Just learned that President Duterte signed the “Sagip Saka Act” into law last month. All I can say is, “Wow.”
The impact of this law is potentially massive, because it provides farmers and fisherman assistance in skills development, wider access to financing in the form of credit grants and crop insurance, and access to improved technologies for research and development.
The big-ticket items here are 1) education/training, 2) government support towards modernisation; and 3) credit guarantees on uncollateralised loans, implying our kababayans won’t necessarily have to give up livelihood or property just to pay back the loans.
It also provides tax incentives and exemptions to encourage assistance for farmers and fisherfolk. YAAAAS.
The law also creates the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Council to ensure the proper implementation of the program. It is tremendously encouraging because these men and women form the backbone of our ability to feed the nation, and we need to sow back–pun intended–into their lives so they can continue to do their great and noble work.
I will give the man credit when it’s due. Great big thanks to President Duterte, to the fine men and women of the Department of Agriculture, and to principal author Sen Kiko Pangilinan. Masigabong palapakan.