FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The country is now in the throes of a rice crisis. Faced with skyrocketing 
international demand for rice and the emergence of an international rice cartel, our 
people and country are now experiencing spiraling prices of this staple food. This 
has led to a precarious food security level in our country. This recent experience tells 
us that we cannot simply depend on our neighboring countries to meet our food 
requirement. 
Unless addressed decisively and clearly, the rice crisis threatens to unleash 
adverse political and economic consequences for our country and for the Filipino 
people. The times call for us to seize the bull by the horns and deal with the problem 
with a comprehensive and long-term solution. 
Recently, the Philippine government embarked on a Five Billion peso (Php 
5,000,000) program to fund major agricultural programs in response to the 
impending food shortage. The fund is intended to address concerns related to 
FIELDS- fertilizers, irrigation, agricultural extension system, loans, driers and seeds. 
All these represent an integrated approach to solving the rice crisis. 
With the enactment of the Local Government Code of 1991, all extension 
personnel of the Department of Agriculture (DA) were devolved to provincial and 
municipal government units. Thus, the function of providing technical services to 
farmers is the responsibility of local government units. 
For some reason, however, the expertise of LGU personnel in most regions of 
the country has deteriorated to alarming levels. In some LGUs, the agriculture 
extension office does not even have even the minimum complement or expertise, 
much less an effective fund allocation for agriculture. LGUs have also expressed 
discontent over devolution because while the extension function has been devolved, 
the appropriate agriculture funds still emanate from the DA. 
This impasse has been the status quo in terms of agricultural extension for 
some decades now and it is hurting the overall performance of our agricultural 
sector. The question of how farmers can access new and innovative technologies is 
a critical issue in the Philippines. 
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The challenge confronting the government is how the government can 
provide technical services to our farmers on a national scale to effect positive growth 
in response to the impending food security crisis. 
This bill proposes the creation of a national cooperative extension service to 
address the problem of effective delivery of extension services to our farmers. This 
shall be a collaboration between the DA, State Universities and Colleges (SUC's) 
and the LGUs. Each component of the cooperative extension performs a unique 
function to ensure that our farmers receive the latest extension service support 
available in the country. 
The bill also seeks to introduce other reform measures in the area of 
agricultural extension such as seed quality testing, soil analysis, remote testing and 
GIS facilities and support for bio-based fertilizers that shall supplement the extension 
services provided under this bill. 
While the rice crisis is a complicated international and local problem which 
brooks of no easy solutions, the provision of technical and research inputs to our 
farmers through the proposed cooperative extension services is a step in the proper 
direction. This, in consonance with other allied reforms, will hopefully reverse the rice 
crisis and set our country on the path of food security and rural development. 
For the foregoing reasons, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought. 
/senator 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
. . I f )  
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
8 iq/yi -5 t i l  
! l i  
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced By Senator Richard J. Gordon 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, STATE AGRICULTURAL 
COLLEGE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT COOPERATIVE EXTENSION 
RESEARCH SERVICE, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Agricultural Cooperative 
Research Extension Act of 2008." 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State 
to accelerate the growth and development of the rural areas, improve agricultural 
modernization as a key strategy to increase agricultural productivity, and address 
national food security and rural poverty. Towards this end, the State shall undertake 
the establishment of an agricultural cooperative extension service to provide 
technical services to farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector. 
Sec. 3. The Cooperative Extension Research Service. - There shall be 
created a Cooperative Extension Research Service composed of the Department of 
Agriculture (DA), designated State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and the Local 
Government Units (LGUs). 
Sec. 4. Components and Functions of fhe Cooperative Extension 
Research Service. - The LGUs, in line with the devolution of extension personnel 
under Republic Act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, shall provide 
extension services to farmers. 
The DA is tasked with planning and monitoring, knowledge management and 
training of extension personnel of the various LGUs. 
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The SUC of a designated province shall be responsible for providing technical 
assistance to the LGU and DA of that province. The SUC shall also be responsible 
for providing technical as well as operational assistance in the overall planning, 
implementation and monitoring of the agricultural program of the province. 
Sec. 5. Purpose of the Cooperative Extension Research Service. - The 
(a) Ensure the cooperation between the DA, the LGUs and the SUCs at the 
local level to ensure the direct provision of research and extension services to the 
farmers: 
purposes of the Cooperative Extension Research Service are as follows: 
(b) Establish and implement a nationwide extension system to service 
farmers at the local level; 
(c) Link the extension service to sources of new information and technologies 
from the SUCs; 
(d) Conduct downstream and on-farm research to address location-specific 
constraints to increase productivity and profitability that are fine-tuned to the 
practices of local farmerslstakeholders. 
Sec. 6. Structure of the Cooperafive Extension Service. - National level 
extension programs shall be orchestrated by the DA in close collaboration with the 
UPLB. 
At the regional level, the Regional Field Unit (RFU) together with the DA 
Regional Integrated Agricultural Research Center (RIARC) and the Agricultural 
Training Institute (ATI) shall orchestrate the program in cooperation with the 
designated provincial SUC and local governments. 
Provincial level SUCs and their municipal level counterparts can host the 
Rice, Corn and Livestock Action Center (RCLAC) where farmers can obtain initial 
solutions to their technological problems. The RCLAC shall host the seed 
laboratories, pest clinics, soil quality laboratories, veterinary clinics, grain quality 
testing laboratories, agricultural machinery services and other such agricultural 
support services. These shall be housed in municipal centers to be as near to the 
farmers as possible. 
There shall be agricultural extension services at the barangay level to be of 
direct and accessible service to the farmers. 
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Sec. 7. Funds. - Funds from for the research-extension service shall be from 
different sources: the DA, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the LGUs. 
There shall be a new regular fund in the amount of Ten Million Pesos 
(PlO,OOO,OOO.OO) shall be made available to SUCs to be used as incentives to their 
experts to conduct extension in their area of assignment or to recruit additional 
manpower to increase the coverage of their extension work, This may also be used 
to leverage as counterpart with LGU and DA funds to come up with a unified 
agricultural development plan for the province. 
Additional funds shall also be provided SUCs for the construction of 
laboratories, clinics, facilities and for the training of technical personnel. 
Sec. 8. Agricultural Radio Programs. - There shall be established an "On 
the Air" Agriculture School Radio Program as an important support to on-farm 
extension services. This program shall be hooked to national radio networks to 
ensure a national coverage. 
Sec. 9. Remote Sensing and GlS Facilities. - There shall be a Remote 
Sensing and GIS Laboratory established at UP Los Banos (UPLB) to service and 
assist the SUC-DA-LGU in its agricultural planning and monitoring programs in the 
province. 
Sec. I O .  Supporf for Bio-based Fertilizers. - The State shall provide 
support for the UPLB to strengthen its capacity to produce bio-based fertilizers 
specially the BIO-N and BIOCON technologies by upscaling its production facilities 
and providing a laboratory to handle quality assurance of bio-fertilizers. 
Sec. 11. Soil analysis. - Soil analysis services shall be provided to farmers 
through soil analysis laboratories in the regions. and through the provision of soil 
analysis kits developed by the UPLB for use by the local governments in soil quality 
assessment. SUCs can train the LGUs in the use of soil test kits and in the 
interpretation of the results. 
Sec. 12. National Seed System and Seed Quality Assurance Program. - 
Certified or good selected seeds shall be produced at the UPLB and other SUCs in 
order to assure farmers of steady and adequate supply of these seeds. 
Sec. 13. National Grain Quality Assurance Program. - The SUC-LGU-DA 
shall also establish a laboratory for grain grading and certification. The SUC-LGU-DA 
shall also provide for good drying facilities to ensure the quality of grains of farmers. 
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Sec. 14. National Crop Pest Disease Surveillance and Monitoring 
System. - A nationwide crop pest and disease surveillance and monitoring system 
shall be established to assist farmers in pest management decisions. The system 
shall also inform researchers of new strains of pests and diseases that may be 
brought about by climate change. 
The National Crop Protection Center of the UPLB can take leadership in this 
program in collaboration with the Regional Crop Protection Centers and the 
provincial SUCs. 
Sec. 15. National livestock Pest Disease Surveillance and Quarantine 
Program. - A national quarantine system shall be established to prevent the spread 
of disease among livestock. The College of Veterinary Medicine of UPLB shall take 
the leadership in this program in coordination with the relevant SUCs and the private 
sector. 
Sec. 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws or parts thereof, decrees, orders, rules 
and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
Sec. 17. Separability Clause. - If any of the provisions of this Act is declared 
invalid, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
Sec. 18. Effectivity, - This Act shall take effect immediately following its 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation or the Official Gazette, whichever 
comes first. 
Approved, 
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