In an effort to address the perennial problem of vegetable oversupply and reduce heavy financial losses for highland farmers, Benguet Rep. Eric Go Yap has filed two legislative measures aimed at establishing a localized processing plant and a dedicated transport support network in the province.
Both measures are currently pending before the House Committee on Agriculture and Food after their respective first readings in March 2026.
Yap emphasized that concrete, long-term solutions are urgently needed to protect farmers from falling commodity prices and exorbitant post-harvest costs that frequently force them to let their crops rot in the fields.
“Sa patuloy na krisis ng oversupply sa gulay, hindi na sapat ang puro awa at pang-unawa lang sa kalagayan ng ating mga magsasaka. Habang bumabagsak ang presyo ng gulay, maraming farmers natin ang napipilitang magbenta sa halos wala nang kita, madalas ay lugi pa,” said Yap.
House Bill No. 8405, or “The Benguet Vegetable Processing Plant Act,” was filed on March 10, 2026, and was later referred to the agriculture committee.
The bill seeks to establish a state-backed facility equipped with modern machinery for processing, preserving, and packaging surplus vegetables. Under the proposal, excess crops would be converted into value-added commodities with longer shelf lives, such as turning Chinese cabbage into kimchi, transforming potatoes into ready-to-cook fries, and turning mixed vegetables into preserved or dehydrated products.
The proposed processing plant would also actively secure markets for these products and help implement structural safeguards like minimum farm gate prices. A specialized governing board, consisting of local government agriculturists, regional agricultural officials, and representatives from various Benguet farmers’ cooperatives, would oversee the facility’s operations, branding campaigns, and financial management.
“Layunin ng panukalang ito na mabigyan ng pangmatagalang solusyon ang paulit-ulit na problema ng oversupply sa ating mga gulay. Sa halip na masayang ang mga ani, maaari itong i-process at gawing bagong produkto na mas may mataas na halaga at mas matagal ang shelf life,” the solon added.
To complement the processing infrastructure, Yap filed House Bill No. 8634, known as the “Benguet Agricultural Logistics Support Act,” on March 17, 2026 which outlines the creation of the Benguet Agricultural Logistics and Transport Support Program to relieve farmers of the high financial burdens of moving produce from farms to primary trading hubs.
The logistics program plans to deploy government-supported transport vehicles and set up strategic agricultural transport facilities, including designated consolidation loading stations and specialized packaging areas to minimize product bruising and handling damage. Registered agricultural cooperatives and associations within Benguet are slated to receive priority access to these services.
” Sa ilalim ng panukalang ito, isinusulong natin ang libreng hauling o transport program para sa mga gulay mula sa mga sakahan papunta sa trading posts at market linkages. Ang ating mga magsasaka ang nagpapakain hindi lamang sa probinsya natin kundi sa malaking bahagi ng ating bansa. Pero sa kabila nito, ang mga farmers pa natin ang madalas na unang naaapektuhan kapag bumabagsak ang presyo ng gulay. We need concrete actions and long term solutions in place, dahil ang laban ng ating farmers ay laban din para sa kinabukasan ng Benguet,” Yap said. NL Monitor
