MANILA - Voting 280-0-0, the House of Representatives has approved on final reading House Bill 7942 which establishes an agriculture information system in all cities and municipalities.

In a statement, Speaker Martin Romualdez said that if enacted, the measure "could pave the way for the full development of the agriculture sector and the attainment of national food security through data-driven science and technology, planning and distribution of resources.”

“Improving, developing and modernizing the farming and fisheries sector is important to us because this area of the economy is one of the country’s largest employers. Millions of our kababayan and their families depend on it. Farming and fishing are their sources of
livelihood and income,” he said.

The House chief added that agriculture could be developed and modernized to its full potential and food security could be attained through the collection of relevant data that could be used for efficient and effective planning and allocation of funds.

The Speaker's office said HB 7942 envisions the Agriculture Information System (AIS) to be “a dynamic online computer database where information on demand for specific agricultural and fisheries commodities is gathered and uploaded simultaneously with the production data from farmers in every barangay.”

It also explained that the AIS will merge and synchronize agricultural data from different sources into a cohesive database designed to facilitate linkages from place of origin or the farm to local, and ultimately global markets.

The Speaker's office said the bill mandates all cities and towns to encourage and facilitate the registration of all farmers, fisherfolk, as well as buyers transacting within their respective areas.

The House will submit the bill to the Senate for action.

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