RECEIVE

Republic of the Philippines pare, 11 OCT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

4026

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative Salvador B. Belaro, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The declining enrollment in agricultural courses is a serious threat
to the country’s food security. There are actually more than a hundred
state universities and colleges (SUCs) led by the University of the
Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) that are offering agriculture and related
courses, as well as a number of private institutions of higher learning, But
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in
Agriculture (SEARCA) confirmed that Philippine enrollment in agriculture and
related courses has been declining by an average of 1.5 percent every year.

Today’s students are losing interest in agriculture and instead flock to
other popular courses. Even UPLB, the country’s premiere university in
agriculture experiences such a decline in enrollment in agricultural courses.
UPLB records show that in 2012, the university saw a sharp decline with only
4.7% out of 9,300 undergraduate students were enrolled in agriculture and
related courses, as compared to 51% in 1980 and 43% in 1995.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has confirmed a similar
trend in other universities. For the past ten years, the decline in enrollment in
agriculture, along with related courses such as forestry, fisheries and
veterinary medicine has been glaring. For example, CHED noted that
enrollment in said courses took a plunge from 63,913 in SY 2005-2006 to only
61,901 in SY 2012-2013, and the trend appear to have been consistent up to
the present

The government has to make a drastic move to abate this
downward trend in agriculture course enrollment otherwise our
agricultural sector and food security shall be seriously threatened.

be —
SALVADOR B. BELARO, JR.

Representative
1-Ang Edukasyon Party List

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4026
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative Salvador B. Belaro, Jr.

AN ACT
MAKING AGRICULTURE AND RELATED COURSES MORE
ATTRACTIVE TO ABATE THREATS TO PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR AND FOOD SECURITY

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 “Agricultural
Course Attraction Act of 2016.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy.The State shall establish means to protect
the agricultural sector and ensure the country’s food security.

SEC. 3. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in consultation with
the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the various agricultural state
universities and colleges (SUCs) as well as private higher learning
institutions offering agriculture and other related courses shall develop an
enrollment program that will attract students to enroll in agricultural
courses. The same shall be coupled by a serious review of agricultural
courses to incorporate attractive, interesting and high paying subjects and
expertise such as information communication technology (ICT) and data
analytics in agricultural courses.

SEC 4. The CHED in coordination with private and public higher learning
schools shall develop and offer a scholarship for those who will decide to
enroll in agricultural courses in schools designated by the CHED.


SEC 5. The Department of Education (DepEd) shall develop a career
orientation program to be extended to all graduating high school students
(K12) so that they can be enticed to take agricultural courses. Available
scholarships for those taking agricultural courses shalll likewise be made
known to all graduating high school students them so they can align their
dreams and aspirations towards serving the agricultural sector.

SEC. 6. The funds necessary to carry out the provision of this Act shall be
included in the General Appropriation Act of the year following its
enactment into law and thereafter.

SEC. 7, All laws, orders, issuances rules and regulations or parts thereof
inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified
or amended accordingly.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved.