Ube Development Act

Senate Office of the Berretarp TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 26 MAY 25 P12:41 SENATE S.B. No. _ 2151 RECEIVED BY: Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT URGING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND EXPORT PROMOTION OF THE UBE, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE Article II, Section 21 of the 1987 Constitution provides that "The State shall promote comprehensive rural development." Moreover, Article II, Section 15 states that "The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them." Ube (Dioscorea alata L.), commonly known as purple yam, is one of the Philippines' most iconic agricultural products and culinary ingredients. It is widely utilized in various food products such as desserts, pastries, ice cream, beverages, jams, and processed delicacies. Due to its vibrant color, nutritional value, and distinctive flavor, ube has gained increasing popularity in international markets, particularly in Asia, North America, and the Middle East. The Philippines has likewise become internationally associated with ube- based products due to the growing global presence of Filipino cuisine and food enterprises. The global demand for ube-based products has increased significantly in recent years due to the rising interest in Asian cuisine and natural food ingredients. However, despite the Philippines being recognized as one of the traditional producers of ube, the country has yet to maximize the export potential of the crop. Local production remains fragmented and constrained by limited access to quality planting materials, inadequate postharvest facilities, low productivity, lack of processing equipment, and insufficient support for farmers and exporters. Supply inconsistencies, limited access to financing and insurance, and weak coordination across the value chain further hinder the competitiveness of the domestic ube industry.

There is likewise a need to strengthen research and development efforts on disease-resistant and high-yielding ube varieties, improve farm-to-market linkages, enhance product processing and packaging capabilities, and assist farmers and exporters in complying with international sanitary and phytosanitary standards. There is also a need to institutionalize a comprehensive and coordinated national framework that will support the long-term development, promotion, and export competitiveness of Philippine ube and ube-based products. Developing the ube industry can provide additional livelihood opportunities for rural communities, promote agribusiness development, improve export earnings, and preserve a uniquely Filipino agricultural heritage. This bill seeks to address the concerns mentioned above by providing the mechanism for the establishment of programs for efficient production, processing, marketing, and distribution of ube to ensure growth in production and export. It likewise seeks to establish the Ube Export Promotion Council (UEPC), formulate a long-term Ube Export Promotion Framework, strengthen farmer and exporter support systems, promote investment and innovation, and enhance the global competitiveness of Philippine ube products. For the abovementioned reasons, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. Imee h. ака AMEER. MARCOS

Senate Offite of the Berretarp TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 26 MAY 25 P12:41 First Regular Session SENATE RECEIVED BY: S.B. No. 2151 Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT URGING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND EXPORT PROMOTION OF THE UBE, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Ube Development

Act."

SEC. 2. Establishment and Functions of the Ube Export Promotion Council

(UEPC). - A council, composed of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) or his representative as the Chairperson, the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) or his representative, the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or his representative, and one (1) representative each from the ube growers and commercial processors' sectors to be designated by the Secretary of the DA shall be created immediately upon the effectivity of this Act to ensure the government's support, and assistance to ube exporters. The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) under DA, through the office which implements the High-Value Crops Development Program, shall be designated as the UEPC's Secretariat. The UEPC shall have the following functions: 1. Formulate, review, and update, when necessary, the Ube Export Promotion Framework, as provided in Sec. 3 of this Act; 2. Recommend policies and proposed legislative measures to support the ube industry;

3. Develop and set standards for the exportation of ube and ube products; 4. Develop and implement international marketing campaigns to promote the ube industry; 5. Coordinate with the international industry and market; 6. Convene regular consultations, forums, and dialogues to promote and support the ube industry; 7. Organize and facilitate training programs for ube farmers and exporters; 8. Monitor the implementation of the Framework and, thereafter, collect and analyze data on the production, processing, exports, market trends, and industry performance; 9. Conduct periodic reviews and impact assessments of implemented programs and interventions; and 10. Other functions, as may be necessary, for the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 3. Formulation of the Ube Export Promotion Framework. - The UEPC, in

consultation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), state universities and colleges, ube growers' and processors cooperatives and organizations, local government units (LGUS), and the private sector, shall formulate a ten (10)-year framework to be validated and updated annually. Such Framework shall serve as a guide to the formulation and implementation of plans, programs, and projects for the production, processing and marketing of Philippine ube for export worldwide, as envisioned in this Act. The Framework shall likewise provide for the following: a) National Framework - The DA, DOST, state universities and colleges (SUCs), and other stakeholders shall strengthen the conduct of research on ube particularly on areas of crop improvement, crop protection, harvesting and postharvest handling, supply chain analysis, marketing, and promotion; b) Production and Cultivation Support - The DA, through its regional offices and in coordination with LGUs, shall provide production and cultivation support for the production of ube including, but not limited to, the following: varietal development, material distribution, technical assistance, extension services, infrastructure and input support, climate resilience, risk management, sustainability mapping and production zoning. c) Investment Promotion and Facilitation - The DA and DTI shall develop programs establishing links between stakeholders in the ube industry and government financial institutions (GFIs) and other financial cooperatives. The DA and DTI shall likewise develop and implement programs that would establish reasonable and innovative investment incentives to attract more players in the ube industry;

d) Export Promotion Support - An integrated and strategic export promotion program for the ube industry shall be created. The export promotion program shall be responsive to market conditions, the needs of the exporters, and the possibilities offered by new products and technologies. It shall likewise provide foreign trade and export promotion activities through trainings, technical assistance, capacity building, generating awareness of export opportunities, and export planning assistance; e) Strengthen Trade Policies and Support Network. - The DA shall be responsible for coordinating a consultative approach for the various stages of the trade policy making process. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) shall lead the negotiation of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to provide a competitive environment for ube exports abroad; and f) Monitoring and Evaluation. - The DA shall continuously monitor, track, and analyze the progress and outcomes of the programs to be implemented to determine overall effectiveness.

SEC. 4. Establishment of an Ube Farmer Registry. - There is hereby established

an Ube Farmer Registry which shall be updated quarterly and shall contain the following: (1) farmer identification; (2) land tenure; and (3) credit and insurance enrollment.

SEC. 5. Contract Farming Agreement. - All Contract Farming Agreements shall

be written in a language which shall be easily understood by the farmer and the other contracting party that shall include the following information: details of parties, crop specifications, production schedule, input commitments, delivery points, standards, volume obligations, pricing formula, payment terms, termination in cases of force majeure, grievance mechanism and monitoring arrangements.

SEC. 6. Credit Access and Insurance. - LGUs shall facilitate access to credit and

insurance for ube farmers through partner financial institutions such as the Landbank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines. LGUs shall also assist and facilitate access to sustainable insurance products and, when possible, subsidize insurance premiums for ube farmers.

SEC. 7. Philippine National Standards for Ube Products. - The Council, in

coordination with the Bureau of Philippine Standards, shall develop and set the Philippine National Standards for the exportation of ube and ube products.

SEC. 8. Ube Development Fund. - There is hereby created an "Ube Development

Fund" which shall be administered by the Council. The Fund shall be utilized to support

1 the ube industry and ube farmers, traders, and exporters.

SEC. 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to implement this Act shall be

4 included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA). Thereafter, such funds as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the succeeding annual GAA.

SEC. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or

unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive

order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,