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EXPLANATORY NOTE
The   proposed   measure  seeks  to   amend  the   Charter  of  the   National   Irrigation
Administration   as   provided   under   Republic   Act   No.   3601,   as   amended,   in   order   to
institutionalize  the  representation  of  farmers  in  the  governing  board  of  the  said  agency.
Under  the  present  law,  the  NIA  Board  is  composed  of  six  members,  which  include  one
private sector representative.
Under  R.A.  No.  3601,  small  farmers  are  not  assured  of  representation  in  the  said
Board  since  the  law  does  not  expressly  or  specifically  provide  for  such  representation.
Considering that irrigation services  have a vital and direct impact on agricultural  production,
their efficient management and delivery is the foremost concern of small farmers.   Thus, the
said sector should be given adequate representation in the NIA Board.
Moreover,  irrigation  services should  not be  limited  to  rice and  corn  lands  but should
include other crops.   To stress this  policy, we  must not limit private sector representation  in
the NIA Board to the rice and corn sector.
Article Xll,  Section  16 of the Constitution  mandates that,  "the right of the people and
their  organizations  to  effective  and  reasonable  participation  at  all  levels  of  social,  political
and  economic  decision-making  shall  not  be  abridged."    The  bill  seeks  to  implement  this
policy by providing for one small farmers' representative for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The  bill also aims to complement and  reiterate the  policy of equitable distribution of
benefits  and  opportunities  in  agricultural  development and  empowerment of small  farmers,
as  enunciated  in  Republic Act  No.  7607  (The  Magna  Carta  of Small  Farmers).    Under the
said  law,  the farmers'  representative  chosen  by their  national  organizations  shall  sit  in  the
governing   boards   of  government  agencies,   which   include   the   NIA.   Although   the   said
provision  allows  small  farmers  to  participate  in  the  NIA  Board,  experience  has  shown  that
such  participation  is  most  effective  and  empowering  if  the  farmers'  representatives  are
adequate in number.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is strongly recommended.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS                  )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES    )
First Regular session                            )
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Introduced by Representative Rufus a. Rodriguez
HouseBillNo.   5334
AN ACT
PROVIDING  FOR THREE  SMALL  FARMERS'  REPRESENTATIVES  IN  THE  NATIONAL
IRRIGATION   ADMINISTRATION   (NIA)   BOARD   BY  AMENDING   REPUBLIC   ACT   NO.
3601,  AS AIVIENDED  BY PRESIDENTIAL  DECREE  NO.  552  AND  FURTHER AMENDED
BY  EXECUTIVE  ORDER 292,  DATED  JULY 25,  1987  ENTITLED,  "AN  ACT  CREATING
THE NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION"
Be it ep?ct.ed  by the Senate and  House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled.
SECTION  1.  Section  4 of  Republic Act  No.  3601  as  amended  by  Presidential  Decree  No.
552 and further amended by Executive Order No. 292, dated July 25,1987 is hereby further
amended to read as follows:
"SEC.   4.   Board  of  Directors  -  The  powers  and  functions  of  the  National
Irrigation Administration (NIA) shall be exercised by the Board of Directors composed
of [six (6)] EIGHT (8) members, to wit:
The  Secretary of Agriculture,  who  shall  be  the  Vice-Chairman;  the  Director-
General of the  National  Economic and  Development Authority,  the Secretary
of Public Works and  Highways,  the General  Manager of the  National  Power
Corporation,  and [one (1) member] THREE (3) MEMBERS REPRESENTING
THE    SMALL    FARMERS    OF    LUZON,    VISAYAS    AND    MINDANAO,
RESPECTIVELY, who shall  be appointed  by the  President of the  Philippines
upon  due  notice  to  and  on  recommendation  of any  national  [rice  and  corn]
SMALL  FARMERS organization of good  standing  and who shall  serve for a
term of four (4) years unless sooner remove."
SEC. 2. Repea/. - All  laws,  rules and  issuances inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
SEC. 3. Effecli-yi.fy.  -This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the date of its
complete  publication  in  the  Offr.ci.a/  Gazette  or,  in  at  least  two  (2)  newspapers  of general
circulation.
Approved,