Manila: The House Committee on Agriculture and Food has given the green light to House Bill No. 6689, which aims to establish a Congressional Commission on Agriculture (AGRICOM). This initiative is set to conduct an extensive national review of the Philippines' agricultural sector and propose long-term reforms to enhance food security, improve rural livelihoods, and boost agricultural productivity.
According to Philippines News Agency, the proposed bill seeks to create an independent, multisectoral congressional body. This body will be responsible for reviewing, assessing, and evaluating the current state of Philippine agriculture and agri-food systems. It will also develop targeted policy recommendations to guide the long-term transformation of agriculture in the country.
AGRICOM is envisioned to serve as a legislative policy think tank for Congress, conducting a thorough assessment of agricultural production systems, value chains, institutions, and regulatory frameworks. The commission will be tasked with formulating a 10-year strategic roadmap for agricultural transformation, identifying investment priorities, institutional reforms, workforce development, and innovation strategies for the sector.
The commission will include members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives and will have the autonomy to set its research agenda, analytical methods, and consultation processes. It is expected to operate for three years from its organizational meeting, with a possible two-year extension if further work is deemed necessary by Congress.
The bill also outlines the establishment of a Technical Secretariat, led by an Executive Director, and an Advisory Council consisting of representatives from key stakeholder groups. House Bill No. 6689 was introduced by Leyte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, along with Tingog Party-list Representatives Yedda Marie Romualdez, Andrew Julian Romualdez, and Jude Acidre. This move comes in the wake of renewed national focus on agricultural reform.
In a recent meeting at Malaca±ang, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. instructed the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Reform to collaborate with Congress on creating a congressional commission to review the state of agriculture and guide long-term reforms. During the committee deliberations, Representative Jude Acidre emphasized that the proposed commission is guided by three core principles: comprehensiveness, honesty in assessment, and clarity of purpose.
Acidre highlighted the importance of confronting the realities of the agricultural sector with honesty, stating, "If we are serious about reforming agriculture, we must have the courage to confront its realities as they are. Without that honesty, any reform we attempt will rest on incomplete or distorted information." He further added, "The goal is not simply to study the sector, but to translate that assessment into a clear, long-term roadmap for reform."
Following its approval, the committee adopted HB 6689 as the lead reference bill for drafting a substitute measure that consolidates several proposals aimed at creating a Congressional Commission on Agriculture. A counterpart measure, Senate Bill No. 1624, was approved on third reading on February 18.
