Pangilinan warns Cabinet execs: Prepare for Sagip Saka budget hearing

As the Senate prepares for its 2026 national budget deliberations next week, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Saturday cautioned government agency heads to present concrete plans for the full implementation of the Sagip Saka Act or risk having their budgets deferred.

Pangilinan highlighted the urgency of operationalizing the 2019 law he authored, which allows government entities to directly procure food and agricultural products from farmers and fisherfolk — bypassing the usual bidding process.

“Kaya kung may mga nanonood na department heads ng agencies ng gobyerno sa national eh maghanda kayo sumagot sa tanong ko (Those department agencies head of the government in the should prepared answers to my questions),” Pangilinan warned, addressing officials directly.

“Anong plano nyo para bumili under this law — direkta na bumili from farmers and fisherfolk? At kapag wala kayong plano, eh hindi ko ipapa-approve. I-de-defer ko budget nyo hanggat may plano kayo (What do you plan to buy under this law — to buy directly from farmers and fisherfolk? If you don’t have plans, I won’t approve it. I will defer your budget until you have plans),” he added.

Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, Pangilinan has been a vocal advocate for agriculture reform and food security. He stressed that proper implementation of the Sagip Saka Act could reduce food prices, stabilize supply chains, increase incomes in rural communities, and strengthen national food security.

Pangilinan cited state universities and colleges, public hospitals and rural health clinics, correctional institutions, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as agencies that must utilize the law in their food-related programs — particularly for relief efforts and institutional feeding.

“It can be done. It should be done — and we’re pushing it,” Pangilinan asserted.

The senator also urged that these initiatives be implemented during the upcoming harvest season, ensuring that farmers and fisherfolk benefit from increased earnings ahead of the holidays.

First passed in 2019, the Sagip Saka Act (Republic Act No. 11321) aims to promote inclusive growth for farmers and fisherfolk through direct market access and streamlined procurement processes. Pangilinan lamented that six years after its enactment, the law has yet to be fully implemented across government agencies.