DA to complete policy review by early 2025 to simplify rules for farmers

FILE PHOTO: Local farmers harvest organic rice in Barangay Pawa, Legazpi City, Albay province on November 24, 2019, Sunday. MARK ALVIC ESPLANA / INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) hopes to complete its ongoing policy review by early next year to streamline and simplify rules governing the Philippine farm sector, its official said.

Agriculture Undersecretary Asis Perez said the review proper will commence next week but certain regulatory agencies under the DA already started their respective internal assessments.

READ: Marcos orders DA to ease import process of agri products

“Hopefully in eight months’ time, it (review of regulations) will be completed… within next year, it should be done. We should see results,” Perez said on the sidelines of an event in Makati City.

The DA promulgated Department Order No. 10 early in June to update existing regulatory policies within the agency.

Among others, all regulatory agencies are ordered to create a regulatory reform committee for “stocktaking” or compiling all regulatory policies relevant to and made by the agency, identify “cumbersome” regulations and prioritize policies for review and improvement.

The committee should also conduct studies or reviews to promote efficient government services and ease of doing business, assess the rules, and determine the effects and implications of adopting a policy option.

Perez said the latest undertaking is part of the agency’s plan to reduce the bureaucratic red tape and processing time and ensure both its developmental and regulatory functions are in place.

The agriculture official said although regulatory agencies under DA focused on enforcing the rules and ensuring the compliance of industry players, the agency itself needs “to be a facilitator of development of the sector.”

READ: Agri dep’t moves to lessen red tape on food imports

Perez said this is also in compliance with the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s (Arta) mandate to address excessive bureaucratic processes and regulatory uncertainties.

Furthermore, the Philippine Development Program (PDP) 2023- 2028 calls on government agencies and local government units to “expedite the elimination of redundant, duplicative, and overlapping regulations.”

According to Perez, concerned regulatory agencies are “in the process” of assessing [the existing rules and regulations].

“I would say everything is urgent,” he said. “It will be premature for me to say which one is most pressing at the moment but I think we look at everything as a priority.”