What Counts as Organic Farming in the Philippines
Organic farming in the Philippines means growing crops without synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms. The practice focuses on building healthy soil, using natural pest management, and working with local ecosystems rather than against them.
Republic Act 10068, the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, established the legal framework for organic farming in the Philippines. The Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) manages certification. Farms must follow organic practices for at least two years before they qualify for official organic certification.
For home gardeners, you do not need official certification. Simply adopting organic principles in your backyard or container garden means healthier food for your family. The transition from chemical-dependent gardening to organic methods takes one to two growing seasons as your soil biology recovers and strengthens.
Composting Basics for Philippine Conditions
Composting is the foundation of organic farming. It transforms kitchen scraps and garden waste into rich, nutrient-dense soil amendment that feeds plants naturally. In the Philippine heat, compost matures much faster than in cold climates.
Materials You Can Compost
- Green materials (nitrogen-rich): Fruit peels, vegetable scraps, fresh grass clippings, coffee grounds, tea leaves, fresh malunggay leaves
- Brown materials (carbon-rich): Dried leaves, cardboard, newspaper, rice straw, dried grass, coconut coir, sawdust
Materials to Avoid
- Meat, fish, and bones (attract rats and flies)
- Dairy products and cooking oil
- Diseased plant material
- Pet waste
- Chemically treated wood or paper
How to Compost in 5 Steps
- Choose a container. A plastic drum with holes drilled in the sides, a wire mesh bin, or a simple pile in a shaded corner. Cost: under 500 pesos for a basic setup.
- Layer materials. Alternate brown and green layers. Use roughly two parts brown to one part green. Start and finish with a brown layer.
- Keep it moist. The pile should feel like a wrung-out sponge. Water lightly during the dry season. Cover during heavy rains to prevent waterlogging.
- Turn regularly. Flip the pile every 1 to 2 weeks using a pitchfork or shovel. This adds oxygen and speeds decomposition.
- Harvest when ready. Compost is finished when it looks dark, crumbly, and smells like fresh earth. Takes 4 to 8 weeks in Philippine heat.
Read our detailed composting guide for more tips and troubleshooting.
Vermiculture: Worm Composting
Vermiculture uses earthworms to break down organic waste into vermicast, the richest organic fertiliser available. African night crawlers (Eudrilus eugeniae) are the most popular composting worm in the Philippines because they thrive in tropical heat.
Setting Up a Worm Bin
- Get a shallow, dark container (plastic tub, styrofoam box, or wooden crate) with drainage holes
- Add bedding of shredded newspaper, cardboard, or dried leaves moistened with water
- Add 250 to 500 grams of African night crawlers (available from local worm farmers for 300 to 500 pesos)
- Feed small amounts of fruit and vegetable scraps every 2 to 3 days
- Harvest vermicast every 2 to 3 months by pushing material to one side and adding fresh bedding and food to the other
Vermicast sells for 50 to 150 pesos per kilogram, so a home worm bin also saves money on fertiliser. The worms multiply quickly in Philippine conditions and excess worms can be sold or given to fellow gardeners. Read more in our worm composting guide.
Organic Pest Control Methods
Chemical pesticides kill pests but also destroy beneficial insects, contaminate soil, and leave residues on food. Organic pest control works with nature instead. Here are proven methods for Philippine gardens.
Physical Controls
- Handpicking: Remove caterpillars, beetles, and snails by hand during early morning inspections
- Barriers: Use fine mesh netting to protect crops from flying insects and birds
- Traps: Yellow sticky traps catch whiteflies and aphids. Beer traps attract and drown slugs and snails
- Mulching: Organic mulch suppresses weeds and creates habitat for ground beetles that eat pest larvae
Botanical Sprays
- Neem oil spray: Mix 5 ml neem oil with 1 litre of water and a few drops of liquid soap. Effective against aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies.
- Chili-garlic spray: Blend 10 chili peppers and 5 garlic cloves with 1 litre of water. Strain and spray on affected plants. Repels most chewing insects.
- Soap spray: Mix 5 ml liquid dish soap with 1 litre of water. Kills soft-bodied insects like aphids and mealybugs on contact.
- Kakawate (madre de cacao) extract: Boil kakawate leaves and use the cooled liquid as a natural insecticide. This native Philippine solution works against a wide range of pests.
Biological Controls
- Encourage beneficial insects: Ladybugs eat aphids. Praying mantises consume caterpillars. Plant flowers to attract these helpful predators.
- Companion planting: Grow pest-repelling plants alongside your crops (more on this below).
- Healthy soil: Strong plants resist pests better. Focus on building soil health through composting and organic amendments.
For more natural pest solutions, read our natural pest control guide.
Companion Planting
Companion planting places mutually beneficial crops together. Some plants repel pests, attract pollinators, or improve the soil for their neighbours. This ancient technique reduces the need for any pest intervention.
- Tomatoes + basil - Basil repels whiteflies and aphids from tomato plants. Both thrive in similar growing conditions.
- Kangkong + okra - Kangkong covers the ground and retains moisture while okra grows tall above it.
- Pechay + marigold - Marigold repels nematodes and whiteflies that attack leafy greens.
- Ampalaya + munggo - Munggo fixes nitrogen in the soil, feeding the heavy-feeding ampalaya vine.
- Sili + garlic - Garlic repels aphids and other pests that target pepper plants.
Explore our full companion planting guide for more combinations.
Grow Your Own Organic Garden
Quality soil is the starting point for organic farming. Our premium loam soil is sourced from nutrient-rich agricultural land and delivered same-day across Metro Manila.
Organic Fertilisers Available in the Philippines
Filipino growers have access to a wide range of organic fertilisers, many produced locally at low cost.
- Vermicast (worm castings): The premium organic amendment. Rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and beneficial microbes. Costs ₱50 to ₱150 per kilogram. Mix into soil at planting time or use as top dressing.
- Chicken manure: Widely available and affordable. Must be composted for 3 months before use to reduce ammonia and prevent root burn. High in nitrogen and phosphorus.
- Fish emulsion: Liquid fertiliser made from fish scraps. Provides a quick nitrogen boost. Apply as a foliar spray diluted 1:10 with water. Strong smell fades after a day.
- Coco coir dust: Improves soil structure and water retention. Produced abundantly from coconut husks. Mix with compost and soil for container gardens.
- Carbonized rice hull (CRH): Adds potassium and silica while improving drainage. Produced by burning rice hulls in a low-oxygen drum. Cheap and abundant near rice mills.
- Seaweed extract: Promotes root growth and plant stress resistance. Available commercially or made by soaking dried seaweed in water for 2 weeks.
- Fermented plant juice (FPJ): Made by fermenting fast-growing plant shoots with brown sugar. Popular among Korean Natural Farming (KNF) practitioners in the Philippines. Costs almost nothing to make at home.
- Bone meal: Slow-release phosphorus source that promotes flowering and fruiting. Mix into soil before planting.
Read our DIY organic fertiliser guide for recipes you can make at home.
DA Organic Certification
If you plan to sell produce as "organic" in the Philippines, you need certification from an accredited body under the Department of Agriculture. Here is how the process works.
- Transition period: Farm must follow organic practices for at least 2 years (3 years for perennial crops) before applying.
- Application: Submit application to a DA-accredited certifying body. Provide farm records, input logs, and a management plan.
- Inspection: Certifier conducts on-site inspection to verify organic practices. Soil and water samples may be tested.
- Certification: If approved, farm receives the Organic Philippines certification mark. Valid for 1 year with annual renewal inspections.
For home gardeners growing food for personal consumption, certification is not required. Simply following organic principles gives you the health and environmental benefits without the paperwork. Focus on building great soil, using natural inputs, and avoiding synthetic chemicals.
Our organic farming at home guide covers backyard-scale organic methods in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as organic farming in the Philippines?
Organic farming in the Philippines means growing crops without synthetic chemical fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified organisms. The Department of Agriculture manages organic certification under Republic Act 10068. Farms must follow organic practices for at least two years before certification. For home gardeners, organic means using natural inputs like compost, vermicast, and botanical pest sprays instead of chemical alternatives. You do not need certification for personal consumption.
How do I start composting for organic farming at home?
Collect green materials (fruit peels, vegetable scraps, fresh grass clippings) and brown materials (dried leaves, cardboard, rice straw). Layer them with roughly two parts brown to one part green. Keep the pile moist like a wrung-out sponge and turn it every one to two weeks. In the Philippine heat, compost matures in 4 to 8 weeks. Avoid adding meat, dairy, oil, and cooked food. A simple composting bin costs under 500 pesos.
What organic fertilisers are available in the Philippines?
The Philippines has many locally produced organic fertilisers. Vermicast (worm castings) is the premium option at 50 to 150 pesos per kilogram. Chicken manure is affordable but must be composted first. Fish emulsion provides a quick nitrogen boost. Carbonized rice hull adds potassium and improves drainage. Seaweed extract promotes root growth. Fermented plant juice (FPJ) is popular among Korean Natural Farming practitioners and costs almost nothing to make at home.