Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

House BILL NoL009

Introduced by MAGBUBUKID PARTY-LIST Representative FERDINAND “B1” L. BELTRAN

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Itinatakda ng 1987 Konstitusyon na dapat bigyang prayoridad ng Estado ang
edukasyon, agham at teknolohiya, at suportahan ang pag-unlad ng kanayunan at
repormang agrarian. Ayon sa Article II, Section 17, “ang Estado ay dapat magbigay ng
prayoridad sa edukasyon, agham at teknolohiya, sining, kultura, at isports upang
mapalaganap ang pagkamakabayan at nasyonalismo, mapabilis ang panlipunang
kaunlaran, at maisulong ang ganap na paglaya at pag-unlad ng tao.” Samantala,
binibigyang-diin ng Article XIII, Section 5 ang tungkulin ng Estado na palakasin ang
mga kanayunan at itaguyod ang repormang agrarian.

Sa kabila ng mga probisyong ito, patuloy na humaharap ang sektor ng
agrikultura sa kakulangan ng pamumuhunan sa human capital. Kulang ang bansa sa
mga dalubhasa at propesyonal sa larangan ng agrikultura at aquaculture—isang
krisis na pinalalala ng unti-unting pagbaba ng interes ng kabataan sa mga kursong
may kaugnayan sa agrikultura. Ayon sa datos mula sa Department of Agriculture (DA)
at Commission on Higher Education (CHED), patuloy ang pagbaba ng bilang ng mga
estudyanteng kumukuha ng mga kursong pang-agrikultura. Maraming kabataang
mula sa kanayunan ang walang kakayahang pinansyal upang makapag-aral sa
kolehiyo, at kahit may kagustuhan ay wala silang sapat na suporta upang magpatuloy
sa ganitong larangan.

Ang kakulangan sa angkop na programa para sa pagpapaunlad ng mga
eksperto sa agrikultura ay nagiging hadlang sa inobasyon, nagpapahina sa seguridad
sa pagkain, at humahadlang sa modernisasyon ng ating mga sistemang agrikultural.
Kung walang sapat na sanay na agriculturists, researchers, at aquaculture specialists,
patuloy na haharapin ng bansa ang mababang produksyon, lipas na mga
pamamaraan, at pagiging bulnerable sa mga krisis sa suplay ng pagkain at pagbabago
ng Klima.

Tinutugunan ng panukalang batas na ito ang ugat ng problema sa
pamamagitan ng pagtatatag ng isang pambansang Agriculture Scholarship Fund.
Layunin nitong magbigay ng buong suportang pinansyal sa mga karapat-dapat na
estudyanteng nais magtapos ng mas mataas na edukasyon sa larangan ng agrikultura
at aquaculture sa mga state universities and colleges (SUCs). Sinasaklaw ng iskolarship
ang matrikula at iba pang bayarin, mga aklat at gamit sa eskwela, pamasahe, at
buwanang allowance. Bilang bahagi ng programa, inaasahang gagampanan ng mga
benepisyaryo ang isang takdang panahon ng serbisyo sa pampublikong sektor at mga


lokal na industriyang pang-agrikultura, upang matiyak na ang pondong inilalaan ng
gobyerno ay magbubunga ng pangmatagalang benepisyo para sa bayan.

Sa pamamagitan ng polisiyang ito, kinikilala ng Estado hindi lamang ang
tungkulin nitong suportahan ang edukasyon at pag-unlad ng kanayunan, kundi ang
kahalagahan ng pagbibigay ng kahalagahan sa susunod na henerasyon ng mga lider,
mananaliksik, at innovator sa larangan ng agrikultura sa bansa.

Dahil sa kagyat na pangangailangang buhayin muli ang sektor ng agrikultura at
tiyakin ang seguridad sa pagkain ng sambayanan, taimtim na hinihiling ang agarang
pagpasa ng panukalang batas na ito.

Para sa sambayanang Pilipino,

Kindtawan, MAGBUBUKID Party-List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NoLOOS

Introduced by MAGBUBUKID PARTY-LIST Representative FERDINAND “B1” L. BELTRAN

AN ACT CREATING AN AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIP FOR AGRICULTURE AND
AQUACULTURE RELATED PROGRAMS AND APPROPRIATING FUND THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the ‘Agriculture Scholarship Act of 2025."

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It shall be a declared policy of the State to prioritize
education, innovation, research and development in the areas of agriculture and
aquaculture. In this pursuit, the State shall grant scholarships to deserving students to
enable them to pursue higher education and training in the said fields.

SECTION 3. Eligibility. - The following are qualifications for the scholarship:

(a) The applicant must be a Filipino citizen;

(b) Be a regular first (1st) year college student at the time of the award which
shall be granted after the first semester of the first year in the program;

(c) Be currently enrolled in any of the state universities or colleges, under any of
the identified agriculture or aquaculture courses;

(d) Have a general weighted average (GWA) of at least 80% in the first semester
of their first year;

(e) Qualify in the Junior-Level Agri Scholarship Examination; and

(f) Must be of good moral character;

(g) Must maintain a GWA of at least 80% or any of its equivalent throughout the
duration of his course.

SECTION 4. Award of Scholarship. - Recipients shall be entitled to an annual award for full
time study which shall include tuition and other school fees, outright grant for prescribed
textbooks and essential school supplies, transportation expenses and monthly living
allowance: Provided, however, that in the granting of financial assistance, the availability of
funds, purchasing power of the peso and rate of financial assistance given under other
government scholarship programs must be considered.

SECTION 5. Duration. - Recipients shall be entitled to an award for their entire stay in
college after the grant of the initial scholarship amount while matriculating in an approved
program.

SECTION 6. Approved Courses and Priority Programs. - Recipients shall pursue degrees
in agriculture and aquaculture as identified and approved by the Secretary of the
Department of Agriculture and the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education.


ORWNE

Cana

SECTION 7. Return Service; Terms and Conditions. - Applicants for the scholarships must
execute a service contract in which they shall agree to work for the Philippine government
in the next three (3) years after their graduation and in a Philippine-based corporation
within five (5) years after their graduation. Failure to comply with the terms of the service
contract will result in the full repayment ofall awarded amounts within a specified time limit.

SECTION 8. Implementing Agencies. - The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall be the main implementing Agencies of the
provisions of this Act. The DA shall be responsible for evaluation, award-giving, and
monitoring of scholarship grants and awardees.

SECTION 9. Review and Monitoring. - The DA and the CHED shall report to the President
and Congress after the first three (3) years, and annually thereafter, on the implementation
of the provisions of this Act and submit recommendations for its improvement.

SECTION 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from approval
of this Act, the DA and the CHED shall promulgate the rules and regulations to effectively
implement the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 11. Appropriations Clause. - An initial amount of Two Hundred Million Pesos
(Php. 200,000,000.00) annually is hereby appropriated for the scholarship to be sourced
from the earnings of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) equally for the duration of the implementation

SECTION 12. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid and subsisting

SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, and
administrative regulations or parts thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 14. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation

Approved,