Kirsten Gale Mendoza

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on July 11 warned government agencies, especially the Department of Health (DOH), that their budgets may be blocked if they fail to fully implement a law requiring public hospitals to buy food directly from local farmers and fisherfolk.

Photo Courtesy of Kiko Pangilinan.

Pangilinan was referring to RA 11321 or the Sagip Saka Act, which he authored in 2019. The law mandates direct food procurement from farmers and fisherfolk to ensure stable income for agricultural workers while providing healthier food options in public institutions.

“Agencies that cannot show a clear, concrete plan to implement the Sagip Saka Act will have a hard time defending their budgets,” Pangilinan said in a media briefing.

The senator cited the daily food purchases of over 60 public hospitals nationwide, saying these must include a fixed percentage sourced directly from local producers.

“Saan nila kinukuha ang pagkain sa ospital araw-araw? Dapat may bahagi niyan na galing mismo sa ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” Pangilinan stated.

He said DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa committed in a meeting on July 8 to issue a department order for the full implementation of the law.

Pangilinan stressed that local government units (LGUs) and other agencies must also ensure compliance, saying the law’s goal of helping rural communities depends on multi-agency coordination.

Under the Sagip Saka Act, government agencies and institutions are authorized to directly purchase agricultural and fishery products from accredited farmers, cooperatives, or associations without public bidding, allowing faster and more direct market access.

Despite the law being in effect for six years, Pangilinan noted that implementation remains inconsistent, leaving many farmers without the support the law was designed to guarantee.

He emphasized that public funds used for food procurement must not enrich middlemen while farmers remain poor.

“The law is clear. The government must be the biggest and most reliable buyer of local produce,” he said.

Pangilinan vowed to raise the issue during budget hearings, warning that non-compliance would come at a cost.

“This is not just policy. It’s the law. Either they comply or risk losing funding,” he said.