Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

2985

House Bill No.

Introduced by Hon. Delphine Gan Lee

XPLANATORY NOTE

The diet of an average Filipino is based on rice, It gives half of our calorie
requirements and one-third of our protein intake. Rice accounts for 20% of food expenditures
for average households, which increases to 30% for households belonging to the bottom third
of our society. As a durable crop that can be relied on to bring good harvest year in and year

out, rige is grown in some 3.2 million hectares of land, providing livelihood to more than two.

million households engaged in rice-based farming, along with millions of farm laborers, and
{ens of thousands of merehants and traders,
The Agri-Pinoy Rice Program is at the centre of the Food Staples Sufficiency

Program (FSSP) of the Department of Agriculture, the focus of the country's food security

policy from 2011 to 2016 and beyond. Its main objective of a food-secure society where

farmers enjoy a decent and rising standards of living, the FSSP 2011-2016 hopes to achieve
self-sufficiency in food staples. Self=sutficiency means satisfying domestic requirements for
food, seeds, processing, and feeds through domestic production.

The primary goal is to produce the country's domestic requirements for rice in the

soonest possible time, In the long term, the aim is to strengthen national resilience in staples

production. This can be achieved through the following: (1) raising farmers’ productivity and

competitiveness, (2) enhancing economic incentives and enabling mechanisms, and (3)
managing food staples consumption. This bill seeks to strengthen the Agri-Pinoy Rice
Program of the Department of Agriculture to institutionalize it and make it more permanent
By providing better funding and a clearer mandate ftom the State, the Department of

Agriculture can guarantee a stable supply of rice in the years to come.

GAN LEE
Repregenttative/AGRI Party-List


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

2935

House Bill No.

Introduced by Hon. Delphine Gan Lee

AN ACT
CREATING A NATIONAL RICE PROGRAM BY INTEGRATING GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES AND INTERVENTIONS FOR THE RICE FARMING SECTOR
THROUGH FOOD SECURITY AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABLE
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, SUPPORT SERVICES FROM FARM TO TABLE,
AND BROAD-BASED LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

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

SECTION |. Short Title, — This shall be known as the “Agri-Pinoy Rice Program Act
of 2013."

SE

ION 2, Declaration of Poli

sector provides food and vital raw materi

ies. — The State recognizes that the agriculture

Is for the rest of the economy;

The State also recognizes that rising productivity and efficiency in the sector are

critical in maintaining the affordability of food and purchasing power, especially among the

poor;
Itis hereby declared the policy of the State to promote, propagate, develop further and
implement a program for the rice sector. Towards this end, a comprehensive and national

program for rice farming is hereby established.

The State recognizes and supports the central role of the farmers, indigenous people

and other stakeholders at the grassroots in this program,

SECTION 3. Creation of a National Rice Program. ~ The Department of Agriculture

(hereinafter the “Department”) shall establish and manage a National Rice Program that shall


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undertake various government interventions from the national to the local levels in the form

of support to rice production; irrigation; postharvest and other infrastructure facilities; market

development services; extension, education and training services; and research and

development.

SECTION 4, Irrigation Activities. — The Department shall:

(a) Provide support to the activities of the National Irrigation Administration, an
attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, in the restoration, rehabilitation,
and generation activities of irrigation systems and their service areas;

(b) Provide small scale irrigation projects in rice cluster areas to ensure that major

‘waterways are functional to achieve high irrigation efficiency, and

(c) Develop policies and activities for the operation, monitoring, and evaluation of

irrigable areas or service areas expanded through restoration, rehabilitation, and
construction of small water impounding projects, diversion dams, and small farm

voir’

SECTION 5. Other Infrastructure and Postharvest Development Facilities. ~ The

Department shall:

(a) Distribute postharvest equipment and machinery, such as, but not limited to,

net/laminated sacks, construction and rehabilitation of flatbed dryers, mechanical
dryers, bag closers/baggers, threshers, combine harvesters, rice cutter/harvesters,
shredders, moisture meters;

(b) Construct and rehabilitate palay sheds and warehouses, and multi-purpose drying
pavements; and

(c) Construction and operationalization of rice processing complexes, and village-

type grain postharvest processing centres.

SECTION 6. Market Development Services. ~ The Department shall develop the
following:
(a) Market Promotion and Development, consisting of the establishment of Seed
Trading Centers and e-Trading centers, and holding of agri-business
investment clinics, market matching, and trade fairs;
(b) Generation, periodic updating and dissemination of regional rice statisties and

market information such as inflow and outflow, demand and supply, palay


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and milled rice prices, basic rice statistics (effective rice area, area planted &
harvested, production, yield per hectare, sufficiency), input suppliers, millers,

ete., supply chain and cost structure analysi

. price monitoring, and updating

of cost structure, stakeholders directory, market profiles, and rice value-added
products
(c) Establishing linkages with public and private financial institutions, NGOs,

and agri-business entities.

SECTION 7. Support, Education, and Training Servic The Department shall

provide:

( and training-related events for farmers such as technology transfers,

the air, sustainable agriculture practices, and other social mobilization

activities;

(b) Technology demonstrations (Techno-Demo) such as varietal TD, compact
hybrid/eluster;

(c) Promotion and showcase of environment-ftiendly technologies adaptable to
organic production;

(d) Technology updating and re-tooling of agricultural extension workers (AEWs)
and farmer technicians by conducting specialized trainings;

(©) Provision of logistical support to LGU Extension Workers and para-technicians;

(1) Organization and strengthening of Irrigators Associations (IAs) and farmers’

sand conducting technical

organizations by forming and mobilizing clust

brief

125;

(g) Engages in intensive information dissemination campaigns by distributing IEC
materials such as newsletters, posters, brochures, handouts, flipcharts, billboards
and streamers; print, radio and television campaigns; information caravans;

schools-on-the-air, and other related activities

SECTION 8. Research and Development Services. ~ The Department shall engage in

the following:

(a) Adopt research and development activities on new rice technologies, such as

researcher and farmer-managed adaptability trials for new hybrids and inbred

certified seeds; screening, selection and commercialization of special rice varieties


Bown

Sowa)

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like organic and biotic-stress resistant; assessment and validation of soil fertility
of rive clusters for organic rice production;
(b) Promotion and adoption of technolog

fed

on controlled irrigation, irrigated and rain-

e systems;

(©) Upgrading of research facilities;

(d) Support to the research and development programs of the Philippine Rice

Research Institute;

(e) The program develops, maintains, implements, monitors, and evaluates plans and
policies that affect over-all rice production, farmers' welfare, consumer interests,
and climate or environmental concerns.

SECTION 9. Generation of Statistics. ~ The Department shall generate nationwide

rice statistics from national surveys and other statistical activities including the planning and

monitoring of program activities and interventions,

SECTION 10. Program Reviews and Meetings. ~ The Department shall hold

biannual program reviews and regular meetings with stakeholders in the rice industry. It shall

also conduct regular operational and program monitoring and evaluation activities to

determine program implementation and delivery of services.

SECTION 11. Funding. = The amount of ONE HUNDRED MILLION PESOS.

(P100,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the initial y‘
thereafter, the amount of FIFTY MILLION PESOS (P50,000,000.00) shall be included in the

of this Act, Every year

budget of the Department for the implementation and continued expansion of this program.
SECTION 12, Implementing Rules and Regulations, ~ ‘The Secretary shall adopt
rules and regulation to implement the provisions of this Act within ninety (90) days from the

date of effectivity of this Act.

SECTION 13. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or the application of
, the remainder of the Act or

such provision to any person or circumstance is declared inval
the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected by:

such declaration.


SECTION 14. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance,

executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contré

ry to oF

inconsistent with this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SECTION 15. Effeeti

its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation

Clause, ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after

Adopted,