The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) convened stakeholders on February 18, 2026, in Quezon City to gather feedback on the proposed Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries Development (PCAFD) Act, a measure aimed at institutionalizing and strengthening the Council’s mandate through legislation. The proposed law seeks to transform PCAF into a permanent, development-oriented, and participatory body, providing a convergence platform for farmers, fisherfolk, the private sector, and government agencies.
The PCAFD is envisioned to improve multisectoral coordination, not only within the Department of Agriculture (DA) but also with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). It aims to bridge policy formulation and implementation by grounding programs in stakeholder inputs and field realities.
During the consultation, Ernesto Ordonez of Alyansa Agrikultura pointed out that the proposal was initiated by PCAF Chief Executive Officer and DA Undersecretary Philip C. Young. He further emphasized that the measure does not separate from PCAF but rather expands its mandate—from a purely consultative role to a more development-oriented function. He also underscored that pilot testing must be coordinated with the DA and implementing agencies to avoid duplication, and that the proposal for two Deputy Executive Directors should be clearly justified.
Stakeholders generally expressed support for the bill, while raising concerns on mandate clarity, research functions, pilot testing, and potential overlap with agencies, such as: the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC). Benedicto Alves of the Davao Regional Integrated Mango Agribusiness Council (DRIMACO) highlighted the importance of a scientific validation and industry analysis before pilot implementation to ensure sound policy decisions.
In response, PCAF Officer-in-Charge Deputy Executive Director Cyril Soliaban explained that the draft bill includes criteria for pilot testing and scaling, and establishes a Technical Review Committee, which will be detailed in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). Research, when necessary, may be commissioned to appropriate agencies, focusing on research for development (R4D) rather than duplicating academic mandates. He also stressed that PCAFD’s role will remain primarily coordinative and facilitative, consistent with existing laws, such as: the Sagip Saka Act.
The discussion also covered institutional capacity, funding, and governance mechanisms. Initial funding of Php 50 million is proposed for the first year, with succeeding budgets tied to a percentage of the PCAF allocation. Soliaban noted that pilot projects would require coordination and possible resource-sharing with implementing agencies. Provisions on monitoring, evaluation, and scaling frameworks are included to track implementation, lessons learned, and policy impact, while updates on policy resolutions are currently being consolidated and published on the PCAF website.
Stakeholders also emphasized the need for stronger civil society participation, full value-chain representation—including processors and exporters—market-linked and data-driven programs, and enhanced information dissemination at regional levels. There was broad agreement that the strengthened body should serve as an inclusive convergence platform linking farmers, processors, markets, and government institutions.
The consultation concluded with stakeholders expressing strong support for institutionalizing PCAF through legislation. The next steps include inter-agency calibration, refinement of the draft bill, presentation to the relevant Committee, securing endorsement from the Secretary of Agriculture, and formal submission to Congress for deliberation.| Jane Briña
