Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is urging Malacañang to issue an executive order that will direct national government agencies and local government units to buy food directly from farmers and fisherfolk under the landmark Sagip Saka Act, which allows for such kinds of purchases without public bidding.
Speaking during the Senate Committee on Finance’s budget deliberation for the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the senator raised the issue of the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Law—which he authored and passed in 2019–to empower farmers and fisherfolk, jumpstart rural development, and achieve food security.
“In fact, I was suggesting an executive order by Malacanang to include the floor price for palay if the government chooses to purchase palay from the farmers for their own calamity relief, rice distribution (programs),” he said.
“I want to reiterate that if an executive order by the President can be issued—that for purchases of the government of local and national of palay during this harvest season—dapat may floor price para mapilitan din ang ating mga traders makisabay,” he explained.
Pangilinan cited the cases of the Camarines Sur Multipurpose Cooperative, the Sorsogon LGU, and Valenzuela City.
He recalled that it was during the COVID-19 pandemic that 13 LGUs bought rice directly from the Camarines Sur Multipurpose Cooperative, raising their sales from P7 million in 2019 to P62 million by the third quarter of 2020.
“When you buy local, that is the net effect. You’re actually bringing back the money to the local and therefore, creating a strong local economy,” he said.
In Sorsogon, traders were forced to buy palay for P23 per kilo from the previous P13 a kilo after the local government purchased it at P20 per kilo, which the senator stated proved his point that traders can pay the farmers more if there is competition with the local government itself.
He also pointed out how Valenzuela City saved P15 per kilo of rice after purchasing it directly from farmers—maximizing the government’s budget, helping more of the city’s constituents, and improving the income of farmers.
Noting that the government spends billions of pesos on its food programs, Pangilinan—a long-time champion of the country’s agricultural sector—is pushing for the inclusion of the Sagip Saka Act as a “special provision” in the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to encourage the national and local governments to purchase directly from farmers and fisherfolk without public bidding.