Senator Kiko Pangilinan underscored the indispensable contributions of agricultural workers to national development, vowing to help institute national policies that will ensure food security, sustain the country’s economic backbone, and develop rural communities.
Speaking during the 140th founding anniversary of the Pampanga State Agricultural University, Pangilinan praised graduates and students of agriculture, fisheries, crop science, animal science, forestry, agroforestry, agronomy, horticulture, and related programs, noting the roles they would soon play once his twin measures—the proposed Agricultural and Fisheries Cooperatives Act and the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act—are passed.
“Magkakaroon ng bagong trabaho sa mga LGU, national agencies at sa private sector at sa mga sarili niyong enterprises dahil sa ating mga panukala na magiging batas sa darating na mga araw.”
“Magkakaroon ng bagong trabaho sa mga LGU, national agencies at sa private sector at sa mga sarili niyong enterprises dahil sa ating mga panukala na magiging batas sa darating na mga araw,” the veteran legislator said.
“Pagkatapos ng ilang taon, tataas na ang kanilang kita, mapapagtapos na ang kanilang mga anak, at maging maalwan ang buhay. ‘Yan ang inyong kontribusyon sa nation building. This is what it means to practice agriculture as nation building,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
The chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform lamented that the Philippines has been left behind by neighboring countries, whose agricultural workers have been trained in Philippine institutions such as the University of the Philippines-Los Baños and the International Rice Research Institute.
“Renationalize the agricultural and fisheries extension service and re-establish the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperatives under the Department of Agriculture.”
During a discussion with San Simon farmers, the senator shared his proposed measures to renationalize the agricultural and fisheries extension service and to re-establish the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperatives under the Department of Agriculture.
The measures will strengthen agricultural and fisheries cooperatives and bring agriculture extension services down to the municipal level.
He explained that the passage of these measures will complement the full implementation of his 2019 Sagip Saka Act, which allows national government agencies and local government units to buy food directly from farmers and fisherfolk without public bidding.
The law, authored and passed by Pangilinan in 2019, has allowed farmers in San Simon to enter into negotiated contracts—without the need to undergo public bidding—with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and other government agencies.
“Isipin ninyo kung di lamang BJMP ang binebentahan ninyo, pati DepEd, pati ang DSWD, pati ang DOH, pati ang AFP, yung mga kampo ng militar dito sa Region 3 lahat yan bumibili ng pagkain araw-araw. Marami nang magtatanim; ’yun ang mahalaga,” he said.
Pangilinan, who has pushed for agricultural reforms since his return to the Senate last year, was also instrumental in pushing for the signing of Executive Order Nos. 100 and 101 last year.
EO 100 mandates a minimum floor price for palay when the government purchases it from farmers, while EO 101 directs government agencies for the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Act.
He reiterated his call for strengthened policies that prioritize the welfare of the agriculture sector, including increased investment in modern farming technologies, improved access to credit, and enhanced infrastructure.
Pangilinan also stressed the importance of empowering rural communities through education, training, and sustainable development programs.
