Philippine Agriculturists Act

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Philippine Agriculturists Act

July 2025
One Asia Lawyers Philippines Team
(Philippines) Lawyer Kirsten Denise B. Habawel-Vega
(Japan) Lawyer  Yasuaki Nanba

Overview

Republic Act No. 12215 otherwise known as the Philippine Agriculturists Act was created to recognize the importance of registered agriculturists in nation-building and development on May 29, 2025.

The Act provides for:

• the examination, registration and regulation of the practice of the agriculture profession in the Philippines;
• the supervision, control, and regulation of the practice of the agriculture profession in the Philippines;
• the development and upgrading of the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture curriculum;
• the development of the professional competence of registered agriculturists through Continuing Professional Development (CDP); and
• integration of the agriculture profession.

The Act creates a Professional Regulatory Board of Agriculture which shall be under the control and supervision of the Philippine Regulation Commission (PRC).

License and Registration

Under the Act, every applicant seeking to be registered as an agriculturist shall undergo a written professional licensure examination which will be conducted once a year. A person shall be considered in the practice of agriculture if the nature and character of the work or employment requires professional knowledge in agriculture.

Agriculturist applicants may also register without examination if the applicant meets certain requirements provided in the Act.

Foreign agriculturists may be granted a Special Temporary Permit (STP) to practice in the Philippines if their expertise is urgently needed and local professionals are insufficient. The STP is subject to PRC approval and requires a local understudy to be designated.

Additionally, foreign nationals may only be allowed to practice or be licensed if their home country grants Filipino agriculturists the same privilege under a reciprocity arrangement.

Scope of practice of Agriculture

In the Act, Practice of the agriculture profession is defined as all activities, acts, services, or pursuits performed by registered agriculturists as herein prescribed or specified. The Act also defines the scope of practice of Agriculture to involve services consisting of crop, livestock, and poultry production, processing and distribution in both urban and rural areas that include the following:

1. Soil, crop, and animal health management;
2. Consultation, evaluation, investigation, and management services requiring the application of knowledge in agriculture and its components;
3. Preparation of plans, specifications, project feasibility studies and estimates, and other management services in the establishment and production of crops, raising of livestock and poultry, landscape horticulture, and marketing of agriculture products;
4. Research projects and studies in soil resources management, crop improvement, crop production, breeding of livestock and poultry, and animal and plant pest and disease management;
5. Training and extension work in agricultural crop production, poultry, and livestock raising;
6. Management and marketing services related to agriculture as a business or industry;
7. Teaching agriculture subjects in schools, colleges, and universities established or recognized by the government; and
8. Employment in the private and government sectors where such employment requires the knowledge and expertise of a registered agriculturist.

Under Section 30 of the new law, only sole proprietors, consulting firms, associations, or organizations may engage in the professional practice of agriculture, provided they are properly registered, majority-owned and managed by licensed agriculturists, and that all agricultural services are performed by registered agriculturists. It also requires registration with the SEC or other appropriate government agencies.

The Act also mandates private agricultural corporations to employ or engage the services of registered agriculturists.

Penalties

Any violation of the Act, its IRR, Code of Ethics, Code of Technical Standards or other regulatory policies of the Board and the PRC shall be meted the penalty of a fine of not less than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 100,000.00) nor more than Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 500,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than six (6) months nor more than six (6) years, or both at the discretion of the court.

What Actions Should Foreign Companies/Persons Do?

Companies engaged in the agriculture, agribusiness, or food security projects in the Philippines must evaluate how the Philippine Agriculturists Act may affect their operations, more specifically the mandatory requirement of employing a registered agriculturist for agricultural corporations. The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), which shall be issued within 120 days from the effectivity of this Act, Code of Conduct and other rules have yet to be established. It is still unclear if foreign participation for private agricultural corporations is allowed under the Act. So, monitor the publication of the IRR as this would clarify licensing requirements, foreign participation, application processes, penalties and violations.