Fisherfolk of the Agusan Aquatic Agriculture Cooperative in Agusan, Cagayan de Oro City, never imagined earning around P2.79 million in 2025 from their fish products before the implementation of the Sagip Saka Act.
It was in 2022 that they had experienced an improvement in their earnings when they signed a negotiated contract with the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 10.
Through the Sagip Saka Act, which permits national government agencies and local government units to directly purchase produce from local farmers and fisherfolk without public bidding, the Fisherfolk of Agusan Aquatic Agriculture Cooperative is now supplying three social service centers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
“Na-enjoy na namin ‘yung Sagip Saka Act na binuo ni Senator Kiko Pangilinan,” the cooperative’s chairperson said during a dialogue with the senator recently.
“Happy kami sa amin grupo kasi nag-benefit na mga members ko.”
“Happy kami sa amin grupo kasi nag-benefit na mga members ko. Kaya nga malaking pasalamat ko sa Department of Agriculture, sa Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, dahil sila ang tumulong sa aming LGU at saka ‘yung barangay council namin,” the coop official added.
The group said they earn about P2.79 million—labor and net profit—a year from the NMMC alone. Part of this revenue is declared as a dividend and then distributed to the cooperative’s members.
Members of the group said they eventually plan to start their own small businesses using the dividends and income they receive.
Their total sales from 2019 to 2025 were positively affected by the Sagip Saka Act.
The chairperson of the fisherfolk cooperative said that in 2019, their group generated P336,365 in sales, followed by P344,900 in 2020, P885,800 in 2021, P1.42 million in 2022, P2.21 million in 2023, P2.86 million in 2024, and P2.788 million in 2025.
Pangilinan praised the direct impact of the law he authored and passed in 2019.
“Ang gusto kong mangyari sa buong Pilipinas, ang makinabang ang lahat ng fisherfolk sa batas.”
“’Yun ang kailangan nating kwento para kapag nasabi ko sa iba, maniniwala rin sila. Ang gusto kong mangyari sa buong Pilipinas, ang makinabang ang lahat ng fisherfolk sa batas. Sa lahat ng direktang pagbili ng DOH, at sa lahat ng direktang pagbili ng DSWD, dapat ganyan. Panalo ang fisherfolk,” the veteran legislator said.
The chairperson of the Northern Mindanao Federation of Dairy Cooperatives also expressed gratitude to the seasoned lawmaker for enacting the legislation. However, the senator lamented that its effective implementation did not occur until after his 2025 Senate victory.
“Salamat kami nakabalik si Sir Kiko, na-implement na ang Sagip Saka,” he said, while also raising the ongoing need for government support in farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, crop insurance, and market access.
The chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform explained that LGUs have two roles—one as the buyer and another as a broker between the government and agricultural cooperatives.
Pangilinan also expressed support for helping farmer groups access necessary government aid, such as facilities and machinery. He shared two major bills he filed in the present Congress—the reestablishment of extension services for agricultural workers to ensure services reach the municipal level and the strengthening of agricultural cooperatives.
Pangilinan, who was in the province for a public consultation on the Anti-Political Dynasty bill, met with local chief executives and farmer cooperatives to discuss the developments in the implementation of the Sagip Saka Act.
