Agriculture is a neglected regulated profession in the Philippines

Agriculturists are the only regulated professionals in the Philippines who do not have their own professional board law.

by Earwin A. Belen

Disclaimer: I am the current Chapter President of the Philippine Association of Agriculturists-National Capital Region Nila (Scyphiphora) Chapter. Opinions written on this article does not necessarily reflect the sentiments of my Organization.

Regulating the Agriculture Profession

In December 1997, former President Fidel V. Ramos signed the RA 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act that aims to “encourage horizontal and vertical integration, consolidation and expansion of agriculture and fisheries activities, group functions and other services through the organization of cooperatives, farmers’ and fisherfolk’s associations, corporations, nucleus estates, and consolidated farms and to enable these entities to benefit from economies of scale, afford them a stronger negotiating position, pursue more focused, efficient and appropriate research and development efforts and enable them to hire professional managers.” (Section 3.d., RA 8435; emphasis mine)

The same law provides for the creation of the Professional Board of Agriculture:

SEC. 75. Agriculture and Fisheries Board. — There shall be created an Agriculture and Fisheries Board in the Professional Regulation Commission to upgrade the Agriculture and Fisheries profession.

Those who have not passed the Civil Service Examination for Fisheries and Agriculture but have served the industry in either private or public capacity for not less than five (5) years shall be automatically granted eligibility by the Board of Examiners.

The first board of examination for B.S. Fisheries and/or Agriculture Graduates shall be conducted within one (1) year from the approval of this Act.

After this very section, the Law was silent about how the practice of agriculture will be regulated. In fact, it was after two years that the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) approved the PRC Board Resolution 2000–663 which formally created the Board of Agriculture under the Commission, together with its sibling profession which is the Board of Fisheries (created under PRC Board Resolution 2000–664).

A Neglected Profession

For almost 23 years, the Agriculture Profession has been neglected and not prioritized. Actually, all of the forty-three (43) regulated professions by the PRC have their own laws, except one. Only the agriculturists are being left behind.

All of its other allied professions have already their own governing Republic Acts:

• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering — RA 10915 or the “Philippine Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Act of 2016”
• Fisheries Technology — RA 11398 or the “Philippine Fisheries Profession Act” (2018)
• Forestry — RA 10690 or the “The Forestry Profession Act” (2014)
• Food Technology — RA 11502 or the “Philippine Food Technology Act” (2017)

All of these Republic Acts were promulgated within the last decade! But for us agriculturists, we only have a board resolution and a small section within the AFMA Law at our disposal.

These questions still linger in my mind:

• How can we, as agriculturists, make a stand for our profession and ask for a better compensation if private companies will not honor our governing “rules”? Also, what is the difference of hiring a licensed one from those who do not have a professional license?
• Some people might wonder, what is the difference between a licensed agriculture professional (who studied at least 4 years for an agriculture degree and took a board exam) to those who took other short agricultural courses? Do we really have to study the science and art of agriculture rather than learn what farmers are doing?
• Can any agriculture graduate (or double-degree, I dunno) can claim that s/he is an agriculturist by profession even if s/he is not licensed? There are also some anecdotal stories that a local chief executive hired non-agriculturists (like nurses) for such positions in the LGUs, which goes against Memorandum Circular 1, series of 2013 by the Civil Service Commission.
• Related to the previous question, can a licensed agricultural engineer, a licensed veterinarian or a licensed fisheries technologist assume an agriculturist plantilla position in the government without an agriculture license? Is the same true for job order and contract-of-service personnel in the government?

Like a Stab in the Heart

There was an experience not so long ago that tested my passion and love for my ‘neglected’ profession.

Earlier this year when I personally met this person who is an esteemed authority in agriculture. Never in my dreams that I thought of asking for an audience from him as we would want to have a “Philippine Agriculturists Month” to celebrate the profession. As our meeting went through, at one point, he shrugged off the value of licensed agriculturists as, according to him (non-verbatim), ‘anyone can practice agriculture, what makes you licensed agriculturists special?’

It was like I was stabbed straight to the heart, hearing these words from him.

I froze in disbelief. I cannot believe what just happened.

Now, few months after that engagement, if I can just tell him:

Sir. We want to professionalize agriculture, much like how engineers or doctors need to become licensed first before they practice their profession. We want to serve our main clientele, the Filipino farmers, to help them achieve their dreams and aspirations by providing them quality services and sound agricultural advices. We want them to escape the poverty rat race by introducing scientific, innovative and proven methods to increase their farm’s productivity. We want to encourage the Filipino youth to consider agriculture as their profession in the future as we strive to eradicate hunger and realize job security in the agriculture sector by 2040.

We are celebrating the professionalization of agriculture. We are taking pride of our achievements as agriculturists, much like how people celebrate a doctor or an engineer in their family. Nurses, teachers, civil engineers and even agricultural engineers have their own celebrations supported by a Presidential Proclamation.

Why can’t we do this for us?

Moving forward

As with my Organization, the Philippine Association of Agriculturists (PAA) has been lobbying for the passage of Philippine Agriculturists Act. I am glad that Senators Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid, and Representatives Gabby Bordado and Charlie Cojuangco have thrown their support in sponsoring the bills to their respective houses.

But this is just the beginning. With the on-going pandemic and other government priorities, this will go a long way.

I call on my fellow agriculturists and those who support the cause to urge your congress representatives and our senators to pass the pending Philippine Agriculturists bills.

I really hope and pray that the representatives, senators and other government officials will hear the plight of the licensed agriculturists and uplift the dignity of these agents of change for Philippine Agriculture.

Earwin A. Belen is a Licensed Agriculturist.