Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
From November 2018 to February 2019, Negros Occidental rice farmers have lost 
around Php 11.544 million due to infestations of rice black bugs, rats, and bacterial 
leaf blight.1 On March 2021, the rice farmers of Cagayan Valley experienced the 
same fate when the plant hopper palay disease infested 233 hectares of farmlands 
that accounted to Php 2.9-million worth of damages. Aside from these, infestations 
were also reported in 178 hectares of farmlands in Gamu, Burgos and Cauayan City, 
in Isabela; 20 hectares in Villaverde, Kayapa and Bagabag, in Nueva Vizcaya; and 
35 hectares in Baggao, Cagayan.2 In addition, rice farmers from Pampanga have 
encountered an attack of sap-feeding black bugs on November 2021 while Bataan 
rice farmers were infested by a rice black bug.  
In view of the near regular incidence of crop loss due to disease and infestation in 
recent years, it is imperative to make the agricultural sector resilient to the risk of 
fast-spreading plant diseases, invasive plant species, and pests as well as 
malpractices in the use of chemicals and new technologies. With better efficiency in 
protecting crops comes with greater farm income for our farmers. In a country where 
the agricultural sector employs a significant number of its workforce, better income 
would increase the standard of living for many farmers and their families. This in turn 
directly contributes to the eradication of extreme rural poverty and hunger as our 
farmers consistently record as the sector with the highest rate of poverty incidence. 
As declared in Section 9, Article II of the 1987 Constitution, the State is responsible 
to implement policies that will provide adequate social services, promote full 
employment, and a rising standard of living to free the people from poverty. Section 
21 of the same article further provides that it is the responsibility of the State to 
promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform. 
1
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1065026#:~:text=544%20million%20brought%20by
%20various,November%202018%20and%20February%202019. 
2 https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133594 
August 23, 2022
2:00 pm
4007


This bill seeks to consolidate the government’s efforts in crop protection and 
integrate the numerous government programs and support agencies into a coherent, 
efficient, and highly effective force in combating threats to crop production and to the 
agricultural sector as a whole.  
In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL CROP PROTECTION PROGRAM, CREATING 
THE PHILIPPINE CROP PROTECTION AGENCY BY CONSOLIDATING THE 
DISPARATE CROP PROTECTION, QUARANTINE AND PEST MANAGEMENT 
EFFORTS, ACTIVITIES, AND AGENCIES, INTO A HOLLISTIC AND 
INTEGRATED SERVICE TO PROMOTE THE SUTAINABILITY AND GREATER 
PRUDOCTIVITY OF THE PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE SECTOR, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:  
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Crop 
Protection Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall promote sound agricultural 
development and shall assist all regions of the country in gaining optimum 
opportunities for better growth by way of improving agricultural productivity and 
sustainability in order to contribute the country’s food security, efforts at eradicating 
extreme rural poverty and hunger, and in raising the standards of living of farmers. 
The State recognizes the vital importance of safeguarding and protecting the crop 
production sector from the risks of fast-spreading plant diseases, invasive plant 
species, insects and other biological pests, as well as malpractices in the use of 
chemicals and new technologies in agriculture crop production; and of consolidating 
and integrating the disparate and uncoordinated government programs and support 
4007


 
agencies into a coherent, efficient, and more effective machinery in combating 
threats to the sector.  
 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of this Act, the following terms 
and expressions shall have the corresponding significance, to wit:  
1. Active substances – substances or micro-organisms having a general or 
specific effect on harmful organisms, as well as on plants or plant 
products; 
 
2. Crop production – refers to specialized and science-based actions, 
activities, methods and techniques in safeguarding and protecting the crop 
production sector from the risks of fast-spreading plant diseases, invasive 
plant species, and insect and other biological pests, as well as 
malpractices in the use of chemicals and new technologies in agriculture 
crop production.  
 
3. Genetically modified organisms – organisms whose genetic material have 
been altered in a way other than by combining naturally or re-combination 
(insofar as it concerns plant protection);  
 
4. Harmful organisms – organisms harmful to plants and plant products, 
including but not limited to viruses, mycoplasmas and other pathogens;  
 
5. Plants – living plants, fruit (in a botanical sense) and vegetables (except 
for those which are frozen), tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, tuberous bulbs, cut 
flowers, branches with leaves felled trees with leaves, stem cultures and 
seeds; 
 
6. Plant products – products of plant origin, unprocessed or having 
undergone simple preparation (milled, dried or pressed); 
 
7. Plant (or crop) protection materials – biological or chemical (pesticides) 
materials which are intended for combating of harmful organisms or 
reduction of the negative impact thereof, and can affect plant life-


 
processes (except for plant nutrition) towards the protection of plant 
products, destruction of undesirable plants, destruction of parts of plants, 
and restriction and prevention of the growth of undesirable plants;  
 
8. Plant pest – any form of plant or animal life, or any pathogenic agent, 
including insects, mammals, arthropods, snails and other forms of animal 
life capable of causing injury to agricultural crops, plants and/or plant 
products  
 
9. Pesticide residues – active substances (one or more) found, as a result of 
the use of chemical plant protection material, in or on plants and plant 
products or in the environment, as well as their metabolites, and products 
of decomposition or chemical reactions.  
 
SECTION 4. Scope. – This Act shall provide a framework for the consolidation and 
integration of the various government structures, programs, activities and efforts in 
the protection of agricultural crop production and plant bio-security, including but not 
limited to (1) regulation of entry, movement and quarantine of plants, seeds and 
other harmful organisms that could threaten the health and sustainability of 
agricultural crops and Philippine flora; (2) research and development on crop 
protection materials; (3) declaration of plant pest emergencies, prevention of spread 
of plant diseases, and control of outbreaks; (4) information, education, 
communication and extension activities on crop protection; and (5) coordination, 
organization, and description of the responsibilities of the various stakeholders in 
crop protection programs of the government.  
 
SECTION 5. Creation of the Philippine Crop Protection Agency. – There is 
hereby created the Philippine Crop Protection Agency, hereinafter referred to as 
PCPA, to which shall be transferred and which shall subsume under it the powers, 
responsibilities, organization and personnel, assets, and functions of the following 
offices, units, and services, to wit:  
1. The National Crop Protection Center, created under Presidential Decree 
No. 936; 


 
2. The regional crop protection centers of the Bureau of Plant Industry, also 
created under P.D. 936; 
3. The Plant Quarantine Service of the Bureau Plant Industry, created under 
P.D. 1433; and 
4. The Pesticide-related functions and units of the Fertilizer and Pesticides 
Authority, created under P.D. 1144. 
 
The PCPA shall:  
a) Be attached to the Department of Agriculture and shall be under the policy 
and administrative supervision of the department Secretary; 
 
b) Have its principal place of business in Metro Manila and endeavor to have 
satellite or branch offices in every region of the country; 
 
c) Exercise all the general powers conferred by law upon legal persons as 
are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objectives of this Act; 
 
d) Have a board of directors upon which the powers of the Agency shall be 
vested, to be composed of five (5) members including:  
o The Secretary of Agriculture, who shall act as the chairman of the 
board; 
o Two (2) members from crop production stakeholders to be 
appointed by the President, to represent (1) the small hold farmers 
and (2) agribusiness groups; 
o The Director of the Bureau of Plant Industry;  
o The Director of the Bureau of Agriculture Research; 
o A science expert in crop protection to be appointed by the 
President; and  
o The Director-General of the Agency who shall act as Vice-
Chairman. 
 
The PCPA Board shall approve all the policies, systems, protocols and 
organizational re-engineering of the Agency. It shall also reaffirm the 
programs that will be implemented by the Director-General. 


 
 
SECTION 6. Powers and Functions. – In order to rationalize and consolidate the 
crop protection program and policies of the government, the Philippine Crop 
Protection Agency shall have the following powers and functions: 
 
1) Regulatory powers  
• To ensure that the plant protection measures and plant protection 
materials do not have an adverse effect on human health, animals 
and the environment; 
• To carry out phytosanitary control and determine phytosanitary 
measures; 
• To determine exceptions regarding such plants, plant products and 
harmful organisms as are intended for the needs of science, 
research or varietal selection; 
• To carry out of plant protection measures to eliminate or restrict the 
spread of harmful organisms and to reduce the negative impact 
thereof; 
• To carry out supervision and control of the circulation of pesticides 
and other hazardous plant protection chemicals; 
• To prevent the accumulation of pesticide residues in the products 
produced, in the soil and in water above the permissible norms; and 
• To prohibit entry and restrict movements of plants, seeds, 
unprocessed plant products, as well as pesticides and chemicals 
banned in other territories that have high potential of threatening 
agricultural crops and plants in the country. 
 
2) Crop Protection Surveillance 
• To regulate the activities of natural persons or legal persons in the field 
of plant protection in order to prevent the import, introduction and 
spread of harmful organisms in the territory ; 
• To maintain a registry of plant protection materials and ensure the 
evaluation, registration and re-registration of these materials; 


 
• To establish and maintain a registry of those persons who are involved 
in the growing of plants subject to phytosanitary control, as well as in 
the processing, storage, packaging, trade, import, and export of plants 
and plant products; 
• To carry out examination of plants, provide land users (owners) with 
information on the appearance and spread of harmful organisms, and 
also on the plant protection measures to be taken; 
• To implement disposal of plant resources and assets declare as high 
risk or can threaten plants and crops in the country; and 
• To coordinate with counterpart offices in other countries as well as UN 
food agencies with respect to crop protection measures, policies and 
information exchanges. 
  
3) Crop Protection Support systems  
• To study biological and ecological factors of the organisms harmful to 
and competitive with plants;  
• To carry out research on harmful organisms and plant protection 
measures to restrict the spread of such organisms, and carry out an 
analysis of the risk of the spread of plant quarantine organisms;  
• To determine procedures on the research of harmful organisms, 
genetically modified organisms and plant protection materials and 
trials;  
• To enter into partnerships with private sector laboratories that can 
assist in technical scientific studies on crop protection measures;  
• To enter into partnerships with state colleges and universities, other 
government agencies such as the Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) 
and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA) for capability building programs; and 
• To involve provincial agriculturists as well as barangay-based farmers 
and stakeholders in crop protection networks as sources of information. 
  
4) Pest Emergency Response 


 
• To specify and implement restrictions on the movement and trade of 
plants and plant products identified to have plant pests; 
• To officially declare the appearance of a plant pest emergency in any 
province or region, based on determination that the pest incidence will 
reduce the regional production of a particular crop by at least 1% or the 
provincial production of a particular crop by at least 2%; 
• To formulate and carry out protocols on pest emergency response; 
• To recommend to the regional disaster agency and local government 
units, based on the documented reports on extent of crop damage, the 
declaration of state of calamity to enable the concerned agencies 
provide direct assistance to the farmers and stakeholders affected by 
crop infestation; 
• To detect the appearance of harmful organisms, to forecast 
development thereof; 
• To determine the plant quarantine measures for individual cases and in 
specific places; 
• To regulate movement of persons, conveyances and plant material in 
affected areas; 
• To deputize police, military and, if necessary, farmers and civil society 
groups to enforce outbreak protocols in controlling pest outbreaks; and 
• To implement disposal of affected plant resources and assets.  
 
SECTION 7. Organization and Personnel Complement. – The PCPA shall be 
headed by a Director-General with a rank of undersecretary, who shall be the 
agency’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and who shall have the following 
responsibilities: 
1) To carry out and implement the four major missions of the agency; 
2) To formulate the relevant strategies, plans, and programs as well as 
organizational development that will ensure the effectiveness of the missions 
of agency; 
3) To regularly report on the state of crop protection in the various regions of the 
country for all the major crop commodities in each region; 


 
4) To manage and administer the affairs, and operations of the Agency with 
efficiency, integrity and transparency; 
5) To ensure the hiring of technically competent scientists and highly capable, 
qualified personnel; and 
6) To cause the filling of charges and prosecute violations under this Act and 
other relevant laws, including but not limited to, P.D. 1433.  
 
The PCPA Board shall authorize the initial organization of the appropriate offices and 
units, and personnel requirements of the Agency, subject to the appropriate Civil 
Service rules and guidelines. Personnel who may be affected by the abolition of 
positions shall eligible for early retirement benefits at 1.5 times their basic salary for 
every year of service in government, in addition to other benefits allowed by law, 
provided that those who will avail of this program will not eligible for re-employment 
in the Agency.  
 
SECTION 8. Funding. – For its initial year of operations, the amount of Fifty Million 
Pesos (PhP 50,000,000.00) is hereby authorized to be set aside and transferred 
from the current year’s budget of the Office of the Secretary of the Department of 
Agriculture, together with the corresponding budgets of the offices and units 
absorbed into the Agency, Subsequent budgetary requirements for the Agency’s 
requirements shall be incorporated in the provisions for the Department of 
Agriculture in the annual general appropriations act.  
 
SECTION 9. Emergency Measure and Fund. – There shall be a standby-by fund in 
the amount of Five Hundred Million Pesos (PhP 500,000,000.00) pesos at the 
Department of Agriculture at any given time, ear marked for Crop/Pest Emergency 
response. This shall be used for prevention of the spread, treatment, control, and 
management of emergency situations/s and which may include, the use of, 
mechanical, biological and other available measures. In the event that the fund is not 
sufficient for the year, the PCPA can request for augmentation from the National 
Disaster Relief Reduction Management Fund provided for under the Philippine 
Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act of 2010 or Republic Act 10121.  
 


 
SECTION 10. Authority to Call for Support in during the Crop Pest-related 
Emergencies. – The PCPA is hereby designated as the overall coordinating 
authority in the event of any crop or plant infestation. In officially declared pest 
emergency situations, the PCPA may call for assistance and support from other 
government agencies to provide the prescribed regulatory, surveillance, quarantine 
information gathering and other relevant activities to ensure the effective 
implementation of preventative and pest-curtailment measures. The PCPA head 
shall have the authority to call for the creation of a pest emergency response task 
force and may call upon key officials of the following agencies at the region in which 
the appearance of plant emergency conditions is declared, including: the DILG, PNP, 
DA, DENR, regional DRRRMC, Provincial governors and/or Provincial Agriculturists, 
Congressional Representative of the affected district, Mayors of the affected 
municipalities/cities, crop science experts from the country’s state universities. 
 
SECTION 11. Penalty Clause. – Any person, company or corporation who violates 
the provisions of this Act, including the remaining provisions of the P.D. 1433, or 
forges, counterfeits, alters, defaces and destroys any document issued by virtue of 
this Act shall be fined an amount not more than One Million Pesos (PhP 
1,000,000.00) 
for 
individual 
persons 
and 
up 
to 
Ten 
Million 
Pesos 
(PhP10,000,000.00) for corporations or by imprisonment for the person (all involved 
managing officers in the case of a corporation) from prison correctional to prison 
mayor, or both, at the discretion of the Court.  
 
SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. – PD. 936, together with Sections 9,18, 19, 20, 21 
and 22 of P.D. 1433 and the relevant provisions of P.D.  1144 relating to the 
pesticides are hereby repealed. The powers and functions of the Director of Plant 
Industry under P.D. 1433 are transferred to the Managing Director of PCPA, All other 
laws, executive orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, inconsistent herewith 
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.  
  
SECTION 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within three months from 
the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall form an ad hoc Task 
Force to be composed of representatives from the crop production stakeholders, and 
a science expert in crop protection to formulate the Implementing Rules and 


 
Regulations within the ensuing period of three months. Two representatives of the 
Congressional Commission on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization shall join the 
meetings of the ad hoc Task Force as observers.  
 
SECTION 14. Separability Clause. – The provisions of this Act are hereby declared 
to be separable. If any provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional, the 
remainder of the Act not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.  
 
SECTION 15. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect upon its publication in the 
Official Gazette.  
  
Approved,