The Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation has given the green light to the Philippine Agriculturists Act, aiming to enhance the regulatory framework for the agriculture profession. Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who introduced the bill, has urged the formation of a technical working group to refine the committee report before the legislative session ends.
Zubiri plans to present the bill for discussion on Wednesday afternoon, with hopes of finalizing it upon the Senate’s return. He emphasized the urgency of passing the bill before the 2025 mid-term elections and suggested that the process could be completed by January. He also stressed the importance of coordinating with the House of Representatives to avoid delays, proposing a swift bicameral conference or direct adoption of the better version of the bill.
Co-authored by Senators Zubiri and Ramon Revilla Jr., the Act aims to raise the bar for the agriculture profession by establishing the Professional Regulatory Board of Agriculture under the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). The Board will include a chairperson and five members, each specializing in different agricultural fields such as crop science, animal science, soil science, crop protection, agricultural economics/business/entrepreneurship, and agricultural extension and communication.
The Board’s responsibilities will include overseeing the licensure, registration, and practice of registered agriculturists, as well as evaluating conditions that impact agricultural practices to improve the profession. The proposed legislation also includes provisions for registering agriculturists without an examination for those with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from recognized institutions, holders of postgraduate Agriculture degrees, and individuals with at least five years of experience in the agriculture sector.
Furthermore, the Act stipulates that only registered agriculturists can use the title “Registered Agriculturalist (R.Agr)” and sets a minimum base salary for those employed in government or state universities and colleges at Salary Grade 13.