presidents and their agri priorities

1. PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE
OVER THE YEARS
Mary Yole Apple Declaro-Ruedas
Associate Professor V
Occidental Mindoro State College

2. DURING THE SPANISH ERA

3. •Spaniards offered local and foreign
scholarships, grants and endowment fund for
a professorial chair in agriculture and
establish an academy of design.
•Introduced and acclimatized the myrrh birds
(martinez) from China to fight against
migratory locust infestation in the Philippines.

4. •Plan General Economico included the
income generating monopolies of
tobacco, jareca nut, spirituous liquors
and explosives.
•Gave incentives by awarding cash
prizes and medals of recognition for
excellence in farming indigo, spices,
cotton, cultivating mulberry for silk
production and bee-keeping.

5. DURING THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION

6. •Created the then Department of
Agriculture and Manufacturing through a
presidential proclamation on June 23 1898.
•A homestead Law was passed, giving
every Filipino citizen the opportunity to
acquire at least 24 hectares of land
safeguarded by the Torrens Act.

7. • In 1902, the Bureau of Agriculture , now
the Bureau of Plant Industry was created
to promote agriculture. Experimental and
model farms were established, plant pests
were gradually exterminated, modern
tractors and farm machinery were
introduced, and the people were taught
modern methods of cultivation.

8. PRESIDENT MANUEL L. QUEZON

9.  People were encouraged to go into
agricultural business especially people in
Mindanao where favorable climatic condition
is available since food is highly needed during
these times.
 Due to financial shortage, information were
not passed and shared to farmers.
 Trading of agricultural products between the
Philippines and US increased.
 Division of Soil Survey was created to
undertake soil and agronomical survey.

10. PRESIDENT JOSE P. LAUREL

11. • This period was called “the rude
awakening” because it was realized that the
Philippines did not raise enough food for
the people and have been dependent all
along upon other countries for its
deficiency in rice and other cereals.
• He tried to have a gradual but determined
reorientation of the economy from
dependence upon raw materials exports to
increasing reliance upon the home market.

12. PRESIDENT MANUEL A. ROXAS

13. • Giving parity rights to the Americans: - the
disposition, exploitation, development and
utilization of all agricultural, timber and
mineral lands of the public domain, waters,
minerals, coal, petroleum, and other natural
resources of the Philippines
• Established the Rehabilitation Finance
Corporation (RFC, later changed to
Development Bank of the Philippines) for the
rehabilitation and development of
agriculture among others.

14. PRESIDENT ELPIDIO QUIRINO

15. • The Bureau of Agricultural Extension was
established. He made the rice industry the first
commodity sector to have an integrated national
planning. There was an intensive rehabilitation of
the rice, corn, tobacco, fiber, sugar, livestock, fishery
and mining industries begun.
• Congress passed the Rural Bank Act in 1952 which
authorized the organization of a system of rural
banks with substantial capital participation of the
government.
• Congress also created the Agricultural Credit and
Cooperative Financing Administration (ACCFA) which
was authorized to organize the Farmers Cooperative
Marketing Associations (FACOMAS) and to extend
low cost loans to them.

16. PRESIDENT RAMON MAGSAYSAY

17. • The Philippines actively pursued an import-
substitution strategy to achieve higher employment,
reduce domestic inflation and market interest rates
with the goal of creating stronger economic growth
and accelerating modernization and industrialization.
• The Philippines became a member of the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
• The National Rice and Corn Production Program were
launched coupled with the creation of the Rice and
Corn Coordinating Council, the forerunner of the
National Food and Agriculture Council (NFAC) which is
now the National Agricultural and Fishery Council
(NAFC).

18. PRESIDENT CARLOS P. GARCIA

19. • Austerity program – urged the people to lead simple
lives and do away with luxurious lifestyles. He
emphasized the values, wise spending, industry,
thrift, trustworthiness, integrity and honesty.
Government officials and employees were
reminded that public office is a public trust and that
graft and corruption destroy the people’s trust in
government. Graft and corruption was not totally
eliminated but his efforts were timely in
strengthening the people’s faith and confidence in
the democratic process.
• The Filipino First Policy – encourage the people to
patronize Philippine-made products and to promote
Filipino labor.
• Cultural Revival

20. PRESIDENT DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

21. • Believed that research will make full and
comprehensive solution to our rice
problem. It is for this reason that he
allowed the establishment of the
International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) in our land.
• Dissected the problem of the sugar
industry.

22. PRESIDENT FERDINAND E. MARCOS

23. • Agricultural Republic Act 6389 – automatic conversion
of share tenency to leasehold and a retention rate of
75 to 24 hectares must be lowered and the creation
of DAR. A failure because it provided for the right to
eject the lessee for having failed to adopt proven farm
practice. Risk minimizers rather than profit
maximizer.
• A balanced Agro-Industrialized Economy
• Farmers without land was resettled in agricultural
settlements owned by the government. Average farm
lot is 6 has.

24. • Breakthrough to self sufficiency for about 2 years
only through MASAGANA 99, a massive dispersal of
a modern package of technology (HYV’s, fertilizers
and pesticides), the extension of supervised credit
without collateral, dispersal of agricultural
extension workers to facilitate technology transfer,
utilization of mass media to disseminate
information, and total coordinated government
management of the program.
• Sugar industry provides the country with a stable
flow of foreign exchange earnings and employment
for a great number of Filipinos.
• Replanting program for coconut

25. PRESIDENT CORAZON C. AQUINO

26. • Comprehensive and genuine agrarian
reform program with some supports as
credit, marketing and technology
• Uplift the farmers from poverty, ignorance
and stagnation
• Make the farmers useful, dignified,
responsible and progressive partners in
nation building
• Distribute portions of public lands through
resettlement
• Lend idle private lands to the landless

27. • Encourage voluntary land sharing
protection
• Shortlived due to the destabilizing effect of
the various military coups mounted against
Aquino Administration.
• Nonetheless, Aquino government was able
to lay the foundation for which succeeding
administrations could proceed to develop
the countryside.
• signed Executive Order 116 that created the
ATI.

28. PRESIDENT FIDEL V. RAMOS

29. • Too preoccupied with industrializing the economy by the year
2000 that it failed to give the appropriate financial support
and attention on developing the Philippine Agriculture for the
World Trade.
• Except for livestock and export crops such as banana and
pineapple all agricultural commodities suffered a decline in
productivity.
• Initiated the MTADP (Medium Term Agricultural Development
Plan) –in 4 programs
GPEP – Grains Production Enhancement Program
KCCDP – Key Commercial Crops Development Program
MTLDP – Medium Term Livestock Development Program
MTFMDP – Medium Term Fisheries Management
Development Program
• Intensified Delivery of Support Service
• Adopted GATT Safety Measures.

30. PRESIDENT JOSEPH E. ESTRADA

31. • Continue the program of President Ramos
• More focused on crime prevention and on
constitutional correction for development
(CONCORD)
• Little evidence that the agricultural policies and
institutions were moving in right directions because
he further centralize the distribution of tents and
dispensation of political favors which perpetuate
ineffective government programs.
• Agrikulturang Makamasa – continue the activities
of Gintong Ani.
• Approved the implementation of Biotechnology in
the country.

32. PRESIDENT GLORIA M. ARROYO

33. • Ensured the yearly funding of AFMA . (includes
yearly loan releases of more than P10B from LBP.
• GMA-CARES (Ginintuang Masaganang Ani-
Countrywide Assistance for Rural Employment and
Services. – provide sustainable credit for small
borrowers and marginalized groups in the country.
• Hybrid Rice Commercialization Program – to
promote widespread use of hybrid rice seeds in the
country in order to enhance farmers’ productivity
and income and to generate employment in the
rural areas.
• Commodity Programs

34. PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. AQUINO

35. The Vision for the Philippines:
A country with…
1. A re-awakened sense of right and wrong, through
the living examples of our highest leaders;
2. An organized and widely-shared rapid expansion
of our economy through a government dedicated to
honing and mobilizing our people’s skills and
energies as well as the responsible harnessing of our
natural resources;
3. A collective belief that doing the right thing does
not only make sense morally, but translates into
economic value as well;
4. Public institutions rebuilt on the strong solidarity of
our society and its communities.