Law sets up body for agri profession

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., signed into law a measure that will elevate the standards of the agriculture profession in the country through the creation of a dedicated regulatory body.

The Philippine Agriculturists Act, under Republic Act No. 12215, will create the Professional Regulatory Board for Agriculturists to develop and nurture competent, ethical, globally competitive, and well-rounded agriculturists.

“The State recognizes the importance of registered agriculturists in nation-building and development,” the law, signed on May 29, read in part.

Professionalism is intended to be fostered through transparent licensure examinations, a system of registration, and continuous professional development.

The enactment of RA 12215 aligns with the administration’s focus on food security, one of the key priorities under the president’s 10-point agenda for economic renewal and long-term growth.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Labor Force Survey published last month, the country’s employment rate in March 2025 declined year on year.

It attributed the loss to the agriculture and forestry sector, which shed over 600,000 jobs compared to March 2024.

The government declared a “food security emergency” on rice last March due to persistently high prices despite global price reductions and lower tariffs on rice imports last year.

The country also faced a surge in hunger rates in December 2024, with more than a quarter of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger, the worst since September 2020 at the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns, according to the Social Weather Stations. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana