The Magsasaka Partylist seeks anew to represent farmers and fisherfolk in the House of Representatives, hoping to continue to pursue a legislative agenda that would protect and ensure the welfare of its constituents.
Rep. Argel Joseph Cabatbat will still be its first nominee but the partylist group vowed to campaign harder to ensure additional seats for its nominees.
Cabatbat, a lawyer, is a son of farmers from Guimba in Nueva Ecija.
Cabatbat is in the third year of his term as MPL representative and is considered as a productive neophyte solon being the principal author of 139 bills, and co-author of 73 House bills.
Among his legislation is the institutionalization of the ‘One Town, One Product’ (OTOP) Philippines Program which was passed by the House of Representatives this year in an overwhelming vote of 255-0. OTOP aims to promote inclusive and sustainable economic development by providing the necessary support to micro-, small- and medium-scale enterprises in the countryside. The program is also meant to generate more jobs and promote local products, skills and local traditions across the Philippines.
In April 2020, Cabatbat initiated the Magsasaka Outlet, a group that directly links farmers and consumers to ensure fair trade. At the height of the pandemic, the Outlet donated produce to community pantries.
On behalf of MPL, the legislator likewise called for a review of the Rice Tariffication Law when it allowed imports to the detriment of local crops.
The group also helped enact separate acts declaring coconut levy assets as a trust fund, and improving the confirmation process for imperfect land titles.