricultural productivity in an environmentally-
friendly manner through integrated plant nutrients management and safe crop
protection systems;

8. To develop facilities and develop policy and programs that will extend special
attention and support for the coconut and other palm oil industry in all its
aspects to include the implementation and sustainability of a nationwide
coconut planting and replanting, fertilization and rehabilitation, and other
farm productivity programs;

9. To rationalize and systematize infrastructure support for food security
especially the water requirements in the form of irrigation facilities and
managing the same for provision of services for farmers and farm workers.


10. To extend both financial and non-financial incentives for local government
units that share counterpart resources for the effective implementation food
security initiatives;

. To regulate and manage food imports specifically but not limited to rice, their
distribution and supply;

12. To regularly report to Congress the status of the Council’s implementation and

operations necessary for of including, but not limited to, all aspects of its

operations and programs and project implementation, financial status and

other relevant data as reflected by the basic reform indicator.

1

Section 6. Creation of a Congressional Oversight Committee in the Senate and House
of Representatives. - There is hereby created a Congressional Committee in both
house of Congress to monitor the implementation this Act.

Section 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Council shall formulate the
implementing rules and regulations within 60 days from the enactment of this law.

Section 8. Funding. Upon enactment of this law, the current and available funds of
the National Food Authority, National Irrigation Administration, Philippine Coconut
Authority and Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority shall be used for the operations of
the Council, subject to existing accounting and auditing laws and procedures.
Furthermore, the Office of the President shall include in its yearly budget the funds
necessary for the operation of the Council

Section 9. Transitory Provision. Upon enactment of this Act, the Presidential
Assistant on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization shall immediately be
appointed by the President of the Philippines to function as the Chairman of the
Council and shall oversee the immediate implementation of this Act.

a) The personnel and assets of the NFA, NIA. PCA and FPA are hereby retained
and transferred to the Council to ensure the efficient and uninterrupted
implementation of the programs and projects of the PCFS.

(b) All regular or permanent employees who shall be affected by the executive
order shall not suffer any loss of seniority or rank or decrease in emoluments.

Section 11. Repealing Clause. All presidential acts, letters of instruction, executive
orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the
provisions of this Executive Order, are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

Section 12. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect immediately.

Approved,