𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

PAA Chairperson Dr. Roberto F. Rañola, Jr.; Rep. Loreto B. Acharon; Rep. Augustina Dominique C. Pancho; House Committee Chair on Civil Service and Professional Regulation Alexie Kristine Besas-Tutor; Rep. Gabriel Bordado, Jr.; PRB Agriculture Chair Dr. Emma K. Sales; PAA President Dr. Karen S. Bautista; PRB Agriculture member Dr. Anabelle Sarabia; PAA Vice President Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr.; with LeMMCAP representatives, and CHED representatives witness the approval of PA Bill (1st Reading) in Congress.

During its first reading session, the House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation deliberated on the Philippine Agriculturists Bill (PA Bill) and declared its eventual approval last May 22.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐀 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐰 (𝐏𝐑𝐋) 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 who play a crucial role in implementation of programs and projects on food and nutrition security in the country. At present, Agriculture is the remaining profession, among the 46 PRC-regulated professions, that does not have an enabling law or PRL.

In earlier reports, the PA Bill was filed under House Bill No. 9725 late last December 2023 with a parallel Senate Bill No. 2535 in January this year. The Bill aims to establish a more relevant and responsive legal regulatory framework for the practice of the agriculture profession through the “administration of transparent, credible, and relevant licensure examinations, a system of registration, and [continuing] professional development programs and activities.”

The PA Bill moves to the subsequent stages of the legislative process as policymakers continue to make necessary amendments and deliberations for further refinement of its provisions.

As one of the torchbearers of the Bill, the Philippine Association of Agriculturists, Inc. (PAA), led by Dr. Karen S. Bautista, PAA National President; Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez Jr, PAA National Vice President; and Dr. Roberto F. Rañola, Jr., PAA Chairperson, is hopeful that it will smoothly pass the subsequent readings.

The second reading of the PA Bill will commence after the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. The PAA and PRC Board of Agriculture will double their effort to seek support for the third and final reading of the Bill in the House of Representatives;and facilitate its deliberation in the Senate before the end of the 19th Congress.

If passed into law, the Philippine Agriculturists Act is poised to strengthen the professionalization of agriculture and protect the rights of Filipino agriculturists in terms of security of tenure and compensations, among other provisions.