Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Monday urged structural reforms to empower farmers’ and fishers’ organizations, emphasizing that effective agricultural modernization requires strong cooperatives and active extension services at the grassroots level.
Pangilinan, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, made the call during a public hearing on Senate Bills 389 and 1183 (the proposed Agricultural Cooperatives Act) and Senate Bill 1182 (the National Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System Act).
He noted that previous efforts in 2012 and 2024 to organize vegetable and fruit farmers had limited success despite training and support from the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and local government units.
“Hangga’t walang ‘boots on the ground’ ang DA, hindi mapapalakas ng husto ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” Pangilinan said. “As long as the DA has no boots on the ground, we won’t be able to fully strengthen our farmers and fishers.”
The proposed measures aim to establish a Bureau of Agricultural Cooperatives and re-nationalize extension services, ensuring farmers and fishers are organized and supported throughout the production and marketing chain.
“Unless we organize our farmers and fisherfolks, we will never modernize our agriculture. That’s how important these twin measures are,” Pangilinan stressed, adding that the DA backs the bills and that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has highlighted the crucial role of extension services and cooperatives based on his experience as a former local chief executive.
Senator Raffy Tulfo also voiced support, noting that cooperatives enable agricultural workers to tackle challenges collectively while improving the delivery of government services. He raised concerns over persistent gaps in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, where many farmers remain unregistered, preventing them from receiving government aid.
“Ang daming tulong ng gobyerno ang hindi nakakarating dahil hindi rehistrado ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” Tulfo said.
Monday’s hearing marked the second discussion on the proposed measures, following a technical working group session focused on organizing farmers and fishers through cooperatives and extension services.
