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Green fields of young rice below a hill of tall corn, with mountains behind, in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon

Saan ako lalapit?

Farm help directory

Who to ask for registration, insurance, loans, seeds, irrigation, animal health, land papers and more - starting with the office nearest you.

Corn and rice fields in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon. Photo: Kleomarlo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Saan ako lalapit? means “where do I go for help?”. For almost everything, the answer starts close to home: your municipal or city agriculture office. This page shows who comes next, and which national agency handles what.

Start local, then go up

  1. Barangay

    Your barangay hall knows the local agricultural technician and the schedule of visits, seed or fertilizer distributions and trainings.

  2. Municipal or City Agriculture Office (MAO / CAO)

    The main door for almost everything: RSBSA registration, insurance enrollment, damage reports, soil tests, seeds and programs. The municipal veterinarian is often nearby.

  3. Provincial Agriculture Office (OPAg)

    Province-wide programs, the provincial veterinarian, and help when the municipal office refers you on.

  4. DA Regional Field Office

    The Department of Agriculture office for your region: regional programs, laboratories and the regional offices of agencies such as BAI, BFAR and ATI.

When you visit, a respectful “Magandang umaga po” (good morning) goes a long way. The agricultural technicians who visit your barangay are often the quickest help of all.

Your region

Which regional office serves me?

Not sure of your region? Find your province in the regional farm guide.

Choose your region to see where its regional offices are and what to check first.

I need help with…

Pick what you need

Registering as a farmer or fisher

RSBSA

Start here: Ask your municipal or city agriculture office to enroll you in the RSBSA (Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture). Many Department of Agriculture programs, including subsidized crop insurance, use this list.

Who handles it

Bring: A valid ID, your farm’s barangay and area, and your land or tenancy papers if you have them.

Fishing, fishponds and seaweed

Pangisdaan

Start here: Your municipal agriculture office (or fisheries officer) handles fisherfolk registration and links you to BFAR.

Who handles it

  • BFAR Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources - ask your agriculture office

Weather, typhoons and disasters

Bagyo

Start here: Follow PAGASA for bulletins and your barangay and MDRRMO for local warnings and evacuation. After a disaster, report farm damage to your agriculture office quickly.

Who handles it

Typhoon & flood checklist

REALM near you

REALM Group Philippines local services

We will list REALM Group Philippines contacts here, island group by island group, once they are confirmed. Until then, please contact the REALM Group head office.

  • Luzon

    No REALM local service listed yet.

  • Visayas

    No REALM local service listed yet.

  • Mindanao

    No REALM local service listed yet.

A to Z

National agencies

ACPC Agricultural Credit Policy Council
Government credit programs for small farmers and fisherfolk, delivered through partner lenders.
AMTEC Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (UPLB)
Tests and evaluates farm machines sold in the Philippines.
ATI Agricultural Training Institute
Farmer training, Farmers Field Schools, learning sites and e-learning.
BAI Bureau of Animal Industry
Animal health, disease control (e.g. African swine fever, bird flu) and permits to ship animals.
BFAR Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
Fisheries, fishponds, seaweed and aquaculture support. Ask your municipal agriculture office for the BFAR regional office.
BSWM Bureau of Soils and Water Management
Soil surveys, soil fertility and small water projects; works with the DA regional soils laboratories.
CDA Cooperative Development Authority
Registers and supports cooperatives, including farmers’ and fisherfolk co-ops.
DA Department of Agriculture
The national department for farming and fisheries, with a regional field office for each region.
DAR Department of Agrarian Reform
Agrarian reform land, agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and support services for them.
FPA Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority
Registers fertilizers and pesticides and licenses the people who sell them.
Landbank Land Bank of the Philippines
Government bank with lending for farmers, fisherfolk and co-ops.
LRA Land Registration Authority
Land titles and the Registry of Deeds.
NDRRMC National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
National disaster updates; your LGU’s disaster office (MDRRMO/CDRRMO) handles local warnings.
NFA National Food Authority
Buys palay from local farmers for the national rice buffer stock.
NIA National Irrigation Administration
National and communal irrigation systems and irrigators’ associations.
PAGASA Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Weather, typhoon bulletins, rainfall warnings and farm weather forecasts.
PCA Philippine Coconut Authority
Coconut farming, planting materials, and coconut farmer programs.
PCC Philippine Carabao Center
Carabao breeding, artificial insemination and carabao dairy.
PCIC Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation
Insurance for crops, livestock, fisheries and farm machinery.
PhilFIDA Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority
Abaca, piña, banana fiber and other fiber crops.
PhilMech Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization
Farm machines, dryers and postharvest facilities.
PhilRice Philippine Rice Research Institute
Rice varieties, good seed, rice farming know-how and training.
PHIVOLCS Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
Volcano and earthquake bulletins.
PRC Professional Regulation Commission
Check that a veterinarian or agriculturist is licensed.
PSA Philippine Statistics Authority
Official farm statistics and prices (OpenSTAT).
SRA Sugar Regulatory Administration
Sugarcane farming and the sugar industry.