NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 1371
Senate
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13. OCT-5 P5 54
RECEIVED BY:
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE BATAAN CROP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER 
ON THE CAMPUS OF THE BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY IN THE 
MUNICIPALITY OF ABUCAY, PROVINCE OF BATAAN, AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The 1987 Philippine Constitution, under Section 10, Article XIV states that, "The 
State shall give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their 
utilization; and to science and technology education, training, and services. It shall 
support indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and technological 
capabilities, and their application to the country's productive systems and national life."
In the Philippines, rice is a staple meal and farming is a source of employment 
in the countryside. This is particularly true in Bataan which produces high-value crops 
in modest amounts. In 2021, 26,963 hectares area harvested and 117,143 metric tons 
of palay are produced in Bataan.
On 22 June 2022, the School-on-the-Air on Smart Rice Agriculture (SOA-SRA) 
program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) sets thousands of farmers in Bataan to 
undergo training on smart rice agriculture technologies and practices to help them 
optimize farm yields amid the threat of climate change. However, despite efforts by the 
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PRRI) to increase rice production, both palay 
production and farm gate prices have decreased. Therefore, it is necessary to diversify 
the income-generating activities of rice farmers in order to reduce their reliance on the 
sale of rice and to encourage the sale of products made from rice in order to increase 
their income.
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Pursuant to the Constitutional mandate, the State should proactively teach 
farmers how to develop quality rice-based products and encourage farmers to venture 
into producing high-value crops, such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, ornamentals, 
condiments and spice, and derivative products. It should develop the entrepreneurial 
skills of farmers to enable them to effectively market rice-based products and high- 
value crops and derivative products, and facilitate access to microloans to finance their 
business.
In order to help farmers increase their income by actively promoting and 
assisting them in the manufacture and marketing of rice-based products and high value 
crops and derivative products, this bill seeks to establish the Bataan Crop Research & 
Development Center on the Abucay campus of the Bataan Peninsula State University.
In view of the foregoing reasons, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
IMEE R. MARCO:


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
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*22 OCT-5 P5 54
received BV;_
S.B. No. 1371
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE BATAAN CROP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER 
ON THE CAMPUS OF THE BATAAN PENINSULA STATE UNIVERSITY IN THE 
MUNICIPALITY OF ABUCAY, PROVINCE OF BATAAN, AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR
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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 "Bataan Crop Research 
& Development Center Act."
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
promote industrialization, rural development, full employment, a rising standard of 
living, and an improved quality of life for all farmers by encouraging entrepreneurship 
and activities that add value to agricultural products and provide additional sources of 
income.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. -
a. "Rice-based products" refer to products made or derived from rice, such as 
but not limited to the following: rice noodles, egg roll wrappers, edible rice 
paper, rice-flour cakes and dumplings, rice bran oil, rice-alcoholic beverages, 
rice vinegar, rice milk, rice syrup (an alternative sweetener), puffed rice, and 
rice crackers.


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b. "High-value crops"sha\\ generally refer to non-staple agricultural crops such 
as vegetables, fruits, flowers, ornamentals, condiments and spices. Products 
derived from high-value crops include vegetable chips, vegetable oil, dried 
fruits, fruit-based cakes and desserts, etc.
SEC. 4. Bataan Crop Research & Development Center. - The Bataan Crop 
Research & Development Center ("Center") is hereby established on the campus of the 
Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) in the Municipality of Abucay, Province of 
Bataan. The Center shall be under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and 
Department of Agriculture (DA).
SEC. 5. Purposes and Objectives. -The Center shall collaborate and coordinate 
with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and 
Technology (DOST), and BPSU to develop and implement a course or program that 
would teach and train students and farmers how to develop rice-based products, 
produce high-value crops and derivative products, and manage all aspects of business 
relating to the marketing of such products, including obtaining necessary financing, 
technology, and equipment.
SEC. 6. Powers and Functions. - The Center shall exercise the following powers 
and functions:
a) Integrate, collate, and support research, programs, and studies on rice- 
based product development and marketing;
b) Conduct continuing research on rice-based product development and 
marketing;
c) Undertake research and generate relevant, efficient, cost-effective and 
scientifically viable approaches to achieve greater sustainability in rice-based 
product development and marketing;
d) Impart technical knowledge and train students and rice farmers on rice- 
based product development and marketing;
e) Upgrade the entrepreneurial skills of rice farmers through training courses, 
seminars, and workshops;
f) Collaborate with national, regional, and international research institutions 
with knowledge and expertise on rice-based product development and 
marketing;


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g) Coordinate with local government units, non-governmental organizations, 
and private sector groups and interests involved in rice-based product 
research, development, and marketing;
h) Facilitate access to loans to establish and operate a business relating to the 
development and marketing of rice-based products;
i) Encourage the creation of farmer cooperatives to achieve efficiencies in rice- 
based product development, business financing, and marketing;
j) Develop an income-generating business model to help defray expenses and 
sustain its programs; and
k) Receive and manage grants, aid, donations, or any kind of assistance or 
gratuity from donors, foreign or domestic, to better achieve the Center's 
objectives.
SEC. 7. Executive Director. - The Center shall be headed by an Executive 
Director who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon the joint 
recommendation of the CHED Chairperson and Secretary of Agriculture. The Executive 
Director shall be a recognized agriculturalist with extensive experience in rice-based 
product research and development or a highly regarded entrepreneur in the field. 
Preference shall be given to BPSU faculty members.
All other officers and employees of the Center shall be jointly appointed by the 
CHED Chairperson and Secretary of Agriculture upon the recommendation of the 
Executive Director and in accordance with existing Civil Service laws, rules, and 
regulations. A representative from the DTI, a representative from the DOST, and a 
BPSU faculty member with relevant expertise shall form part of the Center's staff.
SEC. 8. Duties and Responsibiiities of the Executive Director. - The Executive 
Director shall exercise the following duties and responsibilities:
a) Exercise over-all supervision and direction over the implementation of all 
research and development and training programs of the Center and, in 
general, to supervise and direct its management, operation, and 
administration;
b) Execute contracts, incur obligations, acquire and dispose of assets, and 
deliver documents on behalf of the Center;
c) Approve the organizational structure, operational and staffing pattern, 
operating and capital expenditure of the Center;


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d) Recommend the appointment of the officers and employees of the Center on 
the basis of the highest standards of merit, probity, and fitness for public 
servants, subject to Civil Service laws, rules, and regulations;
e) Implement policies, decisions, orders, rules, and regulations issued by the 
CHED and DA; and
f) Exercise such other powers, functions, duties, or tasks as may be authorized, 
delegated, or assigned by law and competent authority.
SEC. 9. Annual Report. - The Executive Director shall submit to the President 
of the Philippines, through the CHED Chairperson and Secretary of Agriculture, an 
annual report dealing generally with the activities and operations of the Center, 
accompanied by an audit report of the relevant accounts.
SEC. 10. Donations and Solicitations. - The Center may solicit and receive 
donations or endowments of money, property, or services which shall be exempt from 
income taxes, taxes on gifts or gratuities, and all other taxes, charges, or fees imposed 
by the government or any political subdivision or instrumentality thereof.
Government and public corporations are hereby authorized to give grants to the 
Center from the unimpaired surplus of funds at their discretion.
SEC. 11. Appropriations.-Ihe amount necessary for the initial implementation 
of this Act shall be charged against the appropriations for the CHED and DA. Thereafter, 
the required budget for continued implementation of this Act shall be submitted to the 
Department of Budget and Management for inclusion in the General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from 
the effectivity of this Act, the CHED Chairperson and Secretary of Agriculture shall 
jointly issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this 
Act.
SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees or issuances, 
executive orders, letters of instruction, administrative orders, rules or regulation 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 14. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall 
remain in full force and effect.


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SEC. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after the
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publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,