FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S, No, _f ----:.::2:....=8'-"8'--'4~ 
'11 
JUL -7 ;IJi :54 
('VC';"""-'· l)v:d 
'LC . 12, I v '-' LJ '>7---=-
Introduced by Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
According to the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), soybean is one 
of the most versatile among high value crops and its large-scale production 
locally could help solve chronic problems of hunger and malnutrition. Director 
Dante S. De Lima of the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of 
the BAR said that "with the present challenge of climate change, soybean - a 
legume that is a short-term, sun-loving - has a great potential to adopt to 
extreme climate and, at the same time, be a source of healthy and nutritious 
food for the future." 
Statistics also disclosed that the country imports around nineteen billion 
(Php19,OOO,OOO,OOO.OO) pesos of soybean for domestic consumption which 
considerably contributes to the depletion of the country's foreign reserve. 
Thus, with the pressing issues of over-dependence on imported products, 
unemployment and malnutrition, among others, that besets the country and 
the alarming threat of climate change in global food production and food 
security, the long-stalled effort of the government to promote the soybean 
production in the country should now be given priority. 
Indeed, the establishment of the Philippine Soybean Authority as 
proposed by this measure will kick-off a multi-faceted endeavor that will open 
for great opportunities, among others, to our farmers. It is in furtherance of the 
thrusts of the government to attain food security amidst the effects of climate 
change in global food production. 
Earnest approval of this bill is hereby requested. 
7 
R. MARCOS JR. 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. __ 
2....:....8 8.:.c..4=-
Introduced by Senator Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. 
AN ACT 
·11 
JUL -7 All :54 
CREATING THE PHILIPPINE SOYBEAN AUTHORITY TO PROMOTE THE 
CULTIVATION, PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION 
OF SOYBEAN (GLYCINE MAX) AND SOYBEAN PRODUCTS, PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Soybean Authority 
Act of 2011." 
SECTION. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the declared policy of the State to 
accelerate the growth and development of the rural areas, address the nutritional and 
health needs of our people, and improve investment climate, competencies and 
efficiency of agribusiness by promoting soybean farming as a source of livelihood, a 
means of attaining food security, and as an effective approach to poverty alleviation and 
a sustainable course toward freedom from hunger. Toward this end, the state shall 
engage in an all-out promotion of both the small-scale and commercial cultivation of 
soybean in suitable areas of the country and provide the leadership in harnessing the 
technology in cultivating soybean, and the efficient processing, marketing, and 
distribution of soybean products. 
SECTION. 3. Philippine Soybean Authority. The Philippine Soybean Authority, 
hereinafter referred to as PHILSOYA, is hereby created under the Department of 
Agriculture: PROVIDED that PhiiSoyA shall be centrally administered through the 
Mariano Marcos State University situated in the City of Satac, Province of lIocos Norte, 
to take full advantage of the University's existing complementary colleges and its 
Research and Development and Extension (ROE) services and facilities. The 
university's RDE services and facilities shall be further expanded nationally as needed 
to support this Act. 
SECTION. 4. Soybean Framework for Development. The Philippine Soybean 
Authority, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and 
Industry, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Science 
and Technology, and farmer's groups and/or cooperatives, local government units, and 
the private sector, shall formulate a Soybean Framework for Development which shall 
be validated and updated annually. 
This Framework shall serve as guide to the formulation and implementation of plans, 
programs and projects for the cultivation, research on suitable soybean cultivars and on 
the control of soybean diseases or pests, soybean product development, marketing, 
processing and distribution of soybean for food, medicinal uses, health improvement 
and various other uses. The Framework shall likewise provide for the following: 


1. The Philippine Soybean Authority, in consultation with the Department of 
Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry, shall link up agribusiness 
cooperatives directly with consumer cooperatives; 
2. To ensure health and proper trading, the Philippine Soybean Authority shall 
establish and enforce standards in grading, sampling and inspection, tests and 
analysis, specifications, nomenclature, units of measurement, code of practice 
and. packaging, preservation, conservation and distribution of soybean products; 
3. Technical support on research and extension, infrastructure development, 
financial and market information, including but not limited to micro-financing 
arrangements for small-scale soybean farmers, shall be provided by the 
Philippine Soybean Authority in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, 
Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Science and Technology 
especially its 
Food and 
Nutrition programs and 
projects, 
Cooperative 
Development Authority, and other relevant government agencies; 
4. Access to post-harvest facilities, storage and distribution/transport facilities of 
existing government agencies shall be facilitated. Assistance shall be given to 
qualified and viable soybean farmers/growers cooperatives in making soft loans 
or grants available for the construction of soybean post-harvest proceSSing and 
storage facilities; 
5. The Philippine Soybean Authority, in coordination with the Department of 
Agriculture, the Department of Trade and Industry, and farmers organizations 
shall make viable soybean seeds and relevant propagation, harvesting, 
processing, storage, marketing and soybean-use information materials readily 
available to farmers/farmers' cooperatives; and 
6. The Philippine Soybean Authority, in coordination with the Department of 
Agriculture shall establish soybean information/extension centers in areas 
identified pursuant to Section 3 of this Act. 
SECTION. 5. Site Identification. The Philippine Soybean Authority, in coordination 
with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 
and the Local Government Unit concerned, shall identify the broad areas suitable for the 
planting and propagation of soybeans, within six (6) months after the effectivity of this 
Act: Provided, That such site identification shall be reviewed at appropriate intervals to 
ensure consistency with the agrarian reform program and the national land use policy. 
SECTION. 6. Soybean Development Fund (SDF). To provide for the funding 
requirements for the cultivation, production, marketing, and processing of soybean, 
there is hereby created a Soybean Development Fund (SDF), with an initial amount of 
five hundred million pesos (P500,OOO,OOO.OO) to be taken from the existing budget of 
the Department of Agriculture as funding for the Philippine Soybean Authority. 
Thereafter, the SDF shall be sourced from the amounts to be appropriated in the 
General Appropriations Act in the year following its enactment into law. Other sources of 
funds, including but not limited to borrowings, donations, or grants from local and 
international institutions, shall also be considered to further support the Fund. 
SECTION. 7. PHILSOYA Inter-Agency Committee. The PhiiSoya Inter-Agency 
Committee which shall be under the Secretary of Agriculture shall be composed of a 
representative each from the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian 
Reform, the Department of Finance, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Land Bank of 
the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines, the Cooperative Development 
Authority, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Trade and 
Industry, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department 
of the Interior and Local Government and one (1) representative each from the small 
farmers and commercial producers sectors to be deSignated by the Secretary of 
Agriculture. The PhiiSoya Inter-Agency Committee shall formulate and prescribe, in 
accordance with established laws and procedures, the implementing rules and 
regUlations in order to carry out the provisions of this Act. 


• • 
, 
The President of the Mariano Marcos State University and the representative from 
the Department of Agriculture shall be the chairman and the vice-chairman, 
respectively, of the Committee. The representatives from the government agencies 
must have a rank of at least Assistant Secretary. 
SECTION. 8. Report to Congress. The Secretary of the Department of 
Agriculture, in conSUltation with the President of the Mariano Marcos State University, 
shall report to both Houses of Congress on the status of the implementation of this Act 
bi-annually. 
SECTION. 9. Repealing Clause. All laws or parts thereof, decrees, orders, rules 
and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
SECTION. 10. Separability Clause. If any of the provIsions of this Act is 
declared invalid, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and 
effect. 
SECTION. 11. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect 15 days following its 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation or in the Official Gazette, whichever 
comes first. 
Approved,