REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2084 - AN ACT TO
PROMOTE RICE AND CORN PRODUCTION |
Section 1. This
Act shall be known as the Rice and Corn Production Act of 1958.cralaw Sec. 2. It is hereby declared to be the national
policy to attain self-sufficiency in rice and corn at the earliest
possible time and to provide adequate measures to insure permanent
stability in the production of these cereals by marshalling all
government agencies to increase rice and corn production at a minimum
cost. Sec. 4. The rice and corn production program envisioned in this Act shall cover the following phases considered necessary to achieve the immediate objective of increased production of rice and corn, as follows: (1) research and experimentation of seed varieties for both rice and corn; (2) production and distribution of registered and certified seeds; (3) procurement and distribution of certified fertilizers and soil conditioners; (4) control of plant pests and plant animal diseases; (5) public agricultural information, including demonstration farms; and (6) purchase of modern rice and corn processing mills.cralaw Sec. 5. During the first, second, third, and fourth years of the program, there shall be established under the direct supervision and control of the Coordinating Council the following administrative divisions, namely: (1) Fertilizers and Soil Conditioner Development, (2) Irrigation Development, and (3) Mechanization Development. These three divisions are created to plan, organize, and execute the long-range objectives of the program to insure permanent stability in the production of rice and corn. The major functions, respectively, shall be (1) to make surveys of fertilizer and soil conditioner sources in the Philippines; (2) to administer the plans ford in the construction of self-help communal irrigation system in unirrigated rice regions by duly organized communal irrigation associations with a view to increasing acreage of irrigated ricelands for rice production; and (3) to acquire, purchase, and make available all mechanized farm implements acquired under this Act and to administer tractor pools that the Coordinating Council may organize for the purpose of increasing acreage for corn production.cralaw Sec. 6. The ACCFA under the supervision of the
Rice and Corn Coordinating Council is charged with the purchase,
distribution, sale and collection of payments for fertilizers and soil
conditioners purchased under this Act and sold or advanced to farmers
under the loan plan herein provided, in accordance with such policies,
rules and regulations approved by the Council as will insure the
equitable distribution of fertilizers and soil conditioners to farmers
based on a farmers census consisting of such farmers registered as
directly cooperating in the increased production program and to insure
further that fertilizers and soil conditioners issued under this Act
shall be used for the purpose they are intended and not channeled to
the black market: Provided, That fertilizers and soil conditioners
shall be sold in cash or advanced, payable in palay or corn at the end
of the harvest; that the quantity of fertilizers and soil conditioners
to be sold to farmers per hectare shall be in accordance with a
schedule determined by the Council on the basis of the farm area
actually under cultivation; that if sold in cash, payment shall not
exceed fifty per cent of procurement, handling, and storage cost; that
if advanced, payable in palay or corn, computation shall be based on
cash value of fifty per cent of the procurement, handling and storage
of the fertilizer and soil conditioner and the government price for
palay or corn: Provided, further, That fertilizers and soil
conditioners shall be procured first from locally produced supplies
which shall not exceed the cost of imported fertilizers and the balance
shall be filled through importation after a public bidding conducted by
a Committee composed of the Secretary of Finance or his representative
as Chairman, the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources or his
representative, the Secretary of General Services or his representative
and the Administrator of the ACCFA or his representative as members:
Provided, finally, That no fertilizer and soil conditioner shall be
sold to farmers without prior soil analysis.cralaw Sec. 7. The Bureau of Plant Industry shall be
charged with the production and administration of certified seeds,
until later changed by law, including its purchase and sale to bona
fide farmers with priority to farmers included in the census of
registered farmers under the supervision and control of the Rice and
Corn Coordinating Council in accordance with rules and regulations
promulgated by the Council: Provided, That the price for certified
seeds shall not exceed the government procurement cost, including
handling and storage charges: Provided, further, That the recipients of
such selected seeds shall not resell or utilize the same for purposes
other than for planting.cralaw Sec. 8. Insecticides, pesticides, and other
supplies used for pest control shall be sold for cash not to exceed
fifty per cent of procurement, handling and storage cost or may be
advanced payable in palay or corn at harvest time. If payable in palay
or corn, computation shall be based on the cash value and government
price of the cereal at the time of harvest. The importation of
insecticides shall be exempt from the payment of all taxes, including
import duties. All funds derived from the sale of insecticides,
pesticides and other supplies, shall be used exclusively for the
prosecution of the pest control program under this Act. Section 10. There shall be appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of ten million pesos, fifteen million pesos, twenty million pesos and twenty million pesos for the fiscal years nineteen hundred fifty-eight-nineteen hundred fifty-nine, nineteen hundred fifty-nine-nineteen hundred sixty, nineteen hundred sixty-nineteen hundred sixty-one and nineteen hundred sixty-one-nineteen hundred sixty-two, respectively, for the purpose of this Act.cralaw Section 11. Subject to adjustments that the Council
may deem necessary, the financing of the four-year rice and corn
production program should follow the following schedule: Section 13. All irrigation projects for areas included under the rice and corn production program under this Act shall be communal in nature and the same shall be constructed and administered by the Bureau of Public Works.cralaw Section 14. It shall be the function of the
Mechanization Development Division created under this Act to coordinate
the procurement activities of the Council with the Department of
General Services for the purchase of tractors: Provided, however, That
to complement the mechanization program, the Bureau of Animal Industry
shall procure from the funds thereof additional work animals for sale
to farmers on installments basis: Provided, however, That irrespective
of source, the small diesel-fed and multi-purpose tractor which will
not displace farm labor shall be preferred. The Coordinating Council,
upon the advice of the Director of Animal Industry, shall promulgate
the policies, rules and regulations on disposition of work animals
acquired under this Act.cralaw Section 15. The President of the Philippines shall,
from time to time and through executive orders, direct and define the
participation of the provincial, city, municipal, municipal district
and barrio elective officials in the implementation of the said
national policy. Section 17. The rules and regulations herein authorized to be promulgated as well as the amendments thereto shall take effect thirty days after their publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in Manila.cralaw Section 18. The Rice and Corn Coordinator shall render a yearly report to the President of the Philippines, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the operation of the program.cralaw Section 19. This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.cralaw Approved: June 15, 1958 |