Legarda pushes 4K Act for Indigenous livelihoods

Sen. Loren Legarda is seeking to institutionalize the Department of Agriculture’s Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo Program, or 4K, to address poverty and exclusion among Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples through stronger farm-to-market connections.

Legarda said the proposed law would turn decades of neglect into empowerment by providing livelihood opportunities, dignity, and justice to families living in their ancestral lands.

She filed Senate Bill No. 2258 to establish the nationwide program using a market-driven approach.

Instead of concentrating primarily on production, the proposed program would first identify market demand and then connect Indigenous communities and their agricultural products with institutional buyers.

Products covered by the initiative include coffee, rice, ube, bananas, corn, and bamboo.

Potential buyers would come from the private sector, the government, and the civic sector.

The 4K program would provide production and post-harvest machinery, access to credit facilities, crop insurance, and capacity-building assistance.

Capacity-building interventions would include community organizing, skills training, and enterprise development.

The program would also promote Indigenous farming practices, including intercropping, seed saving, and natural pest management, as part of the country’s broader food security strategy.

“The 4K Act is a commitment to restore dignity and opportunity to our indigenous peoples. For generations, they have carried the weight of poverty and exclusion despite being the stewards of our land and culture, possessing rich local knowledge in farming. This measure ensures that they gain the tools to prosper in their ancestral domains, strengthen their communities, and pass on their heritage with pride. It is about justice, livelihood, and the rightful place of our indigenous peoples in the nation’s growth story,” Legarda said.

The measure has four major components: social protection for vulnerable families; production and livelihood support through farm inputs and machinery; enterprise and marketing assistance to strengthen community enterprises; and gender, culture, and diversity programs to promote inclusivity.

The bill would also create a 4K Advisory Council to support the program’s long-term implementation.

The agriculture secretary and the chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples would co-chair the council.

Its members would include the heads or designated representatives of government agencies responsible for program implementation, technical support, production, extension services, fisheries, mechanization, enterprise and organizational development, labor, and social protection.

Legarda said the program would replace fragmented interventions with a convergence approach that respects Indigenous cultures and strengthens Indigenous knowledge systems.

Senate Bill No. 2258 would also establish national and regional program management offices.

The measure would require a results-based monitoring system and context-appropriate procurement procedures to promote transparency, accountability, and efficient implementation.

“Indigenous peoples must be recognized as vital partners in building a sustainable future. Their knowledge systems, resilience, and stewardship of the environment strengthen our food security and enrich our cultural identity. By institutionalizing the 4K Program, we affirm their role in shaping inclusive growth, acknowledge their contributions to national development, and ensure that progress is measured by the dignity and empowerment of our most marginalized communities,” Legarda said.

The existing 4K initiative is a locally funded DA program serving Indigenous farmers and fisherfolk within ancestral domains across the Philippines.

The DA said the program’s policy foundations include the 1987 Constitution, the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act, the Sagip Saka Act, and the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997.

Republic Act No. 8371, or the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, recognizes the rights of Indigenous communities to their ancestral domains, cultural integrity, self-governance, social justice, and human rights. The law was enacted on Oct. 29, 1997, and created the NCIP.

Legarda said the proposed 4K Act reflects the vision she has pursued during nearly three decades of public service: advancing culture, protecting heritage, and upholding the rights of Indigenous peoples.

She described the measure as a long-term investment in communities that have been overlooked for generations — one intended to secure their future, reinforce food security, and build a more inclusive and resilient nation.

Sources: Office of Sen. Loren Legarda, Department of Agriculture 4K Program, and Republic Act No. 8371.