Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

447i

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Honorable Michael L. Romero

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The State shall promote industrialization and full employment based on sound
agricultural development and agrarian reform, through industries that make full
and efficient use of human and natural resources, and which are competitive in
both domestic and foreign markets. In pursuit of these goals, all sectors of the
economy and all regions of the country shall be given optimum opportunity to
develop.

Thus, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to enable those who belong to
the agriculture and fisheries sectors to participate and share in the fruits of
development and growth in a manner that utilizes the nations resources in the
most efficient and sustainable way possible by establishing a more equitable
access to assets, income, basic and suppor! services and infrastructure.

This House Bill seeks to promote food security, including sufficiency in our staple
food shall be optimized to meet our local consumption and shall be given
adequate support by the State.

Earnest approval of this bill is hereby requested.

LL. ROMERO Ph.D


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS,
First Regular Session

4471

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Honorable Michael L. Romero

AN ACT

AMENDING SECTION 11 OF R.A. NO.8345 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS.
THE "Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act OF 1997",
INCREASING ITS PENALTIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy

Section 11 of Republic Act No. 8345 is hereby amended to read:

Section 11.Penalty for Agricultural Inactivity and Premature
Conversion.» Any person or juridical entity who knowingly or
deliberately causes any irigated agricultural lands seven (7)
hectares or larger, whether contiguous for not, within the protected

areas for agricultural development, as specified under Section 6 in


relation to Section 9 of this Act, to lie idle and unproductive for a
period exceeding one (1) year, unless due to force majeure, shall
be subject to an idle land tax of Twenty thousand Pesos
(P20,000.00) per hectare per year. In addition, the violator, shall be
required to put back such lands to productive agricultural use.

Should the continued agricultural inactivity, unless due to force
majeure, exceed a period of two (2) years, the land shall be subject
to escheat proceedings.

Any person found guilly of premature or illegal conversion shall be
penalized with imprisonment of Iwo (2) to six (6) years, or a fine
equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of the government's
investment cost, or both, at the discretion of the court, and an
accessory penalty of forfeiture of the land and any improvement

thereon.

SECTION 2. Miscellaneous Sanctions:

In addition, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) shall impose the following
penalties, after determining, in an administrative proceeding, that violation of

this law has been committed

a. Consolation or withdrawal of the authorization for land use
conversion; and

b. Blacklisting, or automatic disapproval of pending and
subsequent conversion applications that they may file with the DAR.


SECTION 3. Repealing Clause. All laws, execulive orders, issuances, rules
and regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or
modified accordingly

SECTION 4. Separability Clause. If, for any reason or reasons, any portion
of provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining

provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fiffeen (15) days

after its publication in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,