MANILA — Agricultural cooperatives in Cagayan de Oro said their revenues significantly increased following the implementation of the Sagip Saka Act, which allows government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to directly procure produce from farmers and fisherfolk without public bidding.

The Fisherfolk of the Agusan Aquatic Agriculture Cooperative in Barangay Agusan said they earned around P2.79 million in 2025 from fish products supplied to government institutions — a level of income they said they had not imagined before the law took effect.

The cooperative began experiencing improved earnings in 2022 after signing a negotiated contract with the Northern Mindanao Medical Center under the Department of Health (DOH) Region 10.

Through the Sagip Saka law, the group now also supplies three social service centers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Na-enjoy na namin yung Sagip Saka Act na binuo ni Senator Kiko Pangilinan,” the cooperative’s chairperson said during a dialogue this week with Kiko Pangilinan.

“Happy kami sa amin grupo kasi nag-benefit na mga members ko. Kaya nga malaking pasalamat ko sa Department of Agriculture, sa Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, dahil sila ang tumulong sa aming LGU at saka yung barangay council namin.”

The group said it earns about P2.79 million annually — covering labor and net profit — from NMMC alone. Part of the revenue is declared as dividends and distributed among members, who said they plan to start small businesses using their earnings.

The cooperative’s total sales steadily rose from P336,365 in 2019 to P344,900 in 2020, P885,800 in 2021, P1.42 million in 2022, P2.21 million in 2023, P2.86 million in 2024, and P2.788 million in 2025.

Pangilinan, who authored and sponsored the Sagip Saka Act in 2019, welcomed the reported gains.

“Yun ang kailangan nating kwento para kapag nasabi ko sa iba, maniniwala rin sila. Ang gusto kong mangyari sa buong Pilipinas, ang makinabang ang lahat ng fisherfolk sa batas. Sa lahat ng direktang pagbili ng DOH, at sa lahat ng direktang pagbili ng DSWD, dapat ganyan. Panalo ang fisherfolk,” he said.

The chairperson of the Northern Mindanao Federation of Dairy Cooperatives likewise thanked Pangilinan for the law but noted that its full implementation gained traction only after his return to the Senate in 2025.

“Salamat kami nakabalik si Sir Kiko, na-implement na ang Sagip Saka,” he said, while also highlighting the continuing need for farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, crop insurance, and expanded market access.

Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, explained that LGUs play a dual role under the law — as direct buyers and as intermediaries linking government agencies with agricultural cooperatives.

He also expressed support for measures to help farmer groups access government assistance, including facilities and machinery. Among the priority bills he has filed in the current Congress are proposals to restore agricultural extension services down to the municipal level and to strengthen agricultural cooperatives nationwide.

Pangilinan was in the province for a public consultation on the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty bill when he met with local chief executives and cooperative leaders to discuss updates on the implementation of the Sagip Saka Act.