Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon

FTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No__ 3258

Introduced by REPRESENTATVE JEFFREY P. FERRER

. EXPLANATORY NOTE

Interest in organic farming has now developed into a national industry in the Philippines. The
public and private sector consumers are now very much aware of the environmental and public
health effects of agricultural chemicals and the so-called “factory farming” methods. Private
and public research organizations have began scientific investigations into non-chemical and
non-intensive farming techniques, and the results play a significant role in the growing number of
farmers that have began 10 adopt organic production systems, puting premium prices on
organically grown products higher than the usual crops thus opening a new opportunity for
growth in Philippine Agriculture.

Organic Farming, ax defined in the law establishing the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA)
National Organic Program (NOP). as “a production system that is managed in accordance with
the [Organic Foods Production Act and regulations ... to respond to site-specific conditions by
integrating cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources,
promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. This definision indicates that organic
agriculture is both an approach to food production based on biological methods that avoid the
use of synthetic crop or livestock production inputs and a broadly defined philosophical
approach to farming that puts value on resource efficiency and ecological harmony

This bill therefore seeks to establish a national policy on the practice of Organic Farming to be
known as the National Organic Farming Act of 2010.

The immediate approval of this bill is therefore recommended.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 3258

Introduced by REPRESENTA

JEFFREY P. FERRER
“AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL ORGANIC FARMING PROGRAM,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS-THEREOF AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. -
Act of 2010."

Act shall be known as the “National Organic Farming

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ It shall be the policy of the state to establish a national
organic program that will direct the production and certification standards of the
organic farming industry, adopt uniform cultural practices and production of organic
farm products which will unite the organic farming industry to internationally accepted
standards, maintain product integrity and eliminate market confusion on the use of
different marketing standards for organic food which will involve the manufacturers,
importers, exporters and processors of multi-ingredient organic products for export and
domestic use and for purposes of labeling and directions

SEC. 3. National Organic Farming Program. There is hereby established a national
organic farming program which shall act as the template and basis of policy to enforce
regulations and to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological
and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance,
and conserve biodiversity as an approach to food production based on biological
methods that avoid the use of synthetic crop or livestock production inputs.

SEC. 4. Creation of the Bureau of Organic Farming.- The Department of Agriculture
within a period of 30 days upon the passage of this act shall create a Bureau of Organic
Farming. The bureau of organic farming will be mandated to formulate internal
operating rules and procedures to assure that the National Organic Farming Program
will achieve its intended objectives and that organic products will meet consistent and
uniform standards, it will be responsible in the execution of the National Organic
Farming Act in terms of promoting the use of the organic technology and the setting of
production standards.

SEC. 5. Creation of the DA Agricultural Marketing Service. - Upon the passage of this
act the Department of Agriculture is mandated within a period of 30 days to create an


agency for Agricultural Marketing Services which will help regulate the organic farming
industry, do research and development, expand product lines and increase market
opportunities for export in the lucrative international organic market. The DA AMS will
establish a 15 member National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) coming from the
DOST, DTI, DA, DAR, ORGANIC FARMER ASSOCIATIONS, PRIVATE SECTOR,
PRIVATE AND PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES to assist in the development of standards for
substances in organic production and to recommend to the Secretary of Agriculture key
policies for its implementation. Under the framework of the program, producers,
processors and handlers who will market their products as organic are required to follow
production standards embodied in the rules and regulations 10 be formulated by the
Department of Agriculture.

SEC. 5, Power to accredit private and government certification agents. The Bureau of
Organic Farming and DA Agricultural Marketing Services shall formulate rules and
regulations for accrediting certification agents and shall have the exclusive authority t0
appoint, deputize and designate, screen and accredit private and government
certification agents in the provincial and municipal levels to ensure that organic products
are compliant with the national and international standards set forth in marketing
organic products

SEC, 6. The use of the “RPDA Organic Seal”- The Republic of the Philippines
Department of Agriculture Organic Seal shall be the “official seal” use in certifying
organic products that pass the standards impose by law. The presence of the “RPDA
Organic Seal” on a product means it is ninety five (95%) percent or more organically
produce or process and it shall be illegal for anyone to use the word “organic” on a
product if it does not meet the standards set by law. Labels on products having 70% to
95% organic content can say “made with organic (specified ,ingredients or food
groups), but cannot carry the seal. Foreign organic producers and handlers wishing to
export products to the Republic of the Philippines may be certified by a DA-accredited
certification agent in their own country, if there is one; or the DA may accept
certification by agents accredited by a foreign government; or it may negotiate an
equivalency agreement with another nation’s organic program.

SEC. 7. Privileges and credit assistance.- The National Government shall extend
incentives 10 manufactures, producers and users of organic farm inputs by setting aside
an annual procurement budget in the DA of one billion (1,000,000,000.00) pesos to be
allocated to the different DA Regional Field Units as incentive for the promotion and
support of Organic Farm Inputs production, likewise the DBP, Land bank and Quedan
corporation is mandated to open credit assistance as incentive for using organic farming
methods.

SEC. 8. Penalties. any act that will violate the provisions of this law shall be sentence
to a penalty of imprisonment equivalent to prision mayor and a fine of not tess than Five
hundred thousand pesos including the cancellation of their business licenses and permit
10 operate.


SEC. 9. Funds and Appropriations.- The sum of Fifiy million pesos (P50, 000,000.00) is
appropriated as operations budget of the Bureau of Organic Farming and the
Agricultural Marketing Services for the proper and effective implementation this Act to
be source from the General Appropriations Act and the Budget of the DA.

SEC 10. Separability Clause.- If any provision of this Act or the application of such
provision to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any reason, the other
provisions or their application to other persons or circumstances and effect

SEC 11. Repeating Clause.- All laws, decrees, orders, rules, regulations and issuances
or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repeated or amended accordingly.

SEC. 12. Effeefivity.- This shall take

upon its approval,

Approved,