DA-DAR-DOH-DILG-DOST-DTI-TESDA-NCIP

Joint Memorandum Circular

No. 01 Series of 2021

Subject: Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10068 as amended
by Republic Act No. 11511, otherwise known as “Amendment to Organic
Agriculture Act of 2010” (IRR of Organic Agriculture Act as amended by RA
No. 11511)
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Pursuant to the provisions of Section 28 of Republic Act No. 10068, as amended by Republic
Act No. 11511, the member agencies of the National Organic Agriculture Board hereby adopt
and promulgate the following Rules and Regulations:

Section 1. Title – An Act Amending Republic Act No. 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act
of 2010.

Rule 1.1. This Joint Memorandum Circular shall be known as the

Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No.
10068 as amended by Republic Act No. 11511, otherwise
known as “Amendment to Organic Agriculture Act of 2010”,
hereinafter referred to as the “IRR of Organic Agriculture Act
as amended by RA No. 11511.”

Rule 1.2. The provisions of the amended Republic Act No. 10068 are
reproduced herein for reference purposes followed by the
corresponding Rules and Regulations of each Section.

Rule 1.3. The RA No. 11511 was published on January 5, 2021 and
subsequently took effect on January 21, 2021.

Section 2. Declaration of Policy – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote,
propagate, develop further and implement the practice of organic agriculture
in the Philippines that will cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the
soil, increase farm productivity and farmers’ incomes, reduce pollution and
destruction of the environment, prevent the depletion of natural resources,
encourage the participation of indigenous organic farmers in promoting their
sustainable practices, further protect the health of farmers, consumers, and the
general public, save on imported farm inputs and promote food self-
sufficiency. Towards this end, a comprehensive program for the promotion of
community-based organic agriculture systems which include, among others,
farmer-produced organic soil amendments, bio-control agents and other farm
inputs, together with a nation-wide educational and promotional campaign for
their use and processing shall be established.

Likewise, a nationwide educational and awareness campaign among

consumers on the benefits of consuming organic products to boost local
production of organic food and non-food products, as well as the adoption of
an organic agricultural system as a viable alternative shall be undertaken.

The State recognizes and supports the central role of the farmers, indigenous
people and other stakeholders at the grassroots of this program.

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 Rule 2.1. Organic agricultural systems further promote the
development of related community-based industries, namely
organic agriculture, prime habitat and ecotourism, among
others. These communities provide clean, safe, nutritious and
sufficient food, water, air and health conducive environments.
Organic agriculture enhances food sovereignty and
substantially contributes to food security.

Rule 2.2. Organic agricultural system, in its goal to reduce

environmental pollution and ecosystem destruction and,
prevent the depletion of natural resources, shall endeavor to
promote the low carbon development path and its strategies.

Rule 2.3. Organic agriculture boosts community resilience to disaster

risks and climate change vulnerabilities caused by
anthropogenic factors (climatic vulnerabilities and changes
induced by human interventions) and naturally induced
hazards and contributes to risk reduction.

Rule 2.4. The State shall likewise recognize the importance of

indigenous organic farmers, consumers and other vulnerable
stakeholders of the organic farming system at the national and
grassroots levels.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. – For the purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be
defined as follows:

(a) Organic refers to the particular farming and processing systems,

described in the standards and not in the classical chemical sense. The
term “organic” is synonymous in other languages to “biological” or
“ecological”. It is also a labeling term that denotes products considered
organic based on the Philippine National Standards for organic
agriculture.

(b) Organic agriculture includes all agricultural systems that promote the
ecologically sound, socially acceptable, economically viable and
technically feasible production of food and fibers. Organic agriculture
dramatically reduces external inputs by refraining from the use of
chemical fertilizers, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. It also covers areas
such as, but not limited to, soil fertility management, varietal breeding
and selection under chemical and pesticide-free conditions, the use of
biotechnology and other cultural practices that are consistent with the
principles and policies of this Act, and enhance productivity without
destroying the soil and harming farmers, consumers and the
environment as defined by the International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movement (IFOAM): Provided, That the biotechnology
herein referred to shall not include genetically modified organisms or
GMOs.

(c) Organic production system is a system designed to:

(1) Enhance biological diversity within the whole system;

(2) Increase soil biological activity;

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 (3) Maintain long-term soil fertility;

(4) Recycle wastes of plant and animal origin in order to return

nutrients to the land, thus minimizing the use of nonrenewable
resources;

(5) Rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural

systems;

(6) Promote the healthy use of soil, water and air as well as minimize
all forms of pollution thereto that may result from agricultural
practices;

(7) Develop and promote the use of biotechnology in agriculture;

(8) Handle agricultural products with emphasis on careful processing

methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital
qualities of the product at all stages; and

(9) Becomes established on any existing farm through a period of

conversion, the appropriate length of which is determined by site-
specific factors such as the history of the land, and the type of
crops and livestock to be produced.

(d) Conversion period refers to the time between the start of organic
management and the certification of crops, animal husbandry or
aquaculture products as organic.

(e) Biodegradable wastes refer to organic matter for compost/organic

fertilizer for the organic cultivation, farming of food crops and include
discards segregated farm non-biodegradable wastes coming from the
kitchen/household (leftovers, vegetables and fruit peelings and trims,
fish/fowl cleanings, seeds, bones, soft paper used as food wrap and the
like), yard or garden (leaves, grasses, weeds and twigs), market (wilted,
decayed or rotten vegetables and fruits, fish/fowl cleanings, bones) and
farm wastes (grass clippings, dead or decayed plants, leaves, fruits,
vegetables, branches, twigs and the like).

(f) Ecologically sound refers to a state, quality or condition of a product,

practice, system, development mode, culture, environment and the like,
in accord with the 1987 Philippine Constitution, and as expounded in
the above definition of organic agriculture.

(g) Commercialization is a process of introducing a new agricultural and

fishery technology either as product, process or service that has
undergone the intensive innovative activities of assessment, promotion
and transfer for economic benefit.

(h) Certification is the procedure by which a government agency or an

organic certifying body (OCB) provides written or equivalent assurance
that farms, or production and processing systems, conform to organic
standards as mandated in this Act.

(i) Accreditation is the procedure by which a government agency having

jurisdiction formally recognizes the competence of an OCB to provide
inspection and certification services. This shall be solely and exclusively

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 exercised by the designated agency or agencies in this Act, pursuant to
the mandates herein.

(j) First-party certification is defined as when the certification criteria and

rules are set and monitored/enforced by the producer or company
itself.

(k) Second-party certification is defined as when the certification criteria

and rules are set by buyers or industry organizations.

(l) Third-party certification or independent certification is defined as when

a firm requires that its suppliers meet a certain standard and requests
an independent organization that is not involved in the business
relationship to control the compliance of the suppliers.

(m) Organic food establishment refers to an entity, whether local or foreign,

that produces fresh or processed organic food.

(n) Organic input establishment refers to an entity, whether local or foreign

that produces inputs acceptable for organic agriculture.

(o) Inspection is the examination of farms, food and non-food products,

food control systems, raw materials, processing, distribution and
retailing, including in-process and finished product testing, in order to
verify that they conform to the requirements for being organic.
Inspection includes the examination of the production and processing
systems.

(p) Organic bio-control agents refer to organisms and their associated

metabolites as well as naturally occurring substances that control pests
and diseases. These are classified as botanicals, macrobials, microbials,
and semiochemicals.

(q) Organic Certifying Body (OCB) refers to a legal entity accredited by a

government agency to perform inspection and certification activities. It
is responsible for verifying that a product sold or labeled as “organic” is
produced, processed, prepared, or handled according to relevant
guidelines.

(r) Organic soil amendments refer to all the products within the scope of
the Philippine national standard, i.e. organic fertilizers, compost/soil
conditioner, microbial inoculants, and organic plant supplements that
are added to the soil to improve its physical properties.

(s) Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) refers to a locally-focused quality

assurance system that is developed and practiced by people actually
engaged in organic agriculture. It is built on a foundation of trust, social
network and knowledge exchange. It is used to certify producers and
farmers as actual and active practitioners of organic agriculture.

(t) PGS group refers to a legal association or cooperative of registered

farmer members and other stakeholders in a participatory guarantee
system.

(u) Core PGS group refers to the basic grouping unit in the PGS.

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(v) Participatory Organic Certificate refers to a documentary proof that a
core PGS group is compliant with the requirements, standards and
norms of organic farming/agriculture. It shall be issued by a
government agency or by an authorized OCB, after the conduct of an
investigation and certification activity on the application for
certification by the core PGS group. It shall have a validity of three (3)
years.

(w) Small farmer/fisherfolk refers to those utilizing not more than five (5)
hectares of land for the single purpose of, or a combination of the
following purposes for, agricultural crop production, including rice and
corn, aquaculture, and poultry/livestock raising: Provided, that
poultry/livestock raising shall not have more than the following:

● Poultry – 1,000 poultry layers or 5,000 broilers

● Swine/native pigs – 10 sow level or 20 fatteners
● Cattle – 10 fatteners or 5 breeders
● Dairy – 10 milking cows
● Goat, sheep and other small ruminants – 50 heads
● Other animals permitted to be raised, the limits of which are to be
determined by the National Organic Agriculture Board (NOAB).

(x) Organic value chain refers to agriculture-related activities that put

farmers, processors, distributors and consumers within a system that
produces, processes, transports, markets and distributes organic
agricultural products.

Rule 3.1. In addition to the terms and definition provided for by the
amended RA No. 10068, the following terms shall be defined
as follows:

(a) Agribusiness firm refers to various businesses involved

in organic food and non-food production, including
farming and contract farming, inputs supply, farm
machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing,
marketing, and retail sales.

(b) Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a parallel learning

system to provide a viable alternative to the existing
formal educational instruction.

(c) Appeal is the request by applicant, candidate or

certified entity for reconsideration of any adverse
decision related to its desired certification or
accreditation status. Adverse decisions include refusal
to accept an application, refusal to proceed with an
inspection or audit, changes in certification or
accreditation scope, decisions to deny, suspend or
revoke certification and any other action that impedes
the attainment of certification or accreditation.

(d) Biopiracy refers to the illegal acquisition of indigenous

knowledge and biological materials with the goal of
capitalizing them or when indigenous materials are
used for a profit with little or no compensation or
recognition to indigenous peoples.

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(e) Climate Change refers to a change in climate that can be
identified by changes in the mean and/or variability of
its properties and that persists for an extended period
typically decades or longer, whether due to natural
variability or as a result of human activity.

(f) Consumer refers to persons and families purchasing

and receiving goods in order to meet their personal
needs.

(g) Complaint is the expression of dissatisfaction, other

than appeal, by any individual or organization to
accredited OCBs, relating to the activities of that body
or a certified entity, where a response is expected.

(h) Department refers to all departments involved in the

implementation of the NOAP.

(i) Disaster refers to a serious disruption of the functioning

of a community or a society involving widespread
human, material, economic or environmental losses
and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected
community or society to cope using its own resources.
Disasters are often described as a result of the
combination of the following: exposure to hazards,
conditions of vulnerability that are present, and
insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with
the potential negative consequences. Disaster impacts
may include loss of life, injury, disease and other
negative effects on human, physical, mental and social
well-being, together with damage to property,
destruction of assets, loss of services, social and
economic disruption and environmental degradation.

(j) Disaster Risk is the potential disaster losses in lives,

health status, livelihood, assets and services, which
could occur to a particular community or a society over
some specified time in the future.

(k) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management is the

systematic process of using administrative directives,
organizations, and operational skills and capacities to
implement strategies, policies and improved coping
capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of
hazards and the possibility of disaster. Prospective
disaster risk reduction and management refer to risk
reduction and management activities that address and
seek to avoid the development of new or increased
disaster risks, especially if risk reduction policies are
not put in place.

(l) Domestic market refers to the market reach of a PGS

guaranteed organic produce and product, wherein the
producer may directly link with consumers or
indirectly through an intermediary. PGS groups are
locally relevant and shall promote food self-sufficiency
within the community.

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(m) Food Safety refers to the assurance that food will not
cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or
eaten according to its intended use.

(n) Food security refers to a situation/state where all

people have physical, social, and economic access to
sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their
food preferences and dietary needs for an active and
healthy life.

(o) Food self-sufficiency means the ability to meet

consumption needs, particularly for staple food crops,
from own production rather than by buying or
importing.

(p) Food sovereignty refers to ownership and control and

management of the food supply chain (i.e. from
seeds/stocks up to its final products and by-products).

(q) Formal Education refers to the systematic and

deliberate process of hierarchically structured and
sequential learning corresponding to elementary,
secondary, technical-vocational education and training,
and higher education.

(r) Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) refer to

organisms that possess a novel combination of genetic
materials obtained through the use of modern
biotechnology.

(s) Indigenous peoples (IP) refers to a group of people or

homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and
ascription by others, who have continuously lived as an
organized community on communally bounded and
defined territory, and who have, under claims of
ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed
and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of
language, customs, traditions and other distinctive
cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to
political, social and cultural inroads of colonization,
non-indigenous religions and culture, became
historically differentiated from the majority of
Filipinos.

(t) Indigenous organic farmers refer to practitioners of the

indigenous organic farming practices regardless of
ascription/affiliation/aggrupation to Indigenous
Cultural Communities

(u) Indigenous organic farming practice refers to a system

of traditional farming methods and techniques without
intervention from entities outside their community that
are being practiced by the indigenous people.

(v) Informal Education is a lifelong process of learning by

which every person acquires and accumulates
knowledge, skill, attitudes and insights from daily
experiences at home, at work, at play and from life
itself.

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(w) Integrated organic farm refers to a production system
practicing a combination of any two or more scopes
defined in the applicable current Philippine National
Standards for organic agriculture (crop production,
animal production, inputs, beekeeping, special
products, processed products, and aquaculture).

(x) Labeling refers to any written, printed or graphic

matter that is present on the label, accompanies the
food, or is displayed near the food including that for the
purpose of promoting its sale or disposal.

(y) Livestock means any domestic and domesticated animal

including bovine (buffalo and bison), ovine, porcine,
caprine, equine, poultry and bees raised for food or in
the production of food. The products of hunting or
fishing of wild animals shall not be considered part of
this definition. For the purposes of this Act, it shall
include aquaculture which refers to fishery operations
involving the breeding and farming of fish and other
fishery species in fresh, marine and brackish water
areas.

(z) Low carbon development path refers to growth that

integrates positive impact on the environment,
minimizes if not eliminates greenhouse gas emissions,
taking into account long term sustainability.

(aa) Mislabeling refers to an act of deliberate and intentional

misinterpretation of food and products, including its
ingredients and packaging; or false or misleading
statements made about a product for economic gain.

(bb) Monitoring refers to activities to verify compliance of

organic producers/operators, produce and products
with the regulatory requirements of concerned
agencies. These activities may also include among
others adverse events reporting, product safety update
reporting, collection and testing of organic produce and
products in the market.

(cc) Non-biodegradable wastes refer to anything that cannot

be degraded by biological processes (metals, plastics,
glass, etc.).

(dd) Non-Formal Education is any organized systematic

educational activity carried outside the framework of
the formal system to provide selected types of learning
to a segment of the population. This shall cover learning
outcomes derived from professional development in
the practices of profession which leads to
qualifications.

(ee) Non-Government Organization (NGO) refers to any non-

profit, voluntary citizens’ group which is organized on
a local, national or international level. It is a legally
constituted organization created by a natural or legal
person that operates independently from any
government. In the cases in which NGOs are funded

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 totally or partially by governments, the NGO maintains
its non-governmental status by excluding government
representatives from membership in the organization.

(ff) OA shall refer to Organic Agriculture.

(gg) OAA shall refer to the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010.

(hh) Official Accreditation refers to the accreditation

provided by the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries
Standards (DA-BAFS) to qualified OCBs.

(ii) Organic Agriculture Areas refers to certified organic

areas which practice a holistic production management
system involving the promotion and enhancement of
the agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity,
biological cycles, and soil biological activity; these are
areas that emphasizes the use of management practices
over the use of off-farm inputs; and utilizes cultural,
biological, and mechanical methods as opposed to
synthetic materials.

(jj) Organic inputs are organic materials necessary for

organic agriculture production and processing such as
seeds, plant protection and pest management products,
compost and fertilizers, feeds, processing aids which
are used to comply with the requirements of applicable
current Philippine National Standards (PNS) for
organic agriculture (OA).

(kk) Organic input producer refers to an entity, whether local

or foreign, that produces inputs compliant with the
applicable current PNS for OA.

(ll) Organic non-food products refer to agriculture and

fishery products that are not used directly for food
consumption such as feeds, fiber, tea bags.

(mm) Organic operator refers to an individual or a business

enterprise that is responsible for the production,
processing, manufacturing, distribution, wholesale,
retail, trade, importation of organic agriculture
products meets, and continues to meet, the applicable
current PNS for OA and regulatory requirements, on
which the certification is based.

(nn) Organic agriculture practitioner refers to stakeholders

practicing organic agriculture in accordance with the
applicable current PNS for OA.

(oo) Organic pre-packaged food refers to processed food

produced according to applicable current PNS for OA,
made up in advance in a container, labeled and ready
for sale to the consumer, or for catering purposes, or for
further processing, or for institutional use only
compliant with current regulations issued by the
Department of Health - Food and Drug Administration
(DOH-FDA).

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(pp) Organic Processed food refers to food compliant with
applicable current PNS for OA that have been
substantially altered by the application of physical,
chemical, or biological processes such as, but not
limited to, heating, smoking, curing, maturing, drying,
marinating, extraction, extrusion and a combination of
those processes intended to produce food.

(qq) Organic processed and pre-packaged food refers to food

compliant with applicable current PNS for OA that have
been subjected to, but not limited to, heating, smoking,
curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction,
extrusion and a combination of those processes
intended to produce food, packaged and labeled
compliant with the applicable regulations issued by
DOH-FDA.

(rr) Organic produce refers to any agricultural produce that

is produced according to applicable current PNS for OA
or gathered from nature, and/or handled with post-
harvest management.

(ss) Organic product refers to a product that has been

processed, pre-packaged, and handled in compliance
with applicable current PNS for OA.

(tt) People’s Organization (POs) are community-based,

mass membership organizations, that are either
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), or any
government agency empowered by law or policy to
register and/or accredit POs and other similar
aggrupations, registered or existing but not registered,
with a set of by-laws adopted through a membership
assembly and duly elected officials. POs are either
sectoral or multi-sectoral alliance pursuing a common
goal and established to secure benefits for their
membership and articulate aims and objectives in the
general development discourse.

(uu) Private/business sector refers to a key factor in the

realm of the economy where the central social concern
and process is the mutually beneficial production and
distribution of goods and services to meet the physical
needs of human beings. The private sector comprises
private corporations, enterprises, individual
businesses, among others.

(vv) Processing Aid means any substance or material, not

including apparatus or utensils, and not consumed as a
food ingredient by itself, intentionally used in the
processing of raw materials, foods or its ingredients, to
fulfill a certain technological purpose during treatment
or processing and which may result in the non-
intentional but unavoidable presence of residues or
derivatives in the final product.

(ww) Registry of Core PGS groups refers to the list of core PGS
groups operating within its area of jurisdiction,
accredited by DA-BAFS. This shall include certified

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 individual farms as core PGS groups and accredited PGS
groups.

(xx) Retail establishment refers to an entity principally

engaged in the sale of commodities or goods for
consumption to the general public; it includes those
that are classified as formal and informal
establishments including online merchants.

(yy) Risk is the combination of the probability of an event

and its negative consequences.

(zz) Risk reduction is the concept and practice of reducing

disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyze and
manage the causal factors of disasters, including
reduced exposures to hazards, lessened vulnerability of
people and property, wise management of land and the
environment, and improved preparedness for adverse
events.

(aaa) Surveillance refers to a set of activities including office

and witness audits, except reassessment, to monitor
continued compliance of accredited OCBs with the
requirements for accreditation.

(bbb) Sustainable practice refers to a system of agricultural

farming methods and techniques that allow farmers
and fisherfolks to meet production demand without
compromising the natural availability of resources.

(ccc) Third-party OCB refers to an independent legal entity

not engaged in organic production accredited by DA-
BAFS to perform inspection and certification of organic
management systems.

(ddd) Vulnerabilities refer to the characteristics and

circumstances of a community, system or asset that
make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.
Vulnerabilities may arise from various physical, social,
economic, and environmental factors such as poor
design and construction of buildings, inadequate
protection of assets, lack of public information and
awareness, limited official recognition of risks and
preparedness measures, and disregard for wise
environmental management.

(eee) Vulnerable stakeholders are those that face higher

exposure to disaster risk and poverty including, but not
limited to, women, youth, children, elderly, differently-
abled people, and indigenous/ethnic minorities.

Section 4. Coverage – The provisions of this Act shall apply to the development and
promotion of organic agriculture and shall include, but not limited to, the
following:

(a) Policy formulation on regulation, registration, accreditation,

certification and labeling on organic agriculture;

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 (b) Research, development and extension of appropriate sustainable
environment and gender-friendly organic agriculture;

(c) Promotion and encouragement of the establishment of facilities,

equipment and processing plants that would accelerate the production
and commercialization of organic fertilizers, bio-control agents, organic
soil amendments and other appropriate farm inputs; and

(d) Implementation of organic agricultural programs, projects and

activities, including the provision and delivery of support services with
the focus on farmers, prioritizing small farmers/fisherfolks and their
organization and other stakeholders.

Rule 4.1. The coverage of this Act enumerated herein shall be considered
in the development of the National Organic Agriculture
Program (NOAP) under Section 5 (National Organic
Agricultural Program).

Section 5. National Organic Agricultural Program – There is hereby established a

comprehensive organic agricultural program through the promotion and
commercialization of organic farming practices, cultivation and adoption of
production and processing methods which have already been developed, or to
be developed, continuing research and upgrading thereof, the capacity
building of farmers and the education of consumers thereon, the extension of
assistance to local government units (LGUs), peoples’ organizations (POs),
non-government organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders including
individuals and groups who are practicing and promoting these methods as
well as those who are willing to do other pertinent activities, and
documentation and evaluation of the program.

Rule 5.1. The National Organic Agriculture Board (NOAB), through the
National Organic Agriculture Program - National Program
Coordinating Office of the Department of Agriculture (NOAP-
NPCO), shall call upon all concerned government agencies and
instrumentalities, including the LGUs, academe, NGOs, organic
small farmers/fisherfolks organizations, and research and
development and extension (RDE) institutions, to submit their
respective annual and long term OA plans taking into
consideration climate change impact and mitigation, with
emphasis on adaptation, disaster risk reduction and
management, gender-sensitive development, site-specific
ecosystem-based for consolidation and integration into a
comprehensive NOAP.

Rule 5.2. The NOAP operating units shall support the establishment of
organic agriculture hubs, which shall act as a business
integrator that will supply the organic inputs, shall provide
farm services, as well as the consolidation and the marketing of
the produce of organic farmers/fisherfolks in every organic
agriculture activity.

Rule 5.3. The NOAB, through the NOAP-NPCO and in collaboration with
concerned agencies, shall develop a national communication
strategy to increase the awareness of the consumers on the
benefits of consuming organic products to boost local

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 production of organic food and non-food products, as well as
the adoption of an organic agricultural system as a viable
alternative.

Rule 5.4. The Bureau of Agricultural Research of the DA (DA-BAR) and in

partnership with the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP),
state universities and colleges (SUCs), and NGOs shall support
the documentation and promotion of indigenous organic
farming practices.

Rule 5.5. The NOAP-NPCO and other concerned government agencies

shall provide technical and financial assistance to LGUs, SUCs,
NGOs, and POs in establishing community-based organic
agriculture systems.

Rule 5.6. The Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service of the DA

(DA-AMAS) and other concerned agencies, shall develop and
undertake a nationwide educational and awareness campaign
among consumers on the benefits of consuming organic
products to boost local production of organic food.

Rule 5.7. The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Trade

and Industry (DTI) shall develop and institutionalize the
promotion of local and international trade fairs, market
promotion and matching activities with the active participation
of LGUs, NGOs, national government agencies (NGAs), academe,
RDE institutions, organic farmer organizations, consumer,
business groups and multi-stakeholder (environment and
climate change advocates and agrarian reform communities)
networks to push organic products in the local and
international markets as outlined in the NOAP. Likewise, the
consumption of organic products in the country shall be
encouraged and promoted.

Rule 5.8. The NOAP shall be comprehensive, strategic and sustainable,

and formulated, taking into consideration the coverage of this
Act under Section 4 (Coverage), following the principles of
bottom-up, multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral participatory
planning, and monitoring and evaluation system. Due
consultation with the stakeholders shall be undertaken for
purposes of ownership, legitimacy, transparency and
accountability and, following the principles of inclusivity and
subsidiarity.

Rule 5.9. The implementation of the NOAP shall be focused on areas

where delivery of support services is not adequately responded
to, especially to farmers in marginal farm and coastal lands, in
ancestral domains and agrarian reform areas subject to the
prioritization criteria to be established by the NOAB. The
implementation of small farm holding certification with an
Internal Control System shall be intensified in areas where
organic farms are contiguous and the farmers are adopting the
same farming system.

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 Rule 5.10. The NOAP shall provide assistance such as but not limited to
equipment, facilities, and scholarships to educational
institutions to strengthen the integration of organic agriculture
in their curricula.

Rule 5.11. A separate and distinct line budget item for organic agriculture
in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) shall be allocated for
the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of
the NOAP including the operation of the NOAB. All agencies
involved in the implementation of the NOAP shall allocate funds
in accordance with Section 26 (Appropriations) of this Act.

Rule 5.12. Other NOAB member agencies, concerned departments,

government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs),
government financial institutions (GFIs), and LGUs shall
allocate funds from their annual budget (GAA, Internal Revenue
Allotment, LGU development fund, Economic Development
Fund, Official Development Assistance, Agricultural
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, etc. and private sector
investment) in support to the implementation of the NOAP.
These agencies shall report to the NOAB on their fund allocation
for organic agriculture activities.

Rule 5.13. The NOAB through its Chairman shall forge Memorandum of
Agreements (MOAs) with the Department of Interior and Local
Government (DILG) on behalf of the LGUs for fund sources for
planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the
NOAP.

Rule 5.14. The NOAB, through the NOAP-NPCO, shall conduct results-
based monitoring and evaluation regularly to ensure the
expeditious, efficient, and cost-effective implementation of the
NOAP.

Rule 5.15. A NOAP program-benefit monitoring and impact evaluation of

key organic programs, plans, and projects shall be undertaken
subject to the guidelines that will be developed and adopted by
the NOAB.

Rule 5.16. The NOAB, through the NOAP-NPCO, shall maintain a dedicated
website to NOAP. All organic agriculture-related information
and databases from the member’s departments, agencies,
bureaus, research institutions, and LGUs shall be linked to the
NOAP website.

Section 6. National Organic Agricultural Board (NOAB) – To carry out the policy and the
program provided in this Act, there is hereby created a NOAB which shall be
the policy-making body and shall provide direction and general guidelines for
the implementation of the National Organic Agricultural Program. The NOAB
shall be attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The NOAB shall ensure the full participation of POs, NGOs, and the general
public through coordination and consultative mechanisms such as, but not
limited to, public hearings, meetings and joint projects.

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 Rule 6.1. The NOAB shall exercise its powers and functions in accordance
with Sections 8 (Organization of the NOAB) and 9 (Powers and
Functions of the NOAB) of this Act.

Rule 6.2. The DA through the NOAP shall provide a dedicated office for
the NOAB and other logistics to facilitate the Board’s functions.

Rule 6.3. The NOAB shall involve the participation of relevant

stakeholders to ensure transparency, accountability, and
inclusivity.

Section 7. Composition of the NOAB – The NOAB shall consist of the following members:

(a) The Secretary of Agriculture, or his duly authorized permanent

representative, with a rank of Undersecretary, as Chairperson;

(b) The Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, or his duly
authorized permanent representative, as Vice Chair;

(c) The Secretary of Science and Technology or his duly authorized

permanent representative;

(d) The Director General of the Technical Education and Skills

Development Authority, or his/her duly authorized permanent
representative;

(e) The Secretary of Agrarian Reform, or his/her duly authorized

permanent representative;

(f) The Secretary of Trade and Industry, or his/her duly authorized

permanent representative;

(g) The Secretary of Health, or his/her duly authorized permanent

representative;

(h) Three (3) representatives from the small farmers;

(i) One (1) representative from the NGOs involved in organic agriculture
for at least three (3) years;

(j) One (1) representative from agricultural colleges and universities;

(k) One (1) representative from the private sector in the organic value
chain;

(l) One (1) representative from the national association of PGS Groups, to
be chosen from among and by themselves: Provided, That the
representative is a small farmer;

(m) One (1) representative from a national organization of local

government units (LGUs) actually engaged in organic agriculture; and

(n) One (1) qualified representative from the indigenous organic farmers.

Page 15 of 51
The designated aforementioned representatives of the various departments
shall be occupying positions not lower than a bureau director level and shall
be on a coterminous basis.
The representatives of small farmers and NGOs, and of agricultural colleges
and universities, shall be chosen by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Science
and Technology, respectively, from among nominees submitted to the agency
concerned by their respective national organizations. These representatives
must represent their respective organizations at least from the provincial level,
actually and actively practicing and promoting organic agriculture practices,
be conversant in organic agriculture and be committed to the policies and
programs provided under this Act. The three (3) seats given to small farmers
shall be chosen from the crops and livestock sectors, which will have two (2)
seats and one (1) seat, respectively.

An appointed/elected member of the board can only serve a single term of

three (3) years, without reappointment. Should the member fail to complete
his/her term, the replacement or successor shall only serve the unexpired
portion of the term.

Rule 7.1. The DA through the NOAP-NPCO shall formulate the criteria
and the guidelines for the selection of the following non-
government members of the NOAB: (a) three (3) small farmer
representatives, (b) one (1) representative from a national
organization of LGUs actually engaged in organic agriculture,
(c) one (1) representative from NGO, (d) one (1) representative
from a national organization of Participatory Guarantee System
(PGS) groups, and (e) one (1) representative from the private
sector in the organic value chain. The selection criteria and
guidelines for the said representations shall be reviewed and
approved by the NOAB.

Rule 7.2. The small farmer representatives are mandated to comprise

one (1) seat from the livestock sector and two (2) seats from the
crop sector. Provided that the three (3) major islands of the
country are still represented. Provided further that the
aquaculture sector shall be considered in the livestock sector.

Rule 7.3. The representative from the national organization of LGUs

actually engaged in organic agriculture must be: (a) registered
in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for at least
five (5) years and with an organizational medium to long term
strategic OA development program; (b) must comprise of at
least three (3) members legally implemented under the
municipal and/or city-wide organic agriculture plan; (c)
recognized by the local and international authorities on organic
agriculture.

Rule 7.4. The DOST shall formulate the criteria and the guidelines for the
selection of the academe representative, subject to the approval
of the NOAB.

Rule 7.5. The NCIP shall facilitate the nomination of the indigenous
organic farmer representative to the NOAB. In the absence of a
qualified nominee, the NCIP shall represent the sector to the
NOAB.

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 Rule 7.6. The list of nominees shall be submitted to the Secretary of the
DA and DOST in accordance with the deadline provided. The
Secretary of DA shall appoint the members of the Board from
small farmers, the national organization of LGUs actually
engaged in organic agriculture, NGOs, the national organization
of PGS groups, and private sector in the organic value chain,
while the representative from the academe (i.e. SUCs and
private higher education institutions) shall be appointed by the
DOST.

Rule 7.7. An appointed member of the Board shall serve for a single term
of three (3) years and cannot be reappointed for another term.
Should a private sector or an academe member of the Board fail
to complete his/her term, the concerned Secretary shall
appoint the second rank nominee, provided that the nominee
met the minimum requirements. Otherwise, the Secretary shall
appoint a successor from the same organization which the
private sector or academe represents. The successor shall only
serve the unexpired portion of the uncompleted term.

Rule 7.8. The incumbent members of the NOAB shall continue to serve
their term provided in this Act. Provided that, positions that are
vacant by virtue of this Act shall be accordingly filled and shall
also serve the unexpired portion of the incumbent’s term.

Rule 7.9. The concerned government agencies shall designate their

permanent representatives and alternate representatives with
a rank no less than Director IV. These representatives shall
serve on a coterminous basis.

Section 8. Organization of the NOAB – Within sixty (60) working days from the effectivity
of this Act, the national organizations of small farmers, of NGOs and of
agricultural colleges and universities shall submit their respective nominees to
the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Science and Technology, as
the case may be, who shall evaluate the qualifications of the nominees and
appoint the most qualified members to the NOAB.

The Chairperson shall call the members of the NOAB, or a majority thereof if
not all have been designated, to a meeting to organize themselves and
prescribe its rules and procedures for the attainment of the objectives of this
Act. A majority of all the members of the NOAB shall constitute a quorum. The
NOAB shall meet at least once every quarter after its constitution.

The NOAB shall also determine its budget, including travel expenses,
allowances and per diems of its non-government members when attending
official NOAB meetings or attending to matters assigned to them subject to
accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

Rule 8.1. Within sixty (60) working days from the effectivity of this IRR,
the national organization of PGS groups, the national
organization of LGUs actually engaged in organic agriculture,
and indigenous organic farmers shall submit their respective
nominees to the Secretary of Agriculture, in accordance with
the guidelines approved by the NOAB.

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 Rule 8.2. The NOAB shall establish Rules of Procedure (Manual of
Operations) in its operations and establishments of Technical
Working Groups (TWGs) and Task Forces (TFs) including roles
and responsibilities to exercise general coordination of its
work. The Rules of Procedure of the NOAB shall apply, mutatis
mutandis, to TWGs, TFs, and ad hoc committees.

Rule 8.3. The NOAB shall hold quarterly meetings and special meetings
when necessary. The presence of at least nine (9) including the
chairperson of the NOAB shall constitute a quorum. In all cases,
the presence of the chairperson or his duly authorized official
permanent representative shall be required.

Rule 8.4. Government agencies shall be allowed to send their authorized

representatives to the NOAB with a rank not lower than
Director IV. However, other representatives not duly appointed
by the Secretary shall not be considered to constitute a quorum.

Rule 8.5. The NOAB shall create its TWGs where the technical concerns
on organic agriculture development and promotion will be
tackled. Government agencies may designate their technical
representatives who are knowledgeable on organic agriculture
and other related concerns. The membership in the TWGs and
TFs shall be approved by the NOAB.

Rule 8.6. The NOAB shall be entitled to other allowable emoluments for
every meeting actually attended, subject to existing accounting
and auditing rules and regulations and other relevant statutes.

Rule 8.7. The Director of the NOAP-NPCO shall serve as the NOAB
Secretary and shall keep all records relative to the meetings of
the NOAB.

Section 9. Powers and Functions of the NOAB – The NOAB shall have the following powers
and functions:

(a) Formulate policies, plans, programs and projects to develop and

promote organic agriculture, production, processing and trade;

(b) Oversee the successful implementation of the National Organic

Agricultural Program;

(c) Identify sources of financing to expand organic agriculture;

(d) Monitor and evaluate the performance of programs for appropriate

incentives;

(e) Undertake measures for the international recognition of local

certification of organic products;

(f) Call upon any government agency to carry out and implement programs
and projects identified by the NOAB;

(g) Call upon private sectors, POs and NGOs and the academe to provide
advice on matters pertaining to organic agriculture and conduct of
capability-building initiatives to farmers, producers, extension

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 workers, consumers and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector in
coordination with the Agricultural Training Institute;

(h) Submit annual and other periodic reports to the President, Secretary of
the DA and Congress of the Philippines through the Congressional
Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization
(COCAFM);

(i) Promulgate such rules and regulations and exercise such other powers
and functions as may be necessary to carry out effectively the purposes
and objectives of this Act; and

(j) Perform such other functions as may be necessary for its effective
operations and the continued enhancement, growth or development of
organic agriculture.

Rule 9.1. The NOAB and its appropriate TWGs shall continuously review
all existing government (NGAs, legislative, and LGUs) issuances,
policies, and programs affecting the implementation of the OAA
and update recommendations to harmonize its provisions to
further strengthen these IRRs consistent with the provisions of
this Act.

Rule 9.2. The NOAB shall formulate the guidelines for the
implementation of multi-sectoral (LGUs, NGOs, organic small
farmers/fisherfolks’ organizations, academe, RDE institutions,
consumers and business groups) monitoring protocols to track
the promotion and delivery of OAA support services and their
implementation by the local chief executives (LCEs) at the
provincial and municipal/city levels.

Rule 9.3. The NOAB, in coordination with concerned agencies, shall

undertake measures for the international recognition of
Philippine organic produce and products which include
harmonization of the national organic certification schemes.

Rule 9.4. The NOAB shall establish guidelines for the provision of
technical and financial assistance to eligible certified and
guaranteed organic operators or their
farms/associations/cooperatives for international certification
in accordance with this Act.

Rule 9.5. The NOAB shall develop guidelines for the provision of
assistance to organic agriculture practitioners for the
laboratory analyses of produce, inputs and products to ensure
and maintain compliance with the applicable current Philippine
National Standards (PNS) for organic agriculture (OA) and
other regulatory requirements.

Rule 9.6. The NOAB and its member departments shall ensure the
implementation of the provisions of this Act. The member
departments shall ensure that other activities relevant to their
mandates and jurisdictions in line with the provisions of this
Act are acted upon.

Rule 9.7. The NOAB shall coordinate with other concerned government
agencies to institutionalize organic agriculture programs at the

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 local level through the formulation of a framework for a food
self-sufficiency program. The framework shall provide the
strategic plans of action in eliminating malnutrition and hunger,
bringing unity and responsibilities between the community and
the LGU, educating the community on the importance of
practicing organic farming and sustainable agriculture, and
generating food and income from the establishment of
backyard organic gardens and community organic farms.

Rule 9.8. Upon approval by the NOAB, the DILG, in coordination with
other concerned agencies, shall issue relevant guidelines to
LGUs in the implementation of the provisions of this Act.

Rule 9.9. The NOAB, through the NOAP-NPCO, in coordination with DA-
AMAS and DTI, shall lead the development of an organic
agriculture industry profile.

Rule 9.10. The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) shall maintain a

database of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations
engaged in organic agriculture and formulate a roadmap in
accordance with the comprehensive NOAP.

Rule 9.11. The NOAB shall call upon other public Standards Development
Organizations to develop standards related to organic produce
and products covered by their respective mandates.

Rule 9.12. The NOAB shall collaborate with the DTI to establish
mechanisms for notification and reporting of third-party
certification bodies or entities conducting conformity
assessment activities in the country for organic produce and
products intended for export. These certification bodies or
entities shall provide relevant information as may be required
by the NOAB.

Rule 9.13. The NOAB, in collaboration with concerned agencies, shall craft
and harmonize existing rules and regulations on registration of
organic produce and products’ brand names and business
names, including online merchants to include with
substantiation for ‘organic’ labeling/ brand names in
accordance with their respective mandates.

Rule 9.14. The NOAB, when necessary, may call upon the cooperation of
other government agencies to effectively and efficiently carry
out and implement its identified programs and projects.

Section 10. National Organic Agriculture Program - National Program Coordinating Office
(NOAP-NPCO) – To manage the effective implementation of the National
Organic Agriculture Program, the Department of Agriculture (DA), Office of the
Secretary, shall be strengthened and empowered in terms of establishing a
functional office, to be known as the National Organic Agriculture Program –
National Program Coordinating Office (NOAP – NPCO). It shall serve as the
planning and administrative secretariat of the NOAB, and as the coordinating
office of the Program.

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Rule 10.1. The NOAB, as attached to the DA, shall be supported by the
NOAP-NPCO in the performance of its duties and
responsibilities, particularly in spearheading the
implementation of RA No. 10068 as amended by RA No. 11511.

Rule 10.2. To effectively implement the NOAP, the NOAP-NPCO shall

facilitate the adoption of policies, plans, projects, and programs
for the development and promotion of organic agriculture at the
grassroots level.

Rule 10.3. The NOAP-NPCO is empowered to determine and create its

organizational structure including its plantilla position
requirements in order to perform its functions to achieve the
objectives of this Act.

Rule 10.4. At the minimum, the NOAP-NPCO shall be headed by a Director

to be appointed by the President. He/she shall be assisted by a
deputy director. The NOAP-NPCO shall have at least three (3)
divisions, namely the 1. Secretariat and Policy Development
Division, 2. Planning and Project Development Support
Division, and 3. Advocacy, Coordination, and Administrative
Division.

Rule 10.5. The interim NOAP-NPCO is authorized to submit its proposed

plantilla positions to the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) within one hundred eighty (180) days
upon the adoption of this IRR and prior approval by the NOAB.
The DBM shall promptly act within the deadline stipulated
under the Code of Conduct of the government employees by the
Civil Service Commission.

Rule 10.6. The NOAP-NPCO plantilla positions shall be completed within

one (1) year from the approval of the said plantilla positions by
the DBM.

Rule 10.7. The DA Regional Field Offices (DA-RFOs) shall be strengthened

with the creation of the NOAP Regional Program Coordinating
Office (NOAP-RPCOs), consisting of at least five (5) additional
plantilla positions under the Field Operations Division, to assist
in the implementation of the NOAP in their respective regions.
The DA-RFOs shall perform the following functions and
responsibilities with respect to the implementation of the
NOAP:

10.7.1. Gather policy recommendations from regional

stakeholders;

10.7.2. Disseminate policies and regulations to regional

stakeholders;

10.7.3. Assist regional stakeholders in preparing their plans,

including the organic agriculture roadmaps and
organic agribusiness plans;

10.7.4. Monitor compliance to policies and regulations in

their regions;

Page 21 of 51
 10.7.5. Prepare annual budget for organic agriculture
program responsive to the needs of their regional
stakeholders;

10.7.6. Implement and monitor organic agriculture

programs and projects in their region;

10.7.7. Promote organic agriculture in their regions,

including the conduct of regional Organic Agriculture
Achievers’ Awards, the conduct of Organic
Agriculture Month, and consumer awareness;

10.7.8. Provide assistance in the organic agriculture

certification process within their regions;

10.7.9. Assist in the capacity development of LGUs and

farmers’ associations concerning organic
agriculture;

10.7.10. Submit reports and data required by the NOAP;

10.7.11. Participate in NOAP assessments;

10.7.12. Conduct field validation of organic agriculture

enterprises;

10.7.13. Participate in the identification of priority and basic

organic agriculture commodities of the different
localities in their region; and

10.7.14. Maintain a registry of organic agriculture

practitioners in their region.

Rule 10.8. Pending the approval of the DBM, the existing NOAP-NPCO and
the NOAP regional focal persons shall continue to perform their
current functions as interim NOAP-NPCO and NOAP-RPCOs,
respectively.

Rule 10.9. The Integrated Laboratory Divisions (ILDs) of the DA-RFOs and
laboratories of concerned DA Regulatory Agencies and SUCs
shall be upgraded and capacitated to assist in the
implementation of the provisions of this Act.

Rule 10.10. All NOAP implementing agencies of the DA shall modify its
existing structure and staffing pattern, if appropriate, for the
provision of the required manpower complement in order to
perform its function.

Section 11. Work Plan – In line with the National Organic Agriculture Program, the NOAP-
NPCO shall submit to the Board for approval the following:

(a) A plan of bringing the program down to the grassroots, utilizing

available personnel and facilities on the local level and those of LGUs;

Page 22 of 51
 (b) A pattern of cooperation and mutual assistance with LGUs, POs and
NGOs, which will maximize people empowerment and participatory
approaches to program formulation, implementation and monitoring;
and

(c) A schedule of short-term, medium-term and long-term targets on

research and development, marketing, trade promotion/initiatives,
capacity building, among others.

Rule 11.1. The NOAB shall formulate institutional mechanisms and

arrangements that will ensure the effective implementation of
the Work and Financial Plan and further assist NOAP-NPCO in
carrying out the plan in a most expeditious, efficient, and cost-
effective manner. This must be achieved through effective
coordination and networking among appropriate NGAs and the
LGUs as well as the existing network of organic producers and
their support organizations including the small
farmers/fisherfolks, agrarian reform beneficiaries, landless
farmworkers, and indigenous peoples.

Section 12. Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) – The BAFS of the DA shall
be restructured, strengthened and empowered to support the objectives of this
Act. It shall provide technical assistance to the NOAB and the NOAP–NPCO. The
BAFS, in addition to its existing functions and responsibilities, shall perform
the following functions, duties and responsibilities for purposes of this Act:

(a) Formulate and update standards relevant to organic agriculture;

(b) Issue accreditation to OCBs;

(c) Conduct inspections on compliance of PGS groups with the Philippine

National Standards (PNS) for organic agriculture, and publish at least
once a year the list of compliant PGS groups;

(d) Issue registration of organic inputs, such as organic soil amendments

and organic bio-control agents;

(e) Issue registration of integrated organic farms with multiple

commodities/production and of organic input producers;

(f) Rule on the appeal of farm/farm owner on decisions made by OCBs

and the concerned municipal/city PGS groups on inspection and
certification issues; and

(g) Perform such other functions, duties and responsibilities as may be

necessary to implement this Act.

Rule 12.1. The DA-BAFS shall be restructured, strengthened and

empowered, and shall be authorized to submit plantilla position
requirements for its National Office and create Regional Field
Units (RFUs) to ensure that the additional functions, duties, and
responsibilities as provided in this Act are effectively and
efficiently carried out.

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Rule 12.2. To institutionalize DA-BAFS at the regional level, each DA-BAFS
RFU shall have at least five (5) plantilla positions headed by a
Supervising Science Research Specialist and shall be responsible
for the following:

12.2.1. Provide technical and administrative support,

including but not limited to the provision of
manpower, for the implementation of DA-BAFS
accreditation, registration, and monitoring and
labeling enforcement;

12.2.2. Pre-assess applicants for core PGS group and PGS

farm member certification and endorse qualified
operators to DA-BAFS National Office;

12.2.3. Assist applicants and serve as enquiry point of

registration and accreditation;

12.2.4. Coordinate with regional and private laboratories the

sampling and testing of samples collected during the
monitoring;

12.2.5. Assist on handling appeals and complaints relative to

the implementation of organic agriculture
regulations at the regional level;

12.2.6. Submit lists, updates, and reports to the DA-BAFS

National Office on matters of organic agriculture
regulations; and

12.2.7. Coordinate with the DA-RFOs and concerned regional

offices all activities relative to the promotion of
standards and regulations.

Rule 12.3. The Standards Development Division, Technical Services

Division, and Laboratory Services Division of the DA-BAFS shall
be strengthened and capacitated through incremental staffing to
provide support to Organic Agriculture Division (OAD) in
carrying out additional functions, duties and responsibilities
provided by this Act.

Rule 12.4. In view of strengthening the DA-BAFS as a competent authority

for organic agriculture, the DA-BAFS shall have an Assistant
Director to assist the Director of DA-BAFS in overseeing the
regulatory functions, and development and promotion of
standards relevant to organic agriculture. It shall be appointed
by the President of the Philippines.

Rule 12.5. The OAD shall be headed by the Chief Science Research
Specialist with Supervising Science Research Specialist.

12.5.1. The existing Organic Agriculture Accreditation

Section shall be renamed as Accreditation Section to
perform the functions, duties and responsibilities in
accordance with Sections 13 (Accreditation of OCB)
and 14 (Participatory Guarantee System) of this Act. It

Page 24 of 51
 shall have two units: 1. Third-party Organic Certifying
Body (OCB) Unit covering domestic and international
OCBs, and 2. Participatory Guarantee System Unit
wherein the manpower complement shall be
provided from the dissolved NOAB Secretariat
Section. The Accreditation Section shall ensure that
the organic certification schemes and accreditation
requirements are aligned and harmonized with
international standards.

12.5.2. The existing Organic Agriculture Registration Section

shall be renamed as Registration Section and shall be
responsible for the registration of integrated organic
farms, and organic inputs such as organic soil
amendments and organic bio-control agents
consistent with Section 17 (Registration of Organic
Producers, Produce, Inputs, and Organic Processed
Foods) of this Act.

12.5.3. The existing Organic Agriculture Networking Section

shall be renamed as Monitoring and Labeling
Enforcement Section and shall be responsible for the
verification of continued compliance by organic
operators with standards and regulations relevant to
DA-BAFS’ regulatory functions in accordance with
Sections 17 (Registration of Organic Producers,
Produce, Inputs, and Organic Processed Foods), 18
(Labeling of Organic Produce) and 19 (Retailing of
Organic Produce) of this Act. This Section shall also be
responsible for handling appeals and complaints
relevant to DA-BAFS regulatory functions.

Rule 12.6. The DA-BAFS shall formulate and/or update organic agriculture
standards of fresh, primary and postharvest which would cover
crops, poultry and livestock, and fish and fishery products
including its labeling and production practices, as necessary.
Production and postharvest processing of organic produce shall
comply with applicable on-farm food safety standards,
guidelines, and codes of practice.

Rule 12.7. All standards adopted shall, as applicable, be disseminated in

any available media.

Rule 12.8. The DA-BAFS shall formulate the necessary policies and
guidelines for the handling of appeals and complaints of PGS
groups and their clients, subject to the approval of the NOAB.

Rule 12.9. The DA-BAFS shall provide technical assistance to the NOAB and
NOAP-NPCO relevant to its functions, duties, and
responsibilities provided in this Section, to support the
implementation of programs and projects identified by the
NOAB. The DA-BAFS shall submit quarterly reports to the NOAB
through the NOAP-NPCO.

Page 25 of 51
Section 13. Accreditation of OCB – The BAFS is hereby designated and authorized to grant
official accreditation to an OCB or entity. The BAFS is tasked to formulate the
necessary rules and procedures in the accreditation of OCBs performing third-
party certification, or granting certification as part of the PGS: Provided, That
there shall be at least one (1) accredited OCB, performing third-party
certification, each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, or in case of only one (1)
OCB performing third-party certification is accredited, it shall have at least one
(1) satellite office or processing unit each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Rule 13.1. The DA-BAFS shall be authorized to accredit OCBs or entities

that shall perform certification and inspection of organic
management systems in accordance with the applicable current
PNS for OA and relevant regulations.

Rule 13.2. The DA-BAFS shall review and revise, as appropriate, existing
guidelines, rules, and procedures for the accreditation of OCBs.
Likewise, DA-BAFS shall develop policies and guidelines for the
accreditation of Core PGS groups or any qualified entity
applying for accreditation, and related activities such as
handling complaints and appeals relating to the operations of
accredited PGS groups. These policies and guidelines shall be
subjected to the approval of the NOAB.

Rule 13.3. The DA-BAFS shall create a TWG tasked to evaluate the results
of inspections and assessments, to recommend decisions for
accreditation to the DA-BAFS Director. The TWG shall be
composed of individuals competent in organic agriculture,
fisheries, inputs, environment, quality infrastructure, and
relevant standards and regulations. The TWG members tapped
as inspectors or assessors for the purposes of Section 13
(Accreditation of OCB), shall not be part of the evaluation
process to avoid conflict of interest.

Rule 13.4. If there is only one (1) accredited third-party OCB in the
country or only one (1) accredited third-party OCB for a
particular scope, it shall maintain a satellite office or processing
unit, either a physical office or in the form of an authorized OCB
personnel, each based in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Rule 13.5. The DA-BAFS shall issue accreditation certificates valid for five
(5) years, subject to annual surveillance audits.

Rule 13.6. All organic certificates issued by the accredited OCBs shall be
valid for three (3) years, subject to annual inspections.

Rule 13.7. The DA-BAFS shall maintain and publish the list of accredited
OCBs, and shall ensure that the list is periodically updated.

Rule 13.8. Accreditation policies and guidelines shall be made available to

the public through DA-BAFS website and other means of
communication.

Rule 13.9. The DA-BAFS and the Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) of
the DTI (DTI-PAB), as the National Accreditation Body of the
country, shall strengthen its collaboration to ensure effective
implementation of the accreditation of OCBs such as, but not

Page 26 of 51
 limited to, the conduct of joint assessments and capacity
building.

Section 14. Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) –

(a) Basic Principles. The PGS shall be the mechanism by which small
farmers/fisherfolk, their farms/associations/cooperatives shall be
certified as engaged in organic agriculture and as producers of organic
agriculture products. The participatory organic certification from a
government agency or OCBs, organized in accordance with this Act,
shall be promoted and accepted. The products certified through the PGS
shall be traded only in the domestic market, unless covered by an
international certification or a mutual recognition agreement.

An association or group under the PGS shall adhere to the PNS for
organic agriculture.

Further, associations or groups under the PGS shall adopt the following
features and characteristics:

(i) Existence of organic agriculture norms conceived by the

organic agriculture stakeholders, norms that are appropriate
to smallholder agriculture;

(ii) Grassroots organization: the participatory certification should

be perceived as a result of a social dynamic, based on the active
participation of all stakeholders;

(iii) Existence of principles and values that enhance the livelihoods

and well-being of farming families and promote organic
agriculture;

(iv) Documented management systems and procedures;

(v) Provision of mechanisms to verify farmer’s compliance to

established norms;

(vi) Provision of mechanisms for supporting farmers to produce

organic products and be certified as organic farmers, which
shall include field advisors, newsletters, farm visits, web sites,
among others;

(vii) Existence of a bottom-line document, such as a farmer’s

pledge, that shall state his/her agreement to the established
norms;

(viii) Introduction or use of seals or labels providing evidence of

organic status; and

(ix) Existence of a clear and previously defined set of

recommendations and measures against farmers who fail to
comply with the standard.

(b) Legal Personality. The core PGS group shall be registered with the
municipality/city where the PGS group is predominantly located. It
shall secure a mayor’s permit from said municipality/city, possession

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 of which shall suffice as proof of registration and the grant of legal
personality, which however shall be limited only to PGS transactions.

The national organization of LGUs actually engaged in organic

agriculture shall also secure a legal personality for purposes of
accreditation by the BAFS.

Any other OCB shall secure a mayor’s permit from the municipality/city
where it intends to operate and possession of which shall suffice to
grant them legal personality for purposes of accreditation by the BAFS.

(c) Certification. The BAFS shall provide the guidelines for the certification
of farms, pursuant to the provisions of this Act.

A farm/farm owner applying for certification as an organic agriculture

practitioner shall join a PGS group in the same municipality/city where
his/her farm is located, or with a PGS group in a municipality/city
within the same province to which he/she, as the farm owner, regularly
interacts or conducts business with.

The farm/farm owner shall apply for a participatory organic certificate

with a core PGS group of the PGS group where the farm belongs; or with
a national organization of LGUs initiating organic agriculture practices,
a member of which is the municipality/city where the PGS group is
located; or with any private group or organization actually engaged in
organic agriculture and operating in that municipality/city; any of
which is accredited as an OCB.

The decision of any of the abovementioned OCBs shall be appealable to

the BAFS: Provided, That the BAFS shall rule on the appeal within thirty
(30) days from its receipt. Otherwise, the appealed decision shall be
considered reversed.

The withdrawal of membership in the PGS group shall mean forfeiture

of the privilege for the farm/farm owner to use the participatory
organic certificate.

In case a member of the core PGS group representing a farm applies for
renewal of certification with the same core PGS group, the member of
the core PGS group must inhibit himself/herself before the application
for renewal can be considered.

(d) Accreditation. The BAFS shall provide the guidelines for accreditation.

A registered core PGS group shall apply for accreditation with the BAFS.
A core PGS group shall be accorded accreditation by the BAFS only if it
has at least five (5) members, coming from different farms within the
municipality/city or within the province, certified and actually
practicing organic agriculture. The BAFS shall extend technical and
financial support to a core PGS group in its application for accreditation.

For purposes of this Section, the BAFS is hereby authorized to certify

five (5) individual farms as a core PGS group: Provided, that once such
core PGS group is accredited to certify, it can subsequently certify as
organic agriculture compliant other core PGS groups: Provided, further,
That the authorization to certify shall be deemed revoked when the core

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 membership becomes less than five (5) or any of the minimum five (5)
member farms becomes noncompliant to organic agriculture standards.

A national organization of LGUs actually initiating or engaged in organic

agriculture; or any private group or organization actually engaged in
organic agriculture, as direct farm producer, as a promoter/advocate of
the ways, methods and principles of organic agriculture, or as a
marketer of organic agriculture produce; may also apply for
accreditation as an OCB.

The BAFS shall issue its decision on the application for accreditation by
a core PGS group or any qualified entity applying for accreditation
within sixty (60) days from the submission of the complete
requirements. Failure to render a decision within such period shall be
deemed an approval of the application for accreditation as an OCB. The
BAFS shall not charge any application fee.

(e) Organizational Levels.

(1) The Core PGS Group. Every core PGS group should have at least five
(5) members, composed of farmers from a combination of both the
crops and livestock sectors. It may add to its membership farmers
from other sectors in agriculture, NGOs, people’s organizations,
buyers of organic agriculture products, suppliers of organic
inputs, among others, who all lives or operate within the province
and regularly interact with the concerned PGS group.
Each core PGS group shall have the following duties and
responsibilities:

(i) Develop an understanding of the organic standards;

(ii) Make sure farm practices are compliant;

(iii) Make a pledge that they understand and adhere to the

organic standards;

(iv) Conduct inspection and certification activities of member

farms. At least a majority of the members of the core PGS
group who joined in the actual inspection and
certification activity should sign on the truthfulness of
the findings of the inspection and certification activity;

(v) Recommend which farms will be certified;

(vi) Initiate key field trainings for farmer-members and

residents in their locality to promote organic agriculture;

(vii) Attend municipal/provincial PGS meetings and share

information.

(viii) Take actions on defaults/noncompliance as per sanction

guidelines to be provided by the BAFS, OCBs and
municipality/city PGS groups; and

(ix) Assist defaulting and non-compliant members to regain

certification status.

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 (2) Municipal/City PGS Group. The municipal/city PGS group shall be
composed of the following: 1) One (1) representative for each core
PGS group in the municipality/city; and 2) One (1) representative
from a regional agricultural state university or college (SUC) or
local private agricultural educational institution: Provided, that
there should be at least two (2) core PGS groups in the
municipality/city before a municipal/city PGS group can be
established.
The municipal/city PGS group shall conduct its business and
affairs based on the majority decision of the members present,
after having secured a quorum.

The municipal/city PGS group shall have the following powers,

duties and responsibilities:

(i) Together with the BAFS, develop or update and

implement the PGS, as provided in this Act;

(ii) Ensure that compliant farmer members continue to

comply with all the requirements of the applicable PNS
for organic agriculture and relevant regulatory
requirements;

(iii) Maintain a registry of core PGS groups operating within

its area of jurisdiction, which shall be forwarded to the
BAFS on year-end for the latter’s national database;

(iv) Together with the OCB involved in the inspection and

certification activity, and in coordination with the BAFS,
issue participatory organic certificate and the “PGS
Guaranteed Organic” label/mark to compliant small
farmer/fisherfolk and/or their
farm/association/cooperative; and

(v) Submit regularly to the BAFS a list of certified small

farmer/fisherfolk and/or their
farm/association/cooperative.

In case a municipal/city PGS group has yet to be established, the

BAFS, in coordination with the LGU concerned, shall assume the
powers, duties and responsibilities of this group.

(3) Provincial and National PGS group. It shall be the option of the PGS
groups to form their aggrupation at the provincial and national
levels. They shall receive the financial and technical assistance,
support and guidance of the departments in the NOAB and the
BAFS in this regard. The provincial governments shall encourage
and support the formation and activities of these PGS groups in the
different provinces, cities and municipalities within their
jurisdiction.

(f) Promotion. The NOAB shall actively promote, search and recognize
associations or groups that have been practicing organic agriculture
through the PGS, in accordance with this Act. The NOAB shall ensure
that each province in the country has a PGS group. Every PGS group
shall conduct training and promote organic agriculture.

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(g) Training and Inspection. The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) shall,
in close coordination with the BAFS, make available the required
training program on organic agriculture standards and processes for
PGS groups applying for BAFS accreditation. The BAFS shall conduct
random inspections to ensure that PGS groups are all compliant with
the PNS for organic agriculture. The BAFS shall keep a record of
compliant PGS groups in the country and shall publish a list of such
compliance at least once a year.

(h) Incentives. Any small farmer/fisherfolk or their farms/associations/

cooperatives engaged in organic agriculture or any organic input
producer, certified by its core PGS group or any OCB, accredited under
this section, to be compliant for a period of five (5) years, without any
offense or infraction, shall be eligible for a full government subsidy of
the cost for an international certification for one (1) year: Provided, that
they shall export their products. Further, so long as the same entities
maintain their status of compliance, they shall be invited and given, for
free, prime location in any government agency-initiated or sponsored
trade and business marketing gathering of Filipino products, for the
purpose of displaying and selling their own organic products.

Rule 14.1. The PGS group shall strive for a collective commitment to a set
of principles reflected through actions that demonstrate
measurable compliance with the organic principles. The PGS
group shall recognize and ensure the involvement of different
stakeholders in its design, implementation, and day-to-day
operations as integral to its overall effectiveness and credibility.

Rule 14.2. The PGS group shall promote the availability and accessibility
of guaranteed organic produce and products within the
community. PGS guaranteed organic produce and products
shall be primarily marketed within the municipality/city or
province wherein the producer may directly link with the
consumers or indirectly through an intermediary.

Rule 14.3. The DA-BAFS shall develop policies and guidelines for the
establishment and operation of the PGS groups.

Rule 14.4. Minimum requirements for organic certification under the PGS
shall be based on the applicable current PNS for OA.

Rule 14.5. The DA-BAFS shall develop policies and guidelines for the
accreditation of core PGS groups or any qualified entity
applying for accreditation, and related activities such as
certification procedure, issuance of certification decision, and
handling of complaints and appeals relating to the operations of
accredited PGS groups. These guidelines shall be subjected to
the approval of the NOAB.

Rule 14.6. The DA-BAFS shall certify five (5) individual farms selected by
the PGS group to form the core PGS group, and endorsed by the
municipal/city local technical committee for organic
agriculture (LTC OA). In the absence of a municipal/city LTC
OA, the endorsement shall be made by the office of the
municipal/city LCE. The endorsement shall be used by DA-
BAFS for certification purposes.

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 Rule 14.7. The issuance of accreditation decision by DA-BAFS shall be
within sixty (60) days from the submission of the complete
requirements. However, this shall exclude the compliance
period of the applicant to resolve assessment findings.

Rule 14.8. The accredited core PGS group can subsequently certify other
core PGS groups located within the same municipality/city or
province for the purposes of accreditation by DA-BAFS.

Rule 14.9. The accredited core PGS group shall be authorized to issue
Participatory Organic Certificate to its farmer member
following completion of the inspection and certification
activities to the compliant farmer member. The compliant
farmer member shall be authorized to use the Philippine PGS
Guaranteed Organic mark.

Rule 14.10. All core PGS group representatives of municipal/city PGS group
shall be from accredited core PGS group. The municipal/city
PGS group shall ensure that representations from accredited
core PGS groups and regional agricultural state university or
college or local private agricultural educational institutions are
competent in carrying out their powers, duties, and
responsibilities.

Rule 14.11. The Support Sector (academic and research institutions, LGUs,
financial institutions, and civil society organizations (CSO))
shall encourage the formation and support the operations of
PGS groups within their locality through the provision of
technical and financial assistance. These sectors may be
represented in the PGS group within their locality.

Rule 14.12. The PGS groups may form into a provincial and national
aggrupation and provide technical support to their farmer
members.

Rule 14.13. The NOAB through its member departments shall develop
policies and guidelines for the provision of financial and
technical assistance to encourage the formation and support of
the activities of the PGS groups.

Rule 14.14. The Agricultural Training Institute of the DA (DA-ATI) and

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA), in close coordination with DA-BAFS, shall develop and
implement training programs relevant to standards, guidelines,
and procedures for the establishment and operations of PGS
groups.

Rule 14.15. The NOAB, in coordination with concerned agencies, shall

develop policies and guidelines for the availing of subsidy for
international organic certification schemes in accordance with
the provisions of Section 25 (Incentives) of this Act.

Section 15. Organic Agriculture and the Protection of the Environment – The NOAB shall
constantly devise and implement ways and means not only of producing
organic fertilizers and other farm inputs and needs on and off the farm but also
of helping to alleviate the problems of industrial waste and community garbage

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 disposal through appropriate methods of sorting, collecting and composting.
The BAFPS shall conduct continuing studies, with consultations among the
people and officials involved as well as POs and NGOs, in order to advise local
governments, from the barangay to the provincial level, on the collection and
disposal of garbage and waste in such a way as to provide raw materials for the
production of organic fertilizer and other farm inputs.

Rule 15.1. The NOAB, in coordination with the National Waste

Management Commission, shall issue guidelines for the
inclusion by the LGUs in their respective local Solid Waste
Management Plan, appropriate programs, projects, and
activities on the utilization of local wastes, for the production of
organic fertilizer in accordance with the current applicable PNS
for OA.

Rule 15.2. The DA through its concerned agencies shall include

mechanisms for the implementation of this provision.

15.2.1. The Bureau of Animal Industry of the DA (DA-BAI)

shall include appropriate mechanisms to ensure
mitigation of seepages and run-offs from farm waste
including animal waste from abattoir.

15.2.2. The Bureau of Soils and Water Management of the

DA (DA-BSWM) and ILDs of the DA RFOs shall assist
the organic agriculture stakeholders for the analysis
of produce and inputs.

15.2.3. The BAFPS, now DA-BAFS per RA No. 10601,

otherwise known as “Agriculture and Fisheries
Mechanization (AFMech) Law of 2013”, shall review
and update, as deemed necessary, the National List
of Permitted Substances for Organic Agriculture that
shall serve as the basis of the LGUs in the collection
and disposal of garbage and waste as a source of raw
materials for the production of organic fertilizer and
other farm inputs.

15.2.4. The NOAB through its member departments shall

mandate their concerned agencies with research
functions to conduct continuing studies with the
primary objective of identifying and promoting
alternative uses of industrial waste and community
garbage taking into consideration the provisions of
the PNS for OA.

Section 16. Local Executive Concerns – Every provincial governor shall, insofar as
practicable, form a provincial technical committee, and which shall, in
coordination with and assistance of the BAFPS/DA-Regional Field Units
(RFUs), implement activities in line with the National Organic Agricultural
Program within each province.

Every municipal mayor shall likewise, insofar as practicable, form a municipal

technical committee for purposes of implementing activities in line with the
National Organic Agricultural Program within each municipality.

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A local government unit that intends to shift its area of responsibility to organic
agriculture must ensure that local industries have been adequately informed
and consulted and that a viable plan to ensure supply for vulnerable industries
is in place.

Local government units shall coordinate with the DA–Bureau of Plant Industry
for the establishment and/or strengthening of local organic seed centers in
order to increase farmers’ adoption of organic agriculture.

The municipalities and cities are hereby enjoined to enact ordinances that shall
protect organic farming zones and organic farming practices.
The governors shall monitor implementation of and compliance with this Act
within their respective jurisdictions.

Rule 16.1. The chief executives of the LGUs, in coordination with and
assistance of the DA-RFOs, shall establish a multi-sectoral
provincial/municipal/city LTC OA, within their respective
jurisdictions composed of the following:

16.1.1. LCE;

16.1.2. Committee Chairperson on Agriculture;

16.1.3. Municipal/City Local Government Operations Officer

(M/CLGOO);

16.1.4. Council Committee Chairperson on Finance;

16.1.5. Chairperson of a barangay actually engaged in organic

agriculture;

16.1.6. Three (3) representatives from the small farmers

associations representing crops, livestock and
fisheries, and preferably certified organic;

16.1.7. One (1) representative from the agribusiness sector or

registered cooperative actually engaged in organic
agriculture;
16.1.8. One (1) representative from the CSOs actually engaged
in organic agriculture;

16.1.9. One (1) representative from the consumer group,

whenever applicable;

16.1.10. One (1) representative from the academe sector,

whenever applicable; and

16.1.11. One (1) representative from indigenous peoples’

organizations, whenever applicable.

Rule 16.2. The representation of NGOs, academe, private business, and

small farmers in the LTC OA shall be drawn through their own
processes of selection and in consultation with the concerned
stakeholders to ensure participatory process and transparency.

Rule 16.3. LTC OA shall elect its chairperson, vice-chairperson, and

secretary.

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Rule 16.4. For every LTC OA established, the Provincial and the
Municipal/City Agriculture Officer, together with their OA focal
person, shall serve as the technical and administrative
secretariat of the committee.

Rule 16.5. The representatives from LGU shall be entitled to one (1) vote
casted by the highest official or his/her authorized
representative.

Rule 16.6. The provincial LTC OA shall be composed of the chairpersons of

the municipal/city LTC OA or their authorized representatives,
and other relevant representations as identified by the
provincial LTC OA.

Rule 16.7. The provincial and municipal/city LTC OA shall establish a

collaboration mechanism for the development, review,
consolidation, and endorsement of the organic agriculture
program, in line with the NOAP. The provincial LTC OA shall
assist the municipal/city LTC OA in the implementation of the
organic agriculture program, and monitor and evaluate the
implementation of the program in their respective jurisdictions.

Rule 16.8. The LTC OA shall be responsible for the development, review,
consolidation, and endorsement of the organic agriculture
program, in line with the NOAP. They shall monitor and evaluate
the implementation of the program in their respective
jurisdictions.

Rule 16.9. The LGUs shall promulgate appropriate provincial and/or

municipal/city ordinance or resolutions that shall promote the
participatory and bottom-up approach to grassroots organic
agricultural programs and projects in their respective
jurisdictions, in accordance with the provisions of this Act,
appropriating funds for the purposes thereof.

Rule 16.10. The LGUs, in coordination with their LTC OA, shall encourage the
formation and support of the operations of municipal/city PGS
groups within their locality through the provision of technical
and financial assistance.

Rule 16.11. The LGUs through their LTC OA shall coordinate with the Bureau
of Plant Industry of the DA (DA-BPI) and other concerned
agencies for the establishment and/or strengthening of seed
banks for indigenous varieties including national campaigns for
the protection and preservation of indigenous and traditional
crop varieties.

Rule 16.12. The LGUs through their LTC OA shall develop a local OA industry
profile that shall form part of the national OA industry profile to
be developed by the NOAB.

Rule 16.13. The LGUs through their LTC OA shall issue an ordinance for the
monitoring and regulation of organic produce and products sold
within its respective jurisdiction.

Rule 16.14. The LGUs shall also ensure the implementation of relevant
provisions under Sections 14 (Participatory Guarantee System),

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 19 (Retailing of Organic Produce), 20 (Market Development and
Trade Promotion), and 25 (Incentives) of this Act, and other
directives from the NOAB. The LGUs are encouraged to propose
plantilla positions to support the implementation of these
functions including the promotion and development of organic
agriculture in their respective jurisdictions.

Section 17. Registration of Organic Producers, Produce, Inputs, and Organic Processed Food
– The BAFS of the DA shall be responsible for the registration of integrated
organic farms and organic inputs such as organic soil amendments and organic
bio-control agents. The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) of the DA shall be
responsible for the registration of organic seeds, planting materials, and crops.

Further, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the DA shall be responsible for
the registration of organic apiculture farms, livestock and poultry and its feeds.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the DA shall be
responsible for the registration of organic fisheries and aquaculture resources
and organic aquaculture feeds.

The BAFS, BPI, BAI, and BFAR of the DA shall come up with a single unified set
of rules and regulations for the registration of organic produce and inputs.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Department of Health (DOH)
shall be responsible for the product registration of organic processed food. It
shall formulate its rules and regulations for the registration of organic pre-
packaged and processed food.

Rule 17.1. The NOAB, in close collaboration with DA-BAFS, DA-BPI, DA-BAI,
DA-BFAR, and other DA Regulatory Agencies, as deemed
necessary, shall develop a single unified set of rules and
regulations for the registration and monitoring of organic
producers, produce, products, and inputs covering local and
imported products consistent with the provisions of this Act.

Rule 17.2. Monitoring of registered organic producers, produce, products,

and inputs shall be coordinated with the concerned regional
offices.

Rule 17.3. Concerned DA regulatory agencies shall establish and manage a

database of registered organic operators, produce, and products
within their purview. The database shall be linked to the
dedicated website of the NOAP.

Rule 17.4. The DOH-FDA shall review and revise, as deemed necessary,
their existing rules and regulations on the registration of organic
pre-packaged and processed food in accordance with applicable
provisions of Section 18 (Labeling of Organic Produce) of this Act.
The DOH-FDA shall also be responsible for the monitoring
activities of registered pre-packaged and processed food, and
maintenance of a database.

Section 18. Labeling of Organic Produce – The label of organic produce shall contain the
name, logo or seal of the OCB and the accreditation number issued by the BAFS.
The organic label/mark shall also include the trade name, as defined by

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pertinent domestic property rights laws, and the address of origin of the
produce.

Products that are certified and guaranteed by a third-party organic

certification system and the PGS shall be allowed to be labeled and sold as
organic.

Rule 18.1. Only produce and products that are certified and guaranteed by
DA-BAFS’ accredited OCBs shall be labeled as organic
accompanied by appropriate mark, and sold upon registration
with concerned regulatory agencies.

Rule 18.2. The NOAB, in collaboration with concerned DA, DOH, and DTI
agencies, as deemed necessary, shall develop policies and
guidelines for the labeling of organic produce and products in
accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Rule 18.3. The label of organic produce and products certified by DA-BAFS’
accredited OCBs shall indicate the “Philippine Organic” mark
and shall contain at least the following information: trade name,
third-party OCB accreditation number, OCB logo or seal, and
other labeling requirements of the concerned regulatory agency.

Rule 18.4. The label of organic produce and products guaranteed by DA-
BAFS’ accredited PGS groups shall indicate the “Philippine PGS
Guaranteed Organic” mark and shall contain at least the
following information: trade name, PGS group accreditation
number, PGS group logo or seal, and other labeling requirements
of the concerned regulatory agency.

Rule 18.5. The “Philippine Organic” mark and “Philippine PGS Guaranteed
Organic” mark shall appear only on organic certificates and on
the label of all certified or guaranteed produce and products.

Rule 18.6. The DA-BAFS shall create and register the “Philippine Organic”
mark and “Philippine PGS Guaranteed Organic” mark with the
Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

Rule 18.7. The DA, DOH, and DTI agencies shall conduct monitoring within
their purview, in coordination with concerned LGUs, as deemed
necessary, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 17
(Registration of Organic Producers, Produce, and Products), 18
(Labeling of Organic Produce) and 19 (Retailing of Organic
Produce) of this Act.

Rule 18.8. The concerned DA, DOH, and DTI agencies shall cooperate to
warn the public against the mislabeled organic produce and
products within their purview through advisories. These
advisories shall be linked to the dedicated website of the NOAP.

Rule 18.9. The LGUs, in coordination with the DILG, shall monitor and
enforce regulations relative to the organic produce and product
sold within its respective jurisdiction, in accordance with the
applicable regulations and laws.

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Section 19. Retailing of Organic Produce – Retail establishments or stores of organic
produce shall designate a separate area to display the organic produce to avoid
mixing it with non-organic produce.

Rule 19.1. The NOAB shall call upon concerned DA, DILG, DOH, and DTI
agencies, to develop or update, as deemed necessary, policies
and guidelines relevant to the retailing of organic produce and
products including the display of information, education and
communication (IEC) materials, within the purview of the
respective agencies, and in accordance with the provisions of
this Act and other existing applicable laws. The policies and
guidelines shall be subjected to the approval of the NOAB.

Rule 19.2. Retail establishments shall specifically designate an area where

organic produce and products are conspicuously displayed.
Retailing of organic produce and products including its handling
shall be in accordance with the applicable current PNS for OA to
prevent commingling. Only certified organic produce and
products shall be displayed in the organic section and labeled as
such.

Section 20. Market Development and Trade Promotion – The agribusiness and marketing
assistance service of the DA, in collaboration with other relevant agencies, shall
develop and implement market development and trade promotion programs
for organic agriculture, including, but not limited to, the following:

(a) Development of marketing agenda for organic agriculture;

(b) Establishment, ensuring sustainability and monitoring of organic

trading posts and stall/outlets: Provided, that these trading posts and
stall/outlets are strategically located in an area such as in the public
market and other centers of trading and local business activities;

(c) Development of market information system;

(d) Promotion of organic food, non-food and input products; and

(e) Facilitation of market matching activities.

Rule 20.1. The NOAB through its concerned TWG shall develop the
framework and process for the development of the short,
medium, and long-term marketing agenda.

Rule 20.2. The DA-AMAS and DTI, in coordination with other concerned
agencies, shall develop and update short, medium, and long term
marketing agenda for organic agriculture, when necessary. The
marketing agenda shall be developed following the NOAB
approved framework and process and shall be based on the
results of market-related researches and consultation with
concerned stakeholders, subject to the approval of the NOAB.

Rule 20.3. The DA-AMAS, through the DA-RFO’s Agribusiness and

Marketing Assistance Divisions, shall conduct inventory and
status of DA-funded organic agriculture trading posts and make
necessary recommendations for each, particularly its possible
integration to the organic agriculture hubs.

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 Rule 20.4. The NOAB shall form partnerships with concerned agencies and
organizations to develop and implement digital systems and
mechanisms for forecasting demand and monitoring
supply/production, connecting both sellers and producers in a
unified platform.

Rule 20.5. The NOAP-NPCO, in coordination with DA-AMAS and DTI, shall
lead the development of an organic agriculture industry profile.

Rule 20.6. The DA-AMAS, and DTI including their regional offices, shall
conduct and participate in local and/or international trade fairs
and exhibits in order to promote organic food, non-food, and
input products.

Rule 20.7. The marketing interventions shall cover the provision of trading
capital, capacity building on enterprise development, post-
harvest, value-adding, and logistics equipment and facilities.

Rule 20.8. The NOAP shall only fund projects and/or activities listed in the
short, medium, and long-term marketing agenda.

Rule 20.9. The LGUs, with the assistance of the DA-RFOs, shall facilitate
activities to promote organic produce and products, including
the regular conduct of special market day for certified produce
and products.

Section 21. Research, Development and Extension – The Bureau of Agricultural Research
(BAR), as the lead agency, shall coordinate with the other agencies of the DA,
the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST), the Department of Education (DepED), the Department of
the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the strategic agricultural-based
state universities and colleges (SUCs) including private organizations, to
develop, enhance, support and consolidate activities and related technologies
for the formulation and implementation of a unified and integrated organic
agriculture RDE plans and programs from the national to the field level. The
organic agriculture RDE plans and programs shall include, but not limited to,
the following:

(a) Research, development and commercialization of appropriate,

innovative and viable organic agricultural technologies;

(b) Nationwide promotion of developed and commercially viable

biodegradable farm wastes and by-products through various extension
strategies to accelerate the production, use and distribution of organic
fertilizers; and

(c) Conduct research for market development, policy formulation,

regulation and certification.

Rule 21.1. The DA-BAR, in coordination with the Philippine Council for
Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and
Development of the DOST (DOST-PCAARRD), with the assistance
of the NOAP, shall strengthen the unified and integrated Organic
Agriculture Research, Development and Extension (OA RDE)
Agenda responsive to the needs of the stakeholders along the
value chain. The OA RDE Agenda shall include research on the

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 gaps along the value chain to generate technologies and policy
recommendations for the implementation of the provisions of
this Act.

Rule 21.2. The DA-BAR shall strengthen its existing organization and
management to effectively and efficiently handle the overall
planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of the
national OA RDE program. The DA-BAR as the lead agency shall
ensure the corresponding budget to effectively carry out its
following functions and responsibilities under this Act:

21.2.1. Review and update its existing rules and procedures

(e.g. guidelines on the provision of OA funds for the
implementation of the national OA RDE program)
within 180 days upon the effectivity of the IRR,
thereafter, upon the instruction of the NOAB;

21.2.2. Review and update the OA RDE Agenda, in

consultation with research institutions and relevant
stakeholders, to be consistent with the OA Roadmap
and provisions of this Act;

21.2.3. Enhance the monitoring and evaluation system of

the funded research projects in accordance with the
OA RDE Agenda;

21.2.4. Ensure dissemination of research results for the

formulation of policies relevant to market
development, regulation and certification, and
development and updating of relevant PNS for OA;

21.2.5. Update and maintain the established database and

information system on the national OA RDE program
to be linked to the NOAP website; and

21.2.6. Strengthen coordination with other agencies for the

timely exchange of relevant data and information on
OA researches.

Rule 21.3. The DA-BAR and DOST-PCAARRD shall strengthen their

mechanism for the consultation process with concerned
stakeholders to ensure that the researchers are more
community-responsive, appropriate, and friendly to organic
small farmers/fisherfolks.

Rule 21.4. The NOAB, in coordination with the concerned agencies, shall
encourage the conduct of research relevant to the indigenous
knowledge and practices and its mainstreaming, thereafter,
while ensuring its protection against biopiracy, and provide
necessary funds, in compliance with the existing rules and
regulations, and applicable laws.

Rule 21.5. The DA-ATI, in close coordination with DA-BAR, shall develop a
mechanism to identify the appropriate extension services that
will massively promote the technologies generated, in
accordance with relevant rules under Section 24 (Organic

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 Agriculture in the Formal and Non-Formal Sectors), subject to the
approval of the NOAB.

Rule 21.6. Likewise, extension activities to be supported by the NOAP shall

be relevant to organic agriculture stakeholders in respective
localities. In this regard, DA-ATI Regional Training Centers and
LGUs shall collaborate to develop an extension agenda for
organic agriculture stakeholders in their respective localities.

Section 22. Creation of Organic Agriculture RDE Network – An organic agriculture RDE
network shall be organized by the BAR, composed of research and educational
institutions, LGUs, nongovernment agencies and the recognized association of
organic fertilizer manufacturers and distributors, agricultural engineers,
agriculturists, soil technologist, farmers group and/or associations.

Rule 22.1. The DA-BAR shall formally establish and strengthen the OA RDE
Network. This OA RDE Network shall be composed of
institutions known for their involvement in organic agriculture.
The Network shall closely collaborate with Regional Research,
Development and Extension Network (RRDEN) and Regional
Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and
Development Consortia (RAANRRDC) to facilitate sharing and
exchange of research results and technologies for wider
dissemination.

Rule 22.2. The NOAP, through DA-BAI, DA-BFAR, DA-BPI, DA-BSWM, DA-
Phi, and such other research institutions, shall primarily focus
its assistance on the development of organic agricultural
systems pursuant to their organizational mandates.

Rule 22.3. The DA-RFOs, DA-ATI, and LGUs, organic small

farmers/fisherfolk organizations and NGOs providing RDE
services, in close partnership with local and community-based
service providers, shall undertake technology transfer and
related extension activities.

Rule 22.4. The OA RDE Network and the NOAB shall explore the possibility
of partnerships with international organizations to promote
cooperation in areas of mutual benefit and interest in support of
the implementation of the OA RDE Agenda.

Section 23. RDE Centers – National, regional and provincial organic R&D and extension
centers shall be organized, established and integrated as a major component
of the existing RDE centers of the DA, the DOST, the DENR, SUCs and the LGUs.
These will be strengthened and enhanced to spearhead the integrated program
to develop and promote organic agriculture throughout the country.

Rule 23.1. The established national and regional organic research,

development, and extension (RDE) centers shall be continually
strengthened and capacitated to implement the integrated OA
program of their respective areas for further promotion and
development of OA technologies. These RDE Centers shall be
tapped to form part of the OA RDE Network.

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 Rule 23.2. The RDE Centers shall submit annual reports to the NOAB
following the report template to be provided.

Rule 23.3. The DA regional and national laboratories, and the laboratories
of SUCs and other research institutions shall be strengthened
and capacitated through the upgrading of facilities, capacitating
technical personnel, and streamlining of laboratory analysis
methods employed in testing organic agriculture produce and
products, in support to the implementation of this Act.

Section 24. Organic Agriculture in the Formal and Non-formal Sectors – The National
Government, through the DepEd and in coordination with concerned
government agencies, NGOs and private institutions, shall strengthen the
integration of organic agriculture concerns in school curricula at all levels.

Rule 24.1. The DepEd with assistance from ATI and TESDA, shall jointly:

24.1.1. Central Office:

24.1.1.1. Incorporate the philosophy and

principles of organic agriculture, its
importance, techniques and skills on the
practice of organic agriculture in the
basic education curriculum and
Alternative Learning System (ALS)
curriculum preferably translated in
Filipino and other local languages.

24.1.1.2. In consultation with organic agriculture

practitioners and/or experts, include in
their development of teacher training
programs a module that would enhance
competencies of teachers in the
management and instructional delivery
of philosophy and principles of organic
agriculture, its importance, techniques
and skills on the practice of organic
agriculture;

24.1.1.3. Include organic farming as one module

under the ALS livelihood programs for
out-of-school youth (OSY) and adult
learners;

24.1.1.4. Include in their development of

textbooks, learning and instructional
materials philosophy and principles of
organic agriculture its importance,
techniques and skills on the practice of
organic agriculture;

24.1.1.5. In partnership with DA and other

concerned agencies and institutions,
develop IEC materials on organic
agriculture that can be easily understood
by students and parents;

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 24.1.1.6. Establish linkages with DA and NOAB
member departments, other concerned
agencies, LGUs, NGOs, organic farmer
organizations and other concerned
stakeholders, and media partners for a
nationwide promotion, adoption and
practice of organic agriculture.

24.1.2. Regional Offices:

24.1.2.1. Include in their regular planning,

monitoring and evaluation of Divisions’
activities the integration of organic
agriculture in the Divisions’ educational
planning and implementation of school
and ALS curriculum. The Regional Offices
shall likewise include in their conduct of
M&E, the Divisions’ training of teachers
and mobile teachers on organic
agriculture, localization of instructional
and learning materials to include
philosophy and principles of organic
farming, implementation of ALS
programs on organic agriculture, organic
agriculture-advocacy activities and
others;

24.1.2.2. Include in their provision of support

services to the Divisions, technical and
financial assistance for the Divisions’
implementation of organic agriculture-
related activities;

24.1.3. Division Offices:

24.1.3.1. In partnership with the Provincial,

Municipal/City agriculturists, the DepEd
Division Offices shall include in its
implementation the training programs
for teachers and mobile teachers,
development of training modules on
organic agriculture, its importance,
techniques and skills in the practice of
organic agriculture;

24.1.3.2. Encourage schools and community

learning centers (only when
appropriate) to establish organic
gardens in their areas where children
student and learners could practice
organic farming;

24.1.3.3. Include in their provision of support to

the schools/community learning centers,
technical assistance in the schools’
implementation of organic agriculture
and related activities;

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 24.1.4. Schools:

24.1.4.1. Schools are encouraged to promote,

develop and adopt a holistic program on
organic agriculture farming systems and
ensure its implementation;

24.1.4.2. Encourage school heads to establish

organic gardens that shall showcase
organic farming technologies. Schools in
urban areas are encouraged to practice
organic urban farming technologies;
24.1.4.3. Schools shall offer organic foods in their
canteens to enhance the consumption of
safe, healthy and nutritious food;

24.1.4.4. Assign one school teacher/mobile

teacher preferably the Technology and
Livelihood Teacher Coordinator to serve
as a focal person on organic agriculture.
The focal person shall act under the
supervision of the School Head under the
guidance of the school governing board;

24.1.4.5. Strengthen linkages with the community,

LGUs, local government offices, NGOs,
small farmers/fisherfolks, organic
farmers’/fisherfolks’ organizations, and
media partners to implement advocacy
strategies that will promote organic
farming technologies such as among
others regular competitions on Best
Practices on Organic Agriculture;
exposure or field trips to local organic
farms;

24.1.4.6. Tap organic agriculture practitioners

and/or experts in organic agriculture to
serve as guest lecturers;

Rule 24.2. The DepEd, through its Secretary, shall issue a Department
Order that will detail the implementation and provision of
budgetary support for these provisions of the IRR.

Rule 24.3. The NOAB shall call upon the CHED, TESDA and other
educational institutions to institutionalize the integration of
organic agriculture concerns in their curricula and other
operational activities consistent with the provisions of this IRR.

Rule 24.4. The TESDA shall ensure that the NOAB and the DA-ATI are in
mutual agreement prior to the approval of any competency
standards or training regulations relevant to organic agriculture.
The NOAB shall endorse to the TESDA Board the competency
standards or training regulations for approval.

24.4.1. TESDA shall review the existing training regulations

(TRs), competency assessment tools (CATs) and

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 assessment fees (AFs) on Organic Agriculture
Production National Certificate (NC) II.

24.4.2. TESDA shall develop TRs, CATs and AFs for required,
new and emerging skills on organic agriculture, both
at the national and local (area-based) levels.

Rule 24.5. The TESDA shall issue National Certification on Organic

Agriculture to competent individuals.

Rule 24.6. The DA-ATI shall review and revise, as appropriate, existing
guidelines for the accreditation of the relevant extension service
providers (ESPs) on organic agriculture, provided such ESPs
have juridical status and have been duly registered with
appropriate regulatory bodies, as sole proprietors, cooperatives,
associations and corporations, and the funding thereof will be
sourced from the DA and other government agencies. Such
accreditation guidelines shall be subjected to the approval of the
NOAB.

24.6.1. Only accredited OA ESPs shall be tapped by the

government for related group capacity building and
organic farming technologies training without
prejudice to non-accredited organizations who have
been conducting training prior to the passage of this
Act. An individual service provider may be tapped for
organic agriculture technologies and related training
provided that he is either a member of the ESP or
appropriately endorsed by such.

24.6.2. The DA-ATI shall continuously undertake appraisal

and evaluation of the capability and competence of
accredited OA ESPs.

24.6.3. The DA-ATI shall encourage, support and provide

continuous learning of all organic agriculture
technologies and practices.

Section 25. Incentives – The government shall extend incentives for the production and
propagation of organic farm inputs by maximizing their use in all government
and government-supported agricultural production, research and
demonstration programs. Incentives shall also be provided to farmers whose
farms have been duly certified as compliant with the Philippine National
Standard (PNS). Further, the DA may give cash rewards in recognition of the
best organic farm in the country. The DA, the DAR, the DOST, the DILG, the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the DepED, the Department of
Finance (DOF), the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), and other government
leading and non-leading institutions shall also assist organic input producers
and organic farmers through the provision of adequate financial, technical,
marketing, and other services and resources. These include, but shall not be
limited to, the following:

(a) Exemption from the payment of duties on the importation of

agricultural equipment, machinery and implements as provided under
Republic Act No. 9281, which amends Republic Act No. 8435 or the
Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA);

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 (b) Identification by LGUs of local taxes that may be offered as incentives to
organic input production and utilization;

(c) Provision of preferential rates and special window to organic input

producers and users by the LBP.

(d) Subsidies for certification fees and other support services to facilitate
organic certification;

(e) Zero-rated value-added tax (VAT) on transactions involving the

sale/purchase of bio-organic products, whether organic inputs or
organic produce; and

(f) Income tax holiday and exemption for seven (7) years, starting from the
date of registration of organic food and organic input producers on all
income taxes levied by the National Government.

The tax incentives shall be given only to purely organic agriculture

entities/farmers and shall be subject to the accreditation of the BAFPS and
periodic reporting by BAFPS to the DOF: Provided, That the said incentives
shall be available only to micro, small and medium enterprises as defined
under Section 3 of Republic Act No. 9501 or the Magna Carta for Micro, Small
and Medium Enterprises.

Rule 25.1. The incentives enumerated in this Section shall exclude item (e)
zero-rated value-added tax (VAT) on transactions involving the
sale/purchase of bio-organic products, whether organic inputs
or organic produce, in accordance with the provisions of
Republic Act No. 10963 otherwise known as “Tax Reform For
Acceleration And Inclusion (TRAIN) Act.”

Rule 25.2. The NOAB, in collaboration with concerned agencies, shall

develop guidelines for the provision of incentives to ensure that
the beneficiaries of incentive programs are qualified in
accordance with the provisions of this Act.

Rule 25.3. Small farmers/fisherfolks, indigenous people, agrarian reform

beneficiaries (ARBs), including cooperatives and micro, small
and medium enterprises (MSMEs), shall be prioritized in the
provision of incentives in accordance with the provisions of this
Act.

Rule 25.4. Full subsidies for all organic certification schemes including
international certification shall be granted to small farmers in
accordance with the guidelines approved by the NOAB. Provided
that international third-party certification subsidy shall only be
given to qualified PGS groups per item (h) of Section 14
(Participatory Guarantee System) of this Act.

Rule 25.5. Registered organic operators shall be covered under the

programs of DA Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), DA
Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), and Land Bank of
the Philippines (LBP), subject to the policies and guidelines of
the agencies.

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 Rule 25.6. The DA-BAFS shall ensure that the lists of certified and
registered organic operators are updated regularly and available
on its website which shall be linked to the NOAP website.

Rule 25.7. The Department of Finance (DOF), other concerned agencies and
GFIs are called upon to develop or update, as deemed necessary,
guidelines in accordance with the provisions of this Act and
other existing applicable laws, within sixty (60) days upon the
effectivity of this IRR.

Rule 25.8. The NOAP-NPCO with the assistance of DA-BAFS and other
concerned regulatory agencies shall submit lists of certified and
registered organic operators to the DOF for the purposes of this
Section.

Section 26. Appropriations – The Department of Budget and Management shall include
annually in the President’s program of expenditure for submission to and
approval by Congress One Billion Pesos (Php 1,000,000,000.00) for the
promotion and development of the national Organic Agriculture Program,
allocated as follows:

 Thirty- five percent (35%) for shared facilities;

 Twenty-five percent (25%) for seeds development/planting
materials and animal’s distribution and feeds for aquaculture, soil
amendments and biocontrol agents;
 Twenty percent (20%) for extension and training;
 Five percent (5%) for socialized credit;
 Five percent (5%) for small scale irrigation system;
 Five percent (5%) for research and development; and
 Five percent (5%) for marketing and promotion.

The NOAB is hereby authorized to solicit and accept assistance or facilities in

the form of grants from individuals and entities here and abroad, and to utilize
these funds and resources for purposes of this Act, subject to the usual budget,
accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

Rule 26.1. The DBM shall include annually in the President’s program of
expenditure for submission to and approval by Congress One
Billion Pesos (Php 1,000,000,000.00) for the promotion and
development of the NOAP.

Rule 26.2. The NOAP shall only fund projects included in the LGUs OA
investment plans or roadmaps as well as in other OA plans
approved by the NOAB.

Rule 26.3. All other programs of the concerned agencies, particularly the
DA banner programs, shall supplement the NOAP by way of
convergence of interventions to NOAP beneficiaries and
partners.

Rule 26.4. All LGUs must allocate at least 50% of their overall agriculture
budget to support the NOAP, subject to relevant rules and
regulations, and other existing applicable laws.

Rule 26.5. The NOAB shall allocate funds according to the following
breakdown:

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 26.5.1. Thirty-five percent (35%) for shared facilities;

26.5.2. Twenty-five percent (25%) for seeds

development/planting materials and animal’s
distribution and feeds for aquaculture, soil
amendments and biocontrol agents;

26.5.3. Twenty percent (20%) for extension and training;

26.5.4. Five percent (5%) for socialized credit;

26.5.5. Five percent (5%) for small scale irrigation system;

26.5.6. Five percent (5%) for research and development; and

26.5.7. Five percent (5%) for marketing and promotion.

Rule 26.6. The NOAB is hereby authorized to solicit and accept assistance
or facilities in the form of grants from individuals and entities
here and abroad, and to utilize these funds and resources for
purposes of this Act, subject to the usual budget, accounting and
auditing rules and regulations.

Rule 26.7. In addition to the prescribed budget for NOAP programs and
projects, the DBM shall provide the budget for personnel
services and operating expenses of the NOAB and NOAP for the
effective and efficient implementation of the NOAP.

Rule 26.8. The DBM shall augment the regular funds of the DA-BAFS, DA-
BAI, DA-BFAR, DA-BPI, and other regulatory agencies in order to
implement their regulatory functions as provided in this Act and
its IRR.

Section 27. Penal Provisions and Other Penalties – Any person who willfully and
deliberately:

(a) obstructs the development or propagation of organic agriculture, or the

manufacture, production, sale or use of organic agricultural inputs;

(b) refuses without just cause to extend the support and assistance
required under this Act;

(c) mislabels or claims that the product is organic when it is not in

accordance with the existing standards for Philippine organic
agriculture or this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by
imprisonment of not less than one (1) month nor more than six (6)
months, or a fine of not more than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00),
or both, at the discretion of the court. If the offender is a corporation or
a juridical entity, the official who ordered or allowed the commission of
the offense shall be punished with the same penalty. If the offender is in
the government service, he shall, in addition, be dismissed from office:
Provided, that any OCB found to have issued a certification to a farm or
producer established to be not compliant with any of the PNS for
organic agriculture or with the provisions of this Act, shall be penalized
by the BAFS as follows:

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 (1) First offense. Written warning.

(2) Second offense. Suspension of accreditation.

Rule 27.1. Competent authorities or as directed by the NOAB shall develop

specific policies and guidelines to further implement the penal
provisions and other penalties of this Act.

Rule 27.2. Any person found to have deliberately sold mislabeled produce
and products or with false claims shall be penalized by the
concerned competent authorities as provided in this Act and
other existing applicable laws.

Rule 27.3. Any OCB found to have issued a certification to a farm or

producer established to be non-compliant with the applicable
current PNS for OA or with the provisions of this Act, shall be
penalized by the DA-BAFS, as per the guidelines approved by
the NOAB.

Rule 27.4. Any certified organic operator found to be non-compliant with

the applicable current PNS for OA shall be subjected to
revocation of their organic certificate by the concerned OCB, as
per the guidelines approved by the NOAB.

Section 28. Implementing Rules and Regulations – The NOAB shall adopt rules and
regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within ninety (90) days
from the effectivity of this Act and submit the same to the COCAFM. In the
drafting of the implementing rules and regulations, the Department of Finance
(DOF) shall be consulted in connection with the tax incentive provided under
Section 25 hereof.

Rule 28.1. The NOAB shall submit the approved IRR within ninety (90)
days from the effectivity of this Act to the COCAFM.

Section 29. Annual Report – The NOAB shall render an annual report to both Houses of
Congress on the accomplishment of the program. A review on the viability of
the program shall be made by the concerned agencies after three (3) years of
its implementation.

Rule 29.1. Annual reports, to include the work accomplishments and

financial statements shall be submitted to OA stakeholders and
shall be disseminated in Quad Media and posted on a dedicated
website, including the LGUs’ information mechanisms.

Rule 29.2. The Commission on Audit (COA) report on this regard shall also
be disseminated in Quad Media and posted on the NOAP
website, including the LGUs’ information mechanisms.

Section 30. Congressional Oversight Committee – The COCAFM shall be the congressional
oversight committee for purposes of this Act. The COCAFM shall review and
approve the implementing rules and regulations of this act and also perform
the following functions:

(a) Monitor and ensure the proper implementation of this Act;

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 (b) Review the proper implementation of the programs on organic
agriculture and the use of its funds;

(c) Review the performance of the NOAB; and

(d) Such other functions it deems necessary.

Rule 30.1. The COCAFM shall review and monitor the implementation of
this IRR.

Section 31. Separability Clause – If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full
force and effect.
Rule 31.1. If any section or provision of this IRR is held or declared
unconstitutional or invalid by a competent court, the other
sections or provisions hereof shall continue to be in force as if
the sections or provisions so annulled or voided had never been
incorporated herein.

Section 32. Repealing Clause – All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, presidential
proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof contrary to or
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Rule 32.1. All Rules and Regulations or parts of said rules and regulations
of pertinent laws inconsistent with this IRR are hereby revised,
amended, modified and/or superseded as the case may be by
these Rules and Regulations.

Section 33. Effectivity – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication
in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation or in the Official Gazette.

Rule 33.1. This IRR shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the date of its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation. The UP Law Center’s Office
of National Administrative Register shall be provided a copy of
this IRR.

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