Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE KRISTINE SINGSON MEEHAN 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE YOUNG FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE 
PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE YOUNG FARMERS AND 
FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE COUNCIL, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In order to ensure that the rights of young farmers and fisherfolk are recognized, protected, 
and promoted, as well as address food security problems, this measure aims to encourage our 
youth to participate in nation building and rural development through the establishment of the 
Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program.  
The Program will support and empower our young farmers and fisherfolk to be active 
partners of the government in food security and agricultural development. It is intended to 
encourage the youth to enroll in agricultural courses, pursue a career in the agricultural sector, 
engage in other activities related to agriculture, and ensure their participation in policy formulation 
and implementation of government agriculture programs. This program will also provide 
institutional support for agri-business and agri-entrepreneurship initiatives from the youth. 
In view the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
August 15, 2022
3:52 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE KRISTINE SINGSON MEEHAN 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE YOUNG FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE 
PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE YOUNG FARMERS AND 
FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE COUNCIL, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short title. This Act shall be known as the “Young Farmers and Fisherfolk 
Challenge Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to ensure that the rights 
of young farmers and fisherfolk are recognized, protected, and promoted. Pursuant to this, the 
State shall engage the youth in nation building and rural development, providing for this purpose 
access to knowledge, information and education, access to land, new sources of financial services 
and capital, green jobs, access to new and niche markets, and participation in policy dialogue. 
SEC. 3. Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program. There is hereby established a 
Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program, hereinafter referred to as the Program, that 
shall support and empower the young farmers and fisherfolk to be active partners in food security 
and agricultural development and modernization. The Program shall encourage the youth to 
pursue a career or engage in activities related to agriculture, ensure young farmers and fisherfolk 
participation in policy formulation and program implementation relative to the agriculture sector, 
and provide institutional support for agri-business and agri-entrepreneurship initiatives of the 
youth to fully realize their role as agents and partners for development. 
SEC. 4. Beneficiaries of the Program. The Program is intended to support young farmers and 
fisherfolk between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age, who are engaged in farming and fisheries 
activities, and are included in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). The 
Department of Agriculture (DA) shall update its existing database to reflect these indicators. 
SEC. 5. Creation of a Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council. There is hereby 
created the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council, hereinafter referred to as the 
Council, to properly oversee the implementation of the Program. 
The Council shall be composed of the following: 
a. Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) or a duly authorized
representative who is at least an Undersecretary, who shall be the Chair;
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b.  Representative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who shall 
likewise be an Undersecretary; 
 
c.  Representative of the Department of Education (DepEd) who shall likewise be 
an Undersecretary; 
 
d.  Representative of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST); 
 
e.  Representative of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); 
 
f.  Representative of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR); 
 
g.  Representative of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA); 
 
h.  Representative of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); 
 
i.  Representative of a national organization of young farmers’ cooperative or 
association, provided that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty 
(40) years of age; 
 
j.  Representative of a national organization of fisherfolk’s cooperative or 
association, provided that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty 
(40) years of age; 
 
k.  Representative of a farmers’ women organization or cooperative, provided that 
the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age; 
 
l.  Representative of a national organization for agritourism; and 
 
m. Representative of a national organization for food, restaurant, and business 
sectors. 
 
 
The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries shall serve as its Secretariat. 
 
SEC. 6. Powers and Functions of the Council. The Council shall have the following powers and 
functions: 
 
a. Formulate the Program, in consultation with research institutions such as the 
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in 
Agriculture (SEARCA), Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and 
Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), University of the 
Philippines - Los Baños (UPLB) and other relevant state universities and 
colleges (SUCs); 
 
b. Identify and streamline access to relevant capacity-building and livelihood 
programs across the different departments and agencies of government, 
including on-the-job trainings, job fairs, employment in farm tourism and agro-
industrial zones, and other employment-bridging initiatives; 
 


c.  Identify and streamline access to possible sources of credit across the different 
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, including access to start-up capital; 
 
d. Monitor initiatives in emerging best practices in agriculture such as smart 
farming, farm tourism in compliance with RA 10816, or the “Farm Tourism 
Development Act of 2016,” agroponics, aquaponics, hydroponics, and organic 
and boutique vegetables; 
 
e. Improve and facilitate access to marketing services such as through product 
packaging, promotions including branding and advertising, networking events, 
provision of subsidies to enable participation in trade fairs and exhibits, and 
linkage with media; 
 
f.  Coordinate with local government units (LGUs) in providing subsidized rental 
rates for public retail areas and public markets to farmers and fisherfolk; 
 
g. Serve as a conduit between stakeholders and national and international leaders 
including Congress and the private sector in formulating policies directly 
addressing the concerns of young farmers and fisherfolk; 
 
h. Propose subjects related to agriculture and agribusiness such as gardening, 
backyard farming, urban farming, reforestation, agricultural 
appreciation, 
agricultural entrepreneurship, smart farming, farm tourism, and coastal 
management in all pertinent levels of the DepEd’s K-12 system with the end 
goal of increasing enrollment in the technical-vocational track in Senior High 
School in courses related to agriculture, CHED, including the National Service 
Training Program (NSTP) and TESDA; 
 
i.  Ensure scholarships and subsidized tuition fees for young farmers and fisherfolk 
in SUCs; 
  
j.  Provide on-the-job training programs for young farmers and fisherfolk in areas 
such as “green jobs”, reforestation, coastal management, fisheries, and other 
rural-based jobs, through the DOLE’s Special Program for Employment of 
Students (SPES) and other livelihood and training programs; 
 
k.  Explore and facilitate the extension of short-term leases for public land to young 
farmers and fisherfolk, providing free or subsidized land for cultivation and for 
aquaculture, and developing other packages such as, lease-to-buy schemes that 
would allow young farmers and fisherfolk to use available or unutilized 
agricultural land or fishing ground for the purposes of said Program; 
 
l.  Expedite the leasing, distribution, and award of agrarian reform land to qualified 
beneficiaries; 
 
m. Facilitate the use of excess land holdings of SUCs and PEIs for agricultural 
training and developmental processes; 
 
n. Foster the formation of new ideas and technologies by assisting agricultural 
enterprises of qualified young farmers and fisherfolk entrepreneurs, pursuant to 
Republic Act No. 11337, otherwise known as the “Innovative Start-up Act of 


2018”; 
 
o.  Initiate social partnerships and rural development initiatives in partnership with 
the private sector; 
 
p. Optimize existing loan guarantee funds administered by various government 
entities to increase the credit worthiness of young farmers and fisherfolk 
experiencing difficulty in obtaining loans from banks due to lack of acceptable 
collaterals, credit knowledge and credit track record; and 
 
q.  Accept donations, contributions, grants, bequests or gifts, in cash or in kind, 
from various sources, domestic or foreign, for purposes relevant to the functions 
of the Council. Said donations shall be deemed automatically appropriated for 
purposes specified by the donor or in the absence thereof, for the programs and 
projects as may be approved by the Council subject to the usual accounting and 
auditing rules and regulations: Provided, That, cash donations shall not be used 
to fund the personal services requirements of the Council. 
 
SEC. 6-A. Tax Exemption on Donations. All grants, bequests, endowments, donations and 
contributions made to and used actually, directly and exclusively by the Council shall be exempt 
from donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction from gross income for 
purposes of computing the taxable income of the donor, in accordance with the provisions of the 
National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended. 
 
SEC. 7. Waiver of Government Fees and Charges. Subject to the exceptions provided in Section 
8 of Republic Act No. 11261, otherwise known as the “First-Time Jobseekers Assistance Act”, 
all government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled 
corporations, LGUs, and government hospitals shall not collect fees or charges from young  
farmers and fisherfolks who are first-time jobseekers: Provided, That such fee or charge is in 
connection with the application for and the granting of licenses, proofs of identification, 
clearances, certificates or other documents usually required in the course of employment locally 
or abroad: Provided further, That the benefit provided shall only be availed of once. 
 
SEC. 8. Annual Report. The Council shall submit to the President and to both Houses of 
Congress, not later than the 30th of March of every year following the effectivity of this Act, a 
report giving a detailed account on the effective implementation of this Act, and recommended 
legislation where applicable and necessary. 
 
SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of 
this Act, the DA and DAR shall, in coordination with the DOST, DOLE, DENR, DepEd, CHED, 
Land Bank of the Philippines, and National Youth Commission, issue the necessary rules and 
regulations for the implementation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 10. Appropriations. The funds necessary to carry out the initial implementation of this Act 
shall be charged against the current year’s budget of the Department of Agriculture. Thereafter, 
such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in 
the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 11. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, 
the other provisions not affected by such declaration shall remain in full force and effect. 
 


SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, administrative orders, and rules and 
regulations inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
SEC. 13. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,