Marcos Goes All-In on Farmers — Ready to Fast-Track Agriculture Cooperatives Act

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signaled he's ready to certify the proposed Agriculture Cooperatives Act of 2025 as urgent, a move that would fast-track its passage through Congress and get it implemented sooner. The announcement came after a meeting with Senator Francis Pangilinan and agriculture stakeholders at Malacañang on Tuesday.

The Presidential Communications Office confirmed the development, saying Marcos wants the bill approved "as soon as possible." The proposed law aims to strengthen agricultural cooperatives as key partners in national food security and rural development — basically empowering farmer organizations to collectively buy inputs, process products, and negotiate better market prices.

This isn't a standalone effort, though. The Agriculture Cooperatives Act is part of a broader reform package that includes the Agricom Act and the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act. Together, these measures are designed to raise farmers' incomes, improve agricultural services, and strengthen support systems for producers across the country.

The meeting also tackled possible amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which liberalized rice imports back in 2019. While the RTL established the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund to help farmers through mechanization, seeds, credit, and training, critics have long argued it hurt local rice growers by flooding the market with cheap imports. Marcos is now studying proposals to tweak the law.

The Tuesday sit-down was a high-level affair — Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, and NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan were all in attendance. The message is clear: the administration is treating agriculture reform as a top priority. Para sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda, sana naman this time, the support actually reaches them on the ground.

Source: The Manila Times / ABS-CBN News