EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
)
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. NO. JLS-SiJ
^ c u a i?
0(tl)C ^ ra fta ri*
20 
FEB 12 
P 4 « 2
^  RECE;V O B ”  
5. D in~ “
Introduced by Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay
AN ACT
EXEMPTING FARMER COOPERATIVES AND ASSOCIATIONS ENGAGED IN 
THE 
TRADE 
OF 
ORGANIC 
FERTILIZERS 
FROM 
PAYMENT 
OF 
REGISTRATION, LICENSING FEES AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES, 
GRANTING AMNESTY FOR PREVIOUS VIOLATIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL 
DECREE 1144 AND AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRESIDENTIAL 
DECREE 1144
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Organic fertilizers are fertilizers derived from animal matter or vegetable matter 
(e.g. compost manure, animal wastes from meat processing, peat manure, slurry,
and guano).
It has come to our attention that much of the fertilizer needs of our farmers are 
still being met by traditional organic fertilizers. With the recent attraction towards 
organic farming i.e., farming, which uses organic fertilizers, local demand for 
traditional organic fertilizers has increased in the past few years. With the rise of 
such demand, a number of our farmers and their families have established 
cooperatives or associations trading in organic fertilizers.
Owing to the lack of access to information/education of many of our farmers, a 
number of them are exposed to possible criminal liability under Presidential Decree
1144, which states that;


Section 9. Registration and Licensing. No pesticides, fertilizers, or other 
agricultural chemical shall be exported, imported, manufactured, 
formulated, stored distributed, sold or offered for saje, transported, 
delivered for transportation or used unless it has been duly 
registered vtfith the FPA or covered by a num ber of provisionaj  
pprm it issued bv the FPA for use in arrordance w ith t he 
rnnditions as stipulated in the perm it. Separate registrations shall 
be required for each active ingredient and its possible formulations in 
the case of pesticides or for each fertilizer grade in the case of fertilizer.
XXX
violation of Section 9 is punishable under Section 10, which states that;
Section 10. Penalties
(a) Fertilizer. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this 
Decree or any part of the provisions of the rules and regulations 
issued or promulgated by the FPA on fertilizer shall be punished by
im prisonm ent of not less than 15 years and 1 day or more 
than 20 years if the am ount involved is more than 
P50,000.00; by im prisonm ent of not less than 10 years and 
1 day or more than 15 years if the am ount involved is 
P10,000.00 or less, as w ell as a fine raging from  the am ount 
equal to the value involved to three tim es such value but 
which shall in no case be less than P5,000.00 nor more than 
P20,000.00; by a fine of P5,000.00 but not more than 
P10,000.00 by other violations where the am ount involved 
cannot be determ ined; Provided that if falsification of a public or 
commercial document is committed by reasons or on the occasion
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of the commission of any of the acts punishable herein, the offender 
shall be imposed the maximum fine and term of imprisonment as 
above prescribed. If the vioiation is committed by a corporation, 
firm, partnership, cooperative, association or any other entity, the 
penalty shall be imposed upon the guilty office or offices and such 
corporation, firm, partnership, association or entity.
This representation is cognizant of the rationale for regulation of fertiiizers. It does 
not propose the abolition of the penalties provided above. Instead, regulation 
shouid be encouraged in view of the susceptibiiity of a free market regime to
abuse.
It is proposed that all registration, iicense fees and other administrative costs for 
farmer cooperatives and associations dealing with organic fertiiizers be exempt 
from payment of such fees. It is hoped that through this measure, such 
cooperatives or associations will be encouraged to submit to the regulatory 
jurisdiction of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.
For the above reasons, the passage of this biii is earnestly sought.
MARIA LOURDES NAI)^CY S. BINAY 
Senator


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
)
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
««itf of tl)f «*r rctmp
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
20 
FEB 12 P4‘02
S . B . N O . 4 3 ^
Introduced by Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy ^ £^na? J
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AN ACT
e x e m p t in g  fa r m e r COOPERATIVES AND ASSOCIATIONS ENGAGED IN 
THE 
TRADE 
OF 
ORGANIC 
FERTILIZERS 
FROM 
PAYMENT 
OF 
REGISTRATION, LICENSING FEES AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES,
S
in g  a m n e s t y for p r e v io u s v io l a t io n s  of p r e s id e n t ia l
DECREE 1144 AND AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRESIDENTIAL 
DECREE 1144
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section 1. Section 9-A is hereby inserted to Presidential Decree 1144, as follows.
SECTION 
9-A. 
EXEMPTION 
FOR 
FARMER 
COOPERATIVES AND 
ASSOCIATIONS ENGAGED IN THE TRADE OF ORGANIC FERTLIZERS. -  
FARMER COOPERATIVES AND ASSOCIATIONS 
ENGAGED 
IN 
THE 
DOMESTIC SALE OR TRADE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS SHALL BE EXEMPT 
FROM PAYMENT OF REGISTRATION FEES, LICENSE FEES AND OTHER 
ADMINISTRATIVE 
CHARGES 
IMPOSED 
BY THE 
FERTILIZER 
AND 
PESTICIDE ALITHORITY.
THE fpa shall promulgate g uidelines for th e screening of
FARMER COOPERATIVES AND ASSOCIATIONS ENTITLED TO EXEMPTIONS 
UNDER THIS ACT.
Sec. 2. Amnesty. -  To encourage farmer cooperatives and associations engaged 
in the trade of organic fertilizers to submit to the jurisdiction of the FPA, they shall file 
with the FPA a request for amnesty and apply for the necessary license and registration


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of the organic fertilizers that they are already selling; Provided, However, that the request 
for amnesty shall be hied within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act.
The amnesty shall not be denied unless said farmer cooperative or association has been 
previously warned in writing by the FPA and persisted to do business without the requisite
license and registration.
Sec. 3. Information Dissemination. Upon the approval of this Act, the FPA shall 
engage in extensive information dissemination campaign to all farming communities all
over the country.
Sec. 4. Appropriations. -  An additional budget of Fifty Million 
Pesos 
(P50,000,000.00) to cover administrative costs in the implementation of the amendments 
herein is hereby appropriated.
Sec. 5. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, rules 
and regulations, and other issuances, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 6. Separability Clause. -  If, for any reason, any section or provision of this 
Act is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions hereof shall not be
affected thereby.
Sec. 7. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,