Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11321)
The short title of Republic Act No. 11321 is the "Sagip Saka Act."
The declared policy of the State is to achieve sustainable modern agriculture and food security by helping agricultural and fishing communities reach their full potential, increasing their incomes, and bridging gaps through public-private partnerships, thereby improving their quality of life.
It is a comprehensive set of objectives, targets, and a holistic approach in promoting the establishment of enterprises involving agricultural and fishery products, integrated with the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Plan and the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Plan.
Assistance includes improvement of production and productivity, access to financing like credit grants and crop insurance, access to improved technologies through research and development, and business support and development services such as market access and networking.
Beneficiaries include existing producer groups with priority commodity value chain products, farmers and fisherfolk willing to cluster and market their products, producer groups or clusters willing to undergo capacity building, and micro, small, and medium scale processors or enterprises aiding producer groups.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is the primary implementing agency of the Program.
The private sector may form partnerships or alliances with farmers and fisherfolk to improve market access, provide technology transfer, donate equipment, and assist in enterprise development under set criteria.
It is a council created to oversee the proper implementation of the Program, composed of government department representatives, farmer and fisherfolk organizations, and representatives from agriculture, food, restaurant, and business sectors.
National and local government agencies shall directly purchase agricultural and fishery products from accredited cooperatives and enterprises without the bidding process, subject to negotiated procurement guidelines.
Incentives include exemption from donor's tax for gifts and donations, real property tax exemption for certain storage facilities, preferential rates from Land Bank of the Philippines, and possible income tax exemptions for registered barangay micro-business enterprises.
They provide mechanisms for private sector participation in development processes at regional, provincial, and city/municipal levels.
It is an information system maintained by the DA to support enterprise development planning and coordination, containing program listings, registries of enterprises, and rosters of private companies involved or interested in the Program.
Coverage areas include agricultural and fisheries production, acquisition of equipment and inputs, processing and storage facilities, working capital for graduates, soil and water conservation activities, and credit guarantees on uncollateralized loans.