The Board of Directors (BoD) of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA)approved the proposed amendments of the Regulatory Policies and Implementing Guidelines for Fertilizer (Bluebook) and Pesticide (Greenbook)at the Landbank, Malate, Manila on 24 October 2019.

With DA Secretary William Dar serving as the Chairperson, he said that FPA’s role in the rapid agricultural growth is crucial. He emphasized the need to hasten the processing of registrations for fertilizer and pesticide in response to the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act.

FPA Executive Director Wilfredo Roldan said that the revised guidelines present the updated regulatory requirements for fertilizer and pesticide which meet the current demands of agency’s stakeholders.

He noted that the revisions are the product of FPA consultations with its stakeholders composed by the industry, academe, and technical consultants.

“Their guidance enabled FPA on what to do and what to change without sacrificing the quality of the registration and the regulatory function of the FPA. We want to respond to the needs of the public and the stakeholders,” he said.

In the new version of said guidelines, provisions for the Mode of Action (MoA) on product labeling and drone application for pesticide spraying has been integrated. It also presents updated requirements for Experimental Use Permits (EUPs), and the acceptance of third-party authorizations (TPA) for pesticide.

Other members of the BoD include the heads of the Food and Drugs Administration (DOH-FDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), Department of Finance (DoF), Philippine National Bank (PNB), and the Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI). They have sent their representatives during the meeting.