Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan has called on the Senate to pass two key agricultural reform measures—the proposed Agricultural and Fisheries Cooperatives Act and the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act—warning that rising tensions in the Middle East could disrupt global food supply chains and push up prices of basic goods.

He said the proposed bills are intended to build on the gains of the Sagip Saka Act, which allows government agencies and local government units to directly procure food from farmers and fisherfolk without undergoing public bidding.

In his sponsorship speeches on Wednesday, March 18, Pangilinan stressed the urgency of strengthening domestic food production and reducing reliance on imports.

“Sabi nga po nila, ‘to secure our food, we must first secure our farmers and fisherfolks’ and para ma-secure ang kanilang kagalingan at kahusayan, kailangan nating ma-organisa at mapalakas ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda, lalo na ang kanilang kabuhayan at sa bayanihan na natural lamang na dumadaloy sa ating dugong Pilipino,” he said in his sponsorship speech for Senate Bill 1990 under Committee Report No. 52.

The proposed cooperatives measure seeks to cover the entire agricultural value chain—from inputs and production to processing, logistics, marketing, financing, education, agri-tourism, digital agriculture, and climate-resilient safety nets.

It also includes provisions for tax incentives and encourages government banks and financial institutions to extend preferential support to agricultural and fisheries cooperatives, strengthening their capacity to achieve economies of scale and participate in negotiated procurement under the Sagip Saka Act.

Pangilinan is likewise pushing for the passage of a separate measure that would renationalize agricultural extension services, which he said is necessary “to address precisely that serious and wide gap in terms of agricultural governance sa bansa.”

The proposed extension bill aims to deploy service workers down to the municipal level to ensure faster and more efficient delivery of government programs and assistance to farmers and fisherfolk.

He described the twin measures as long-term investments in expanding and strengthening the country’s food supply system, noting that producers need not only subsidies but also access to training in climate-smart agriculture, modern technologies, and insurance.

“In the end Mr. President, when I was food security secretary in 2014 and 2015, the country was importing 10 billion dollars worth of agriculture products. Today, 10 years later, we are importing double. 20 billion dollars worth of agriculture products. It is not right,” Pangilinan said in his sponsorship speech for Senate Bill 1991 under Committee Report No. 53.

“We have to correct, Mr. President – the broken system of agriculture systems in the country. Mahirap pa rin ang ating mga magsasaka. Baon pa sa mga utang. Puro import pa ang nangyayari sa ating pagkain kaya these twin measures Mr. President that will re-structure the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Mr. President, I believe is the way forward,” he added.

The senator emphasized that food security should remain a top national priority, urging lawmakers to fast-track the passage of the measures to better shield the country from future food crises.

-Paraluman News