Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill seeking the establishment of an agriculture information system (AIS) to help ensure an adequate supply of farm products, boost agricultural output, and reduce poverty down the line.
Gatchalian said it is imperative for the government to provide the infrastructure and the mechanism that would help local farmers sell their output where there is demand.
“Our vision is to help our farmers find their markets as this is key in reducing poverty in the country,” Gatchalian said in filing Senate Bill No. 1374.
The measure specifically seeks the creation of the AIS, to be managed by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The AIS will serve as a dynamic online computer database where information on the demand for specific agricultural and fisheries commodities is gathered and uploaded simultaneously with the production data from farmers in every barangay.
Under the bill, the AIS shall merge and synchronize agricultural data from different sources into a cohesive database designed to facilitate linkages from the farm to the intended consumers, including global markets.
“Inaasahan natin na sa pamamagitan ng pagtatatag ng AIS, mas magiging maayos ang kabuhayan ng ating mga magsasaka at makakatulong na solusyunan ang problema ng kagutuman sa bansa (We hope that through the establishment of AIS, the livelihood of our farmers will be better and help solve the problem of hunger in the country),” Gatchalian said.
The senator also said the measure supports the Marcos administration’s goal of ensuring food security, especially during emergencies.
The measure is also in line with a commitment made by the DA to the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that the Philippines will push for the digitalization of the agriculture sector to achieve its goals of reducing poverty and attaining food security.
According to Gatchalian, the proposed AIS was inspired by the Municipal Agricultural Information System developed by the local government of Mina, Iloilo.
He said Mina, Iloilo’s local AIS collects, sorts, evaluates, and utilizes agricultural data on farmers, their families, their activities, land, crop, and livestock production in real-time.
The lawmaker said accurate information on any commodity produced in Mina served as inputs for farmers to market their products outside of their municipality.
It also helped local farmers ensure that they get better prices for their products, eventually helping them to get an improved and stable income.