Press Release
June 2, 2008

KIKO FILES FOR MAGNA CARTA OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT WORKERS

The Magna Carta of agricultural workers has already been proposed in the Senate as one of the long-term responses to a more stable agricultural set-up.

Senate Majority Leader and Independent senator Kiko Pangilinan, the author of Senate Bill No. 2332 or the Magna Carta of Agricultural Development Workers, recognizes the "present need to positively and actively assist such workers who are confronted with weak mechanisms for career development and inadequate support."

"The recent rice situation would not have arisen if only we approach agriculture methodically. Fact remains that the agricultural sector is still influential in our local economy an economics," Kiko said.

Kiko cited the statistics, providing that our country has a land area of approximately 30 million hectares of which 12.3 hectares is devoted to agricultural crops.

"Agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sectors contribute 18.3 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2007, and 37 percent of total employment in 2006. We have to institutionalize and strengthen local agriculture by providing competent workers, as well as measures for their development," Kiko explained.

SB 2332 seeks to provide a more aggressive technical support setting for agricultural workers, who in turn directly help our farmers with their concerns

"Agricultural workers will be justly compensated, in recognition of their vital role in agricultural development. Aside from the positions currently existing, SB 2332 provides for mandatory positions for experts, such as provincial agricultural engineers and provincial fishery technologist," Kiko said.

Agricultural development workers shall be duly licensed and assisted by government agencies, to ensure their expertise.

"SB 2332 is being proposed to provide for long-term and institutionalized measures for our local agriculture, and ultimately, for national progress. Ang pagbabago at pag-unald ay isang proseso at naniniwala akong bahagi ang SB 2332 dito," Kiko ended.

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