Public Consultation on the Draft IRR of RA 12215 Jumpstarts at the 22nd LeMMCAP Convention

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 (𝗧𝗪𝗚) 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗥𝗖-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 (𝗣𝗥𝗖-𝗣𝗥𝗕 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗜𝗻𝗰. (𝗣𝗔𝗔) 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝗜𝗥𝗥) 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗰𝘁 (𝗥𝗔) 𝟭𝟮𝟮𝟭𝟱 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝘁.

In February 2025, PRC-PRB Agriculture Chairperson Dr. Emma K. Sales and PAA Chairperson Dr. Roberto F. Rañola, Jr. designated Dr. Karen S. Bautista to lead the joint PAA and PRC-PRB Agriculture TWG on the formulation of the IRR of RA 1221. Dr. Bautista, PAA Immediate Past President and the current Chair of PAA’s Policy Advocacy Committee, prepared the first working draft of the IRR based on the approved Senate Bill No. 2906 which was adopted by the House of Representatives and submitted to the Office of the President.

The draft IRR was subjected to a comprehensive review of the joint TWG from March to April 2025. It was then circulated to the PAA Executive Committee and Regional Chapter Officers for comments and suggestions. Hence, with the enactment of RA 12215 in May 2025, the draft IRR was likewise ready for presentation to the general public.

On behalf of the Joint PRC-PRB Agri and PAA TWG, Dr. Bautista took the stage as she facilitated the first public consultation of the draft IRR during the 22nd League of Municipal Agricultural Officers, Municipal and City Agriculturists in the Philippines (LeMMCAP) National Convention held at the Philippine Trade Center, Pasay City last 2-6 June 2025. It is only fitting to hold the first public consultation of the IRR during the LeMMCAP National Convention, considering that 39% of registered agriculturists are working at the Local Government Units (LGUs).

Dr. Bautista presented the salient points where one of the crucial concerns raised is the conduct of a focused group discussion (FGD) with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to strengthen the implementation of PA Act in the LGUs across the country.

Before the passing of RA 12215, other registered professionals in Agricultural Biosystems Engineering (ABE), Fisheries Technology, and Veterinary Medicine can occupy agriculturist plantilla positions in the national and local government offices. However, agricultural professionals are not allowed to occupy the same technical positions in other professions. This non-exclusivity poses limited employment opportunities for registered agriculturists, bringing about challenges in the agriculture workforce.

By acknowledging the crucial role of agriculturists in the Philippine agricultural development and food security, this historic law seeks to improve the welfare and status of the country’s agriculture professionals. Also provided in the draft IRR that faculty members who teach agricultural courses in State Colleges and Universities (SUCs) shall be registered agriculturists.

In her presentation, Dr. Bautista emphasized the importance of an IRR to ensure that the provisions in the new law will be adopted in a smooth transition. She further emphasized how the IRR sets clear guidelines for the creation of a Professional Regulatory Law (PRL) that ensures supervision and regulation of the agriculture profession, provision of continuing professional development (CPD) units for licensed agriculturists, and the promotion of equitable welfare and benefits in the agricultural sector.

The draft IRR of RA 12215 outlines five rules: Title, Declaration of Policy, Objectives, and Definition of Terms; Professional Regulatory Board of Agriculture; Licensure Examination and Registration; Practice of Agriculture Profession; and Penal and Final Provision. To gather input and feedback from various stakeholders in the agricultural sector, the IRR will undergo a series of sectoral and regional consultation meetings from June until the end of July with its national consultation to be held at the 12th PAA Summit and 2025 Congress.

The joint TWG on the formulation of IRR for PA Act comprises officials from the PRC-PRB Agriculture—Dr. Emma K. Sales, Dr. Annabelle S. Sarabia, Dr. Eric S. Palacpac, Dr. Anastacia D. Notarte, Dr. Maria Eden S. Piadozo, and Dr. Lilia Portales—and PAA national officers—Dr. Roberto F. Rañola, Jr., Dr. Karen S. Bautista, Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., Mr. Ramon Oliveros, Mr. Art Barria, Dr. Virginia R. Cardenas, and Dr. Rosalina T. Lapitan.

Please visit the following link for a comprehensive presentation of the draft IRR as presented by Dr. Bautista: https://www.facebook.com/paa.org.ph/videos/749961344210593