MANILA – Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Monday led a public hearing on proposed measures seeking to revive the Bureau of Agriculture Cooperatives and renationalize agricultural extension services to modernize the country’s agriculture sector and boost support for farmers and fisherfolk.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, Pangilinan presided over discussions on his proposed Senate Bill No. 1182, or the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act of 2025, and Senate Bill No. 1183, or the Agricultural Cooperatives Act of 2025, as well as Senate Bill No. 389 filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, during the committee hearing on January 26.

“Structural reforms ang kinakailangan natin para mapalakas ang hanay ng mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” Pangilinan said. “Unless we organize our farmers and fisherfolk, we will never modernize our agriculture. That’s how important these twin measures are.”

In his opening statement, Pangilinan recalled organizing a training on organic vegetable farming for farmers in 2012 while managing his farm in Alfonso, Cavite.

He said the more than 40 vegetable and fruit farmers who joined the training were unable to form a cooperative due to a lack of government support.

While Pangilinan commended the assistance provided by the Agricultural Training Institute, the Department of Agriculture-Region IV-A, and local government units, he pointed to gaps that continue to hinder the strengthening of farmers’ associations and organizations.

“Which is why I therefore concluded after two farm field school experiences in a 10-year or 12-year period na hanggat walang ‘boots on the ground’ ang DA, hindi mapapalakas ng husto ang ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” he said.

“At mananatiling kapos, mananatiling hindi productive, bagsak ang yields, kapos ang kita, ibebenta na lang ang lupa dahil kahit anong intervention natin sa taas, kung hindi organisado sa baba, para lang tayong puro ‘drawing’,” Pangilinan added.

During the hearing, Pangilinan received recommendations, comments, and expressions of support from representatives of various government agencies and non-government organizations, including the Department of Agriculture and its bureaus, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Cooperative Development Authority, the Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Commission on Audit.

Representatives from industry and sectoral groups such as the Samahan ng Industriya ng Agrikultura, the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines, Inc., and the League of Municipal and City Agriculturist of the Philippines also participated in the discussions.