Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 9934
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Introduced by Representative Crispin Diego "Ping" D. Remulla
AN ACT
T0 PROMOTE AND ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY INTEGRATING, ENHANCING, AND
INSTITUTIONALIZING FINANCING AND OTHER PROGRAMS FOR
LIVELIHOOD SUPPORT FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
(MSMEs), APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This  measure  is  a  significant  stride  towards  bolstering  the  Philippine  economy  by
empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country. Crucial to this
step  is  the  establishment  of the  Pangkabuhayan  Council,  which  is  tasked to  develop  the
country ' s sustainable livelihood and entrepreneurship goals, priorities, and long-term national
strategy   that   would   empower   MSMEs.   Additionally,   the   Sustainable   Livelihood   and
Entrepreneurial Development Centers would be established in rural municipalities, prioritizing
areas in need.
MSMEs play a crucial role in the growth of the Philippine economy through generating
employment and contributing to the alleviation of poverty. MSMEs are known to be a catalyst
in  the  economic  progress  of rural  areas  in  the  country.  According  to  the  2022  List  of


Establishments  of the  Philippine  Statistics  Authority,  MSMEs  constitute  99.59%  of  the
business enterprises operating in the Philippines, which highlights the importance of MSMEs.
In Cavite alone, there were 45,770 MSMEs in 2021.
This measure aims to stimulate economic growth and enhance the lives of Filipinos,
especially  those  in the  manginalized  sector.  In  addition,  by  providing  essential  support to
existing MSMEs, they will be well-equipped to thrive and contribute more significantly to the
local and national economy.
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this measure is eamestly sought.
at
CRISPIN DIHGO "PING" D. REMULLA


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF RHPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HoUSEBILLNo.9934
Introduced by Representative Crispin Diego "Ping" D. Remulla
AN ACT
T0 PROMOTE AND ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY INTEGRATING, ENHANCING, AND
INSTITUTIONALIZING FINANCING AND OTHER PROGRAMS FOR
LIVELIHOOD SUPPORT FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
(MSMEs), APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House Of Representatives Of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
1                   SHCTION 1. Short Title. -This Act shall be known as the "Pangkabulayan Act of
2       2024."
3                   Snc. 2. Declaration of policy. -It is hereby declared the policy of the state that the
4      diffusion and more equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth shall be the
5      goals of the national economic development prograns; and expanding productivity, coupled
6      with a sustained increase in the number of goods and services produced for the direct benefit
7      of the people is the key to empowerment, poverty reduction, and enhancement of the quality
8      of life for all, especially the undaprivileged.  Consistent with the aforestated policy, the state
9       shall:


1                    (a)        Promote, strengthen and encourage sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurship,
2      and  the  growth  and  development  of MSMEs  in  all  productive  sectors  of the  economy
3      particularly  rural,  agri-based  enterprises,  research  and  development,  invention,  innovation,
4      cultural and creative industries, and other careers that contribute to environmental and cultural
5       preservation;
6                    (b)        Consolidate MSME laws, social laws, and livelihood and poverty alleviation
7      programs to promote sustainable production, develop skills and capabilities, provide access to
8      financial support and resource management, increase access to information, market access, and
9      value chain development, and create opportunities for economic empowerment and increased
10       incomes;
11                    (c)        Adopt livelihood, entrepreneurial, and/or MSME development and support that
12      is  holistic,  comprehensive,  integrated,  people-centered,  responsive,  and  participatory,  in
13       lessening the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of disasters including epidemics and
14      climate  change,  and  promoting  the  involvement  and  participation  of all  sectors  and  all
15       stakeholders concerned, at all levels, especially the local community;
16                    (d)        Institutionalize the policies, structures, coordination mechanisms, and programs
17      with continuing budget appropriation  from national  down to  local  levels towards  building
18      economic empowerment and improved incomes;
19                    (e)        Simplify and minimize procedural rules and documentary requirements in the
20      act of registration, availing of financing, or accessing government services;
21                   (f)        Complement  and  supplement  financing  prograns  to  remove  stringent  and
22      burdensome collateral requirements;
23                    (g)        Engage the participation of the beneficiaries, especially the poor and vulnerable,
24      in the design, development, and implementation ofsustainable livelihood policies or programs;


1                    (h)        Engage the participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) and the private
2      sector in the govemment's livelihood development and support for MSMEs programs towards
3      complementation of resources and effective delivery of services to the citizenry; and
4                   (i)         Assure a balanced and sustainable development through the establishment of a
5      feedback and evaluation mechanism that will monitor socio-economic contributions as well as
6      bottlenecks and environmental effects.
7                    SEC. 3. Scope. -This Act provides for the development of policies and plans and the
8      implementation of actions  and measures pertaining to  all  aspects  of sustainable  livelihood
9      development and support and the growlh and development ofMSMEs.
10                   SEC.  4.  The  Pangkabuhayan  Council.  -The  Pangkabuhayan  Council  is  hereby
11       established  to  develop  the  country's  sustainable  livelihood  and  entrepreneurship  goals,
12      priorities, and long-term national strategy. The council shall seek mainstream principles that
13       are integrated, people-centered, participatory, responsive, and sustainable in the development,
14      implementation, and assessment of sustainable livelihood and entrepreneurial programs and
15       strategies.
16                   SEC.  5.  Composition  of the  Pangkabuhayan  Council.  -The  Council  shall  be
17      composed of the following members:
18                   (a)        President of the philippines as the chairperson;
19                    (b)        Secretary  of  the  Department  of  Trade  and  Industry  (DTI)  as  the  Vice-
20      Chairperson;
21                    (c)        Director-General   of  the  National   Economic   and   Development  Authority
22      quEDA);
23                    (d)        Secretary of the Department ofAgriculture (DA);
24                   (e)        Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
25                    (I)         Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);


1                    (g)        Secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT);
2                   (h)        Secretary of the Department of social welfare and Development (DSWD);
3                    (i)         Secretary of the Department of science and Technology (DOST);
4                   a)         Chairperson of the commission on Higher Education (CHED);
5                   (k)        Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM);
6                    (1)         Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd);
7                    (in)        Secretary of the Department of lnterior and Local Goverrment (DILG);
8                    (n)        Director-General   of  the   Intellectual   Property   Office   of  the   Philippines
9       (IPOPHIL);and
10                    (o)        Seven (7) Executive Members are to be appointed by the president.
11                    The Executive Members shall be appointed from the ranks of business, entrepreneurs,
12      academe, and the scientific community, at least one (1) of whom shall be a woman. There shall
13      be  at least one  (1) representative  from the MSME  sector.  Those to be appointed from the
14      academe and the scientific community shall have at least seven (7) years of experience in the
15      field of science and technology, research and development, or innovation.
16                   The president may designate the Executive secretary to attend on his behalf and preside
17      over  the  meetings  of the  Pangkabuhayan  Council.  The  Department  Secretaries  and  other
18      members    may    not   designate    alternate   representatives    other   than   their   respective
19       undersecretaries to the meetings.
20      The majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.
21                   SHC. 6. Powers and Functions. The pangkabuhayan council shall have the following
22      powers and functions:
23                    1.          The council shall act as the coordinating and supervising body for all agencies
24      involved in the establishment and operation of the following programs:


1                                 (a)    DTI's Negosyo center program, which is responsible for promoting ease
2      of doing business and facilitating access to services for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
3       (MSMEs);
4                                 (b) DSWD's  Sustainable Livelihood program (SLP), which is a community-
5      based program that provides income-generating activities to low-income households;
6                                 (c)   DOLE's   Tulong   Panghanapbuhay   sa  Ating   Disadvantaged/Displaced
7      Workers (TUPAD) or cash for work program, a community-based package assistance that
8      provides  emergency  employment  for  displaced  workers,   underemployed,   and   seasonal
9       workers;
10
(d)    DOLE'S  Integrated  Livelihood  Program-Kabuhayan,  which  provides
11       assistance through grants to individuals and groups that can be used to start a livelihood project,
12       expand  or  upgrade  an  existing  project,  restore  or  re-establish  existing  livelihood  projects
13      destroyed due to natural and human-made disasters, or transform existing livelihood assistance
14      to community/group enterprises.
15                                 (e)  DOST's  small  Enteaprises  Technology  upgrading  program  (SETUP),  a
16      nationwide strategy that aims to encourage and assist sMEs to adopt technology irmovations
17      to improve their operations and thus boost their productivity and competitiveness;
18                                 (I) DTl and TESDA's (Technical Education and skills Development Authority)
19      Barangay Kabuhayan, a national program that ensures that all livelihood and skills training
20      centers offered by the National Government are properly implemented at the municipal level.
21                                 (g) NEDA, DOST, and DTI's implementation of the philippine Innovation Act,
22      a law that seeks to guide the country's innovation goals and is expected to make the policy
23      environment in the country conducive to more science, technology, and innovation efforts;
5


1                                 (h)   DTI's shared service Facilities (SSF) Project, a flagship program of the
2      DTl aimed at improving the productivity and efficiency of small enterprises through access to
3       bettertechnology.
4      This shall include overseeing, in coordination with local government units and the DILG as
5      well as private sector groups/associations, the developments among micro, small and medium
6      enterprises as well as the individual beneficiaries;
7                    2. The council shall promote and advance sustainable livelihood and entrepreneurship
8      by integrating the aforementioned programs through the council;
9                    3.  The  Council  shall monitor and assess the progress of the program beneficiaries,
10      which report shall be submitted to the congress;
11                    4. The council shall review the programs' existing policies and recommend changes or
12      improvements therein to the president and congress.
13                    This shall include efforts to simplify rules and regulations, as well as a review of the
14      applicability and relevance of procedural and documentary requirements in the registration,
15      financing, and other activities relevant to MSMEs and individual beneficiaries, the result of
16      which shall also be included in the annual report to be submitted to congress.
17                    5. The council shall submit to the congress an annual report of its assessment on the
18      efficacy of the program, the status of its implementation including but not limited to progress
19      reports, challenges, and recommendations, review of the policies involved, research, and other
20      reports integral to the implementation of this Act.
21                    6.  The  Council  shall promulgate  implementing  guidelines, programs,  and operating
22      principles as may be deemed proper and necessary in the light of government policies and
23       objectives of this Act;
6


1                   7. The council shall publish compliance Guidelines, streamlhing and simplifying the
2      rules and regulations on procedural and documentary requirements for registration, financing,
3      and other activities relevant to the implementation of the specified programs.
4                    The Compliance Guideline shall be written in plain language or the applicable local
5      dialect. The publication of each compliance Guideline shall include the posting of the guide in
6      a conspicuous location on the website of the concerned agencies, and distribution of the guide
7      to known industry contacts, such as small entities, associations, or industry leaders affected by
8      the rule.
9                   The council shall publish and disseminate the compliance Guideline within ninety (90)
10      days fromthe date ofissuance.
11                    8. The council shall conduct research to support women's entrepreneurship including
12      entrepreneurial behavior, barriers, participation and cessation rates, discrihinatory practices,
13      and contribution to the national economy and growlh;
14                   9. The council shall provide policy direction towards recognizing women' s propensity
15      and talent in entrepreneurship as well as establish linkages that will enable more opportunities
16      for women to engage in entrepreneurship; and
17                    10.  The council shall develop, in coordination with the DepEd, Technical Education
18      and skills Development Authority (TESDA), and commission on Higher Education, a course
19      curriculum or training program in entrepreneurship that will promote entrepreneurial culture
20      andcompetence.
21                   Entrepreneurship shall be integrated into the curriculum of educational and training
22       institutions at all levels.
23                   SEC.   7.   Estabnshment   of   a   Sustainable   Livelihood   and   Entrepreneuria]
24      Development centers. -A Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development center
25      hereinafter referred to as the "SLED", shall be established in every rural municipality in the
7


1      country in accordance with such program established and determined by the DILG, taking into
2      account the  socio-economic  profile,  literacy,  employment  conditions,  health  status  of the
3      residents, the opportunities therein available, the presence of support mechanics/structures and
4      skills craftsmanship training activities in the community, and such other factors indicative of
5      the  need  for  the  SLED.  Provided,  That  priority  shall  be  given  to  the  most  economically
6      depressed areas with the highest percentage of disadvantaged and needy citizens.
7                   Initially and within a period of one (1) year from the date of the effectivity of this Act,
8      at least one  (I) Pilot Center shall be established in each of the  fifteen (15) regions  of the
9      country,  including  the  Bangsamoro  Autonomous  Region  in  Muslim  Mindanao  and  the
10      Cordillera Autonomous Region.
11                    In applicable areas, the existing GO Negosyo centers shall continue to operate as SLED
12       subject to the provisions of this Act.  The SLED shall be responsible for promoting ease of
13      doing business  and facilitating access to  services  for MSMEs  and entrepreneurs within its
14      jurisdiction.
15                   The sLEDs may be set up under the auspices of the local government units, and/or non-
16      government organizations tapped by DILG to assist in the implementation of this Act.
17                    The SLED shall be assisted by the DOLE by rendering technical assistance and training
18      to  the  personnel  of the  SLED  and  shall  be  supported  by  officials  in  encouraging  the
19      participation of residents in the programs and training offered by the SLED. The DILG, DOH,
20      DOLE, DA, and other government agencies shall gear their programs to support the activities
21      and actions envisioned and implemented by the SLED.
22                  SEC.  8.  Capitalization  and  Funding  of  the  Pangkabuhayan  Council.  -  A
23      Pangkabuhayan Fund to  strengthen livelihood,  entrepreneurial, and/or MSME development
24      and  support  is  hereby  established.  This  Fund,  from  which  grants  will  be  issued,  shall  be
25      administered  by  the  Pangkabuhayan  Council  which  shall  screen  and  approve  qualified
8


1      proposals. Subject to availability offunds, a revolving fund in the initial amount of one Billion
2      Pesos (Php 1,000,000,000.00) is hereby allocated for the initial year's implementation of this
3      Act, and such funds necessary for its continuous and effective implementation shall thereafter
4      be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
5                   Further, the pangkabuhayan council, in coordination with the agencies concerned, shall
6      explore the possibility ofaccessing a growing range of bilateral and multilateral funds in order
7      to be able to assist in the funding of livelihood, entrepreneurial, and/or MSME programs and
8      initiatives.  Public-private  partnerships  shall  also  be  encouraged  in  the  development  and
9      implementation of programs and initiatives.
10                  SEC.  9.  Mandatory  Allocation  of  Credit  Resources  for  Livelihood  Support
11      Programs and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. -For a period often (10) years from
12      the date of the effectivity of this Act, all lending institutions as defined under Bangko sentral
13       ng pilipinas (BSP) rules, whether public or private, shall set aside at least ten percent (10%) of
14      their total loan portfolio based on their balance sheet at of the end of the previous quarter for
15      Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and make it available for MSME credit or livelihood
16      support programs as herein contemplated. Compliance with this provision shall include:
17                    a.          The actual extension of loans to eligible MSMEs or beneficiaries; or
18                   b.          Wholesale lending to participating Financial Institutions (PFls) for on-lending
19       toMSMEs;or
20                   c.          Purchase/discount of MSMEs receivables; or
21                    d.          Extension  of  loans  to  MSME  value  chain  actors  who  allow  MSMEs  to
22      participate in organized or formal value chairs. Chain actors include, anong others, traders,
23       suppliers, processors, and aggregators who conduct linked sequences of value-adding activities
24      involved in bringing a product to final consumers.
9


1                   The BSp and the securities and Exchange commission (SEC), in consultation with the
2      Pangkabuhayan  Council,  shall  formulate  mles  for  the  effective  inplementation  of  this
3      provision: Provided, That the purchase of government notes, securities, and other negotiable
4      instruments shall not be deemed compliant with the foregoing provisions: Provided, further,
5      That the BSp and the SEC, in consultation with all stakeholders, shall establish a meaningful
6      incentive system to encourage compliance this provision; Provided, fmally, that the BSp and
7      the  SEC  shall  align  their  regulations  on  penalties  for  banks  and  other  entities  for  non-
8      compliance with the provision for mandatory lending.
9                   The Pangkabuhayan Council shall set up the appropriate systems to monitor all loan
10      applications of MSREs to account for the absoxptive capacity of the MSME sector.  Each
11      lending institution shall designate a chief compliance officer who will prepare and sign the
12      report on compliance and noncompliance with the mandatory credit allocation, for submission
13      to the BSp in the case of banks, and the sEc in the case ofnon-bank financial intermediates.
14      The BSp in the case of banks, and the sEc in the case ofnon-bank financial intermediates shall
15      furnish to the Pangkabuhayan Council every quarter comprehensive reports on the lending
16      entity's compliance and noncompliance with the above provisions on the mandatory credit
17      allocation for MSMEs and beneficiaries, and shall submit an armual report, signed by an officer
18      with  the  rank  of at  least  a  managing  director,  on  the  amounts  of the  penalties  for non-
19      compliance with the mandatory lending provision of this act.
20                   All banks shall provide access to deposit accounts, such as savings, checking, and debit
21      accounts, to registered MSMEs. Financial technology shall be provided to MSMEs to ensure
22      their financial inclusion.
23                    All lending entities  shall report credit information and transactions of MSMEs to a
24      national credit registry to monitor proper compliance and efficient implementation.
10


1                   For efficient implementation and operation, cooperatives, except cooperative banks and
2      insurance cooperatives, shall be under the sole supervision and examination of the cooperative
3      Development  Authority   (CDA);   all  other  financial  entities,   corporations  and  financial
4      intermediaries,   such  as  non-government  organizations,   financing  companies,   non-stock
5      savings  and  loan  associations,  micro finance  non-government  organizations,  and  lending
6      investors shall be under the SEC; banks shall be under the BSP; and insurance companies shall
7      be under the Insurance Commission (IC).  For clarity, cooperative banks shall be under the
8      supervision and examination of the CDA and BSP; while insurance cooperatives shall be under
9      the supervision and exanination of the CDA and Insurance commission (IC).
10                   Lending institutions that are not qualified to acquire or hold lands of the public domain
11      in the philippines shall be permitted to bid and take part in sales ofmortgaged real property in
12      case ofjudicial or extra-judicial foreclosure, as well as avail ofreceivership, enforcement, and
13      other proceedings, solely upon default of a borrower, and for a period not exceeding five (5)
14      years from actual possession: Provided, That in no event shall title to the property be transferred
15      to such lending institution. If the lending institution is the winning bidder, it may, during said
16      five (5) year period, transfer its rights to a qualified philippine national, without prejudice to a
17      borrower's rights under applicable laws.
18                   SEC.10. Recovery Fund. -Aside from the existing benefits for MSMEs and eligible
19      entrepreneurs, the pangkabuhayan council shall establish a Recovery Fund for MSMEs and
20      beneficiaries, to be sourced from the pangkabuhayan Fund, to provide MSMEs with aid, relief,
21      and recovery interventions for disasters, calamities, epidemics, or complex emergencies, such
22      as but not limited to, the covID-19 pandemic.
23                    SEC.  11.  Congressional  Oversight  Committee.  -  To  monitor  and  oversee  the
24      implementation of this Act, there shall be a congressional oversight committee on sustainable
25      Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Development (COC-SLED) composed of the chairpersons of
11


1      the senate committee on Economic Affairs and the House committee on small Business and
2      Entrepreneurship  Development  as  chairperson  and  co-chairperson,  respectively;  five  (5)
3      members of each of the senate and House of Representatives to include the chairpersons of the
4      Senate committees on Trade and commerce, and Banks, Financial Institutions and curencies;
5      and the chairpersons of the House of committees on Trade and Industry, Banks and Financial
6      Intermediaries, and Appropriations: Provided, That two (2) of the five senators and two (2) of
7      the five House members shall be nominated by the respective minority leaders of the senate
8      and the House of Representatives.
9                   The coc-SLED shall set the guidelines and overall framework for the monitoring of
10      the implementation of this Act and shall adopt its internal rules of procedure. The secretariat
11      of the COC-SLED shall be drawn from the existing personnel of the  Senate and House of
12      Representatives committees compromising the coc-SLED.
13                   SEC.12.  Information  Dissemination.  -The  Philippine  Infomation  Agency,  in
14      coordination with the DTI and the DILG, shall ensure the proper and adequate information
15      dissemination of the contents and benefits of this Act to pertinent media entities and all cities,
16      municipalities, and barangays.
17                   SEC.13. Considerations in setting priority Areas for sustainable Livelihood and
18      Entrepreneurship. - In identifying the priority  areas for livelihood and entrepreneurship
19      development, the Pangkabuhayan Council shall, in consultation with the sectors concerned,
20      consider the following areas:
21                    (a) Food security and sustainable agriculture;
22                    (b) Regenerative systems;
23                     (c) Health;
24                    (d) Secure, clean, and reliable energy;
25                    (e) Climate change and disaster resilience;
12


1                    (I) Innovation of traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, and genetic
2       resources;
3                    (g) Digital economy;
4                    (h) Sustainable transportation services; and
5                   ' (i) Sustainable tourism, among others.
6                   SEC.14. Whole of Government Approach. -In order to effectively promote and
7      advance sustainable livelihood and entrepreneurship across all areas of government policy, a
8       "whole of government approach" shall be adopted. This approach shall facilitate engagement
9      with business, the research, development, and engineering (RD&E) sector, MSMEs, and the
10      broader community towards ensuring the full and effective implementation of this Act.
11                    All government agencies concerned, including the following, shall be responsible for
12      implementing  sustainable  livelihood  and  entrepreneurship  and,  as  such,  shall  observe  the
13       "whole of government approach" provided herein:
14                   (a) National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) ;
15                    (b) Department of science and Technology (DOST);
16                    (c) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
17                    (d) Department of Agriculture (DA);
18                   (e) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
19                   ® Department of Health (DOH);
20                   (g) Department of Energy (DOE);
21                    (h) Department of Transportation (DOTr);
22                   (i) Department of National Defense (DND);
23                    ¢) Department of Information and communications Technology (DICT);
24                   (k) Department of Budget and Management (DBM);
25                   (I) Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);
13


1                   (in) Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);
2                   (n) Department of Education (DepEd);
3                    (o) Commission on Higher Education (CHED):
4                   a) Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); and
5                   (q) Intellectual property office of the philippines (IPOPHL).
6                   Government agencies shall malke available for public access, a joint web portal, that
7      will bear information pertinent to livelihood and MSMEs policies, strategies, and programs,
8      including  services, grants,  and financial assistance.  The agencies shall likewise ensure that
9      beneficiaries are guided on available services. The web portal shall also include a database of
10      all ongoing and completed progranis implemented.
11                    It shall have interactive features that will allow the public to access services or file
12      applications online. Inquiries shall be addressed within three (3) days from receipt thereof. The
13      processing  of applications  shall  be  streanlined  in  accordance  with  the  guidelines  to  be
14      established by the Pangkabuhayan Council.  Reforms to this effect shall be reported to the
15      Council within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act.
16                   The online facility shall provide an acknowledgment receipt and reference nuinber for
17      each transaction for monitoring purposes.
18                   Government   agencies   concerned   shall   submit  periodic   progress  reports   to  the
19      Pangkabuhayan Council on the  status of livelihood or entrepreneurial programs.  Reporting
20      guidelines shall be prepared by the council for this purpose.
21      The enumeration of agencies provided herein is without prejudice to other agencies that the
22      Council may mandate.
23                   SEC.   15.   Removing   Barriers   to   Livelihood   and   MSME   Support.   -   The
24      Pangkabuhayan  Council  and  its  member  government  agencies  shall  eliminate  regulatory
25      barriers and cut red tape to enable access to livelihood and MSME support programs. Towards
14


1      this end, the council shall facilitate consultations with stakeholders to identify and cause the
2      removal of barriers, such as procedural rules and documentary requirements in registration,
3      availing offinancing, or accessing government services.
4                   SEC.16.  Implementing Rules  and  Regulations. -The  Secretary  of the  DTI,  in
5      consultation with the appropriate agencies as may be deemed necessary, shall formulate the
6      necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act within ninety (90) days
7      after its approval. The rules and regulations issued pursuant to this Section shall take effect
8      fifteen (15) days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
9                   SEC.   17.  Separability  Clause.  -  If  any  provision  of  this  Act  shall  be  held
10      unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and
11       effect.
12                   SHC.18. Repealing clause. -All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, rules,
13      and  regulations,  or  parts  thereof inconsistent  with  any  provisions  of this  Act  are  hereby
14      repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
15                    SEC.19. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
16      in the official Gazette or in a newspaper ofgeneral circulation.
Approved,
15