The Magna Carta of Small Farmers

Section 7

Empowerment of small farmers refers to provision of opportunities whereby farmers can have access to ownership or management of production resources. To achieve this, small farmers' rights and obligations that specifically promote such empowerment are hereby given a legislative mantle. Through these provisions, the farmers' rights to participate in the charting of their political, economic and social development are made inviolable. Likewise, the corresponding obligations of the farmers to initiate, or undertake patriotic and nationalistic endeavors must be fulfilled.

Section 8

The farmers have the right to: (1) Conduct their activities in an atmosphere guaranteed by a support price program for certain agricultural commodities such as rice and corn; (2) Participate in a market free from monopoly, cartel or any other situation which may suppress prices to their disadvantage; (3) Be covered by social security to serve as protection from event such as calamities, death, sickness and disability; (4) Avail of credit at minimal interest rates and with a minimum of collateral requirements for their farm and basic household needs; (5) Avail of and distribute farm inputs and services; (6) Be heard and represented in the Government; (7) Be regularly informed of such vital information as market prices, government agricultural policies, market demands and farming practices; (8) Benefit from our country's natural resources under existing laws; (9) Pursue any appropriate education and skills development towards the improvement of the quality of life; (10) Eventually assume certain processing and marketing functions of government agencies; and (11) Avail of technical assistance from the appropriate government agency in the preparation of project feasibility studies in availing loans and other forms of government economic assistance.

Section 9

The farmers shall: (1) Make use of their farmers' organizations preferably cooperatives in order to enhance their capabilities in production, processing, marketing and financing towards self-reliance; (2) Aim for increased productivity through the use of recommended farm practices and quality inputs; (3) Comply with the terms and conditions stipulated in the availment of any form of assistance from the Government, financial institutions and nongovernment organizations to enable others to equally benefit from such assistance; (4) Adopt production and marketing strategies to avail of economies of scale, soil and climatic conditions, idle farm labor and innovative agricultural technology through crop zonification, diversification, home and backyard industries, farming systems and similar activities; (5) Through their cooperative, share with the consuming public the benefits derived from economies of scale, integration of processing and marketing activities and the application of better technology in the form of reasonable prices and superior quality of products; (6) Share in the delivery of public services by contributing available labor and material resources to activities such as the maintenance of irrigation canals, the construction of small water impounding projects, the establishment of buying stations and public markets, and the establishment of plant nurseries and seedbanks; (7) Exert efforts to meet local demand requirements to avert any shortage that may necessitate importation; (8) Participate in the conservation, protection and development of the national patrimony; (9) Promptly pay all applicable fees, license fees and taxes to the appropriate government agencies; (10) Participate in and contribute to government insurance and social security programs; and (11) Undertake self-help community development projects such as cottage industries, backyard farming and other economic-enhancement projects.