The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), through the Bids and Awards Committee, conducted an orientation on the Guidelines for the Procurement of Agricultural and Fishery Products under Republic Act (RA) No. 11321, or the Sagip Saka Act, on April 7, 2026 via Google Meet.
The orientation aimed to strengthen compliance with the Sagip Saka Act and align procurement practices on the negotiated procurement of agricultural and fishery products across ATI operating units.ย
Likewise, discussions focused on the legal and policy bases of the Sagip Saka Act, particularly Section 11, which mandates government agencies to directly procure agricultural and fishery products from accredited farmersโ and fisherfolk enterprises through negotiated procurement. In line with this, the key provisions of the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPBB) guidelines were also discussed, including eligible products, procurement procedures, and documentation requirements, to ensure proper implementation of the modality.
In her message, Deputy Director Niet Arceo emphasized the importance of compliance with the law and support for local producers. โThe Interim Office of Sagip-Saka has been monitoring various agencies, including the Institute, in terms of compliance with the law. This is also very important for our farmers. I have personally been advocating โbuy local, support local,โ and it is encouraging that we now have a law requiring government agencies to procure products from our farmers,โ she said.
The activity also presented ATIโs internal strategies for implementing the Sagip Saka Act, including organizing supply sources, aligning procurement planning with available products from partners, and integrating the modality into ATI systems and processes. A demonstration of the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System (FFEDIS) was conducted to support transparent and efficient procurement through a centralized registry and posting platform.
Atty. Shann Jevi Tanaka-Montefrio, Legal and Research Division, GPPB, Ms. Cristine Baldelomar, AMAS DA-Central Office AND Ms. Angel Mutia, DA Interim Sagip-Saka, DA-Central Office served as the resource persons for the said activity.ย
Meanwhile, BAC Chairperson of ATI RTC 13 Matt Andrew Baquiano expressed support for strengthening implementation, stating that the inclusion of negotiated procurement under Sagip Saka in the ACPCI rating matrix may help encourage wider adoption across units.
The activity concluded with the identification of action points, including cascading the guidelines to end-users, completing supplier databases, and updating supplemental Annual Procurement Plans (APP) in preparation for second-semester procurement activities.
ย
