Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Wednesday criticized the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) for its failure to fully implement the Sagip Saka Act of 2019, saying bureaucratic roadblocks are delaying support for farmers and fisherfolk.

Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, said the GPPB is incorrectly applying traditional bidding rules to agricultural procurements. The Sagip Saka Act, Republic Act 11321, was intended to allow government agencies and local government units to directly buy agricultural products from local producers without a public bidding process.

“Why are you implementing the Sagip Saka Act using the procurement law?” Pangilinan said during a meeting with Department of Agriculture officials. “You have to have a separate set of rules for these particular purchases.”

The senator expressed frustration that the issue has remained unresolved for more than two years, accusing government agencies of “dribbling” the implementation and undermining the law’s goal of supporting rural communities.

Pangilinan also referenced a previous GPPB resolution that classified rice as a “processed food,” which effectively excluded it from the Sagip Saka Act. He called on the GPPB to issue clear and actionable guidelines for government agencies to enable the full enforcement of the law.