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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2254

House Bill No.

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN III

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The State aims to ensure the prosperity of the nation and free the people from the cruel bondage
of poverty through policies that will provide adequate social services, promote full employment,
a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all. Towards this end, the State
shall provide employment assistance to a qualified head of family or an unmarried, single adult
member of qualified poor households in rural areas identified by the National Household
Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD).

‘As used in this Act, a “rural area” refers to a barangay which has a population size of less than
two thousand five hundred (2,500) and which does not have any business establishment with
twenty-five (25) or more employees, or five (5) or more establishments with a minimum of ten
(10) employees, or five (5) or more facilities within a two (2) - kilometer radius from the
barangay hall

On the other hand, the “poor” refers to individuals and families whose income fall below the
poverty threshold as defined by the government or those who cannot afford to provide their
minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other essential amenities of life in
a sustained manner or those who have been identified as poor by the NHTS-PR.

The DSWD shall establish and implement the Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP),
in coordination with the local government units (LGUs). REAP shall provide temporary
employment to every qualified head of family or an unmarried, single adult member of qualified
poor families in rural areas who volunteers to do unskilled manual work for a minimum of forty-
five (45) days but not more than ninety (90) days in every calendar year. The DSWD, in close
coordination with the LGUs and other concerned government agencies, shall conduct an
assessment of all poor individuals and families in rural areas who signify interest to do unskilled
labor to determine their eligibility to avail of the services and benefits under the REAP.

Thus, every head of family or an unmarried, single adult member of a poor family in the rural
areas who qualifies to avail of the benefits and services under the REAP shall be entitled to
receive for each day of work financial assistance equal to the applicable minimum wage set by


the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in the region. They shall also
be entitled to the coverage of mandatory social security benefits such as those extended by the
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-
IBIG) and the Social Security System (SSS).

In view of the foregoing, approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

MAN OCHAN IIT
Representat
Magdalo Para Sa Pilipino Party-List


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. ay)

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN III

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

Congress assembled:

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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Rural

Employment Assistance Act”.

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the declared policy of the State to
Promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity of the
nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate
social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an
improved quality of life for all. Towards this end, the State shall provide
‘employment assistance to a qualified head of family or an unmarried, single adult
member of qualified poor households in rural areas identified by the National
Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Sec.3. Rural Employment Assistance Program. The DSWD shall
establish and implement the Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP),
hereinafter referred to as the Program, in coordination with the local government
units (LGUs). The Program shall provide temporary employment to every
qualified head of family or an unmarried, single adult member of qualified poor
families in rural areas who volunteers to do unskilled manual work for a minimum
of forty-five (45) days but not more than ninety (90) days in every calendar year.


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As used in this Act, a “rural area” refers to a barangay which has a
population size of less than two thousand five hundred (2,500) and which does not
have any business establishment with twenty-five (25) or more employees, or five
(5) or more establishments with a minimum of ten (10) employees, or five (5) or
more facilities within a two (2) - kilometer radius from the barangay hall.

The “poor” refers to individuals and families whose income fall below the
poverty threshold as defined by the government or those who cannot afford to
provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other
essential amenities of life in a sustained manner or those who have been identified
as poor by the NHTS-PR.

Sec.4. Assessment to Determine Qualification for Availment of
Employment Assistance.- The DSWD, in close coordination with the LGUs and
other concerned government agencies, shall conduct an assessment of all poor
individuals and families in rural areas who signify interest to do unskilled labor to
determine their eligibility to avail of the services and benefits under the REAP.

See.5. Rate of Assistance. Every head of family or an unmarried, single
adult member of a poor family in the rural areas who qualifies to avail of the
benefits and services under the REAP shall be entitled to receive for each day of
work financial assistance equal to the applicable minimum wage set by the
Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in the region. They
shall also be entitled to the coverage of mandatory social security benefits such as
those extended by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth),
Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) and the Social Security System
(SSS)

Sec.6. Types of Works and Activities. The DSWD, in coordination with
the LGUs and other concerned government agencies, shall lead in the
implementation of the REAP, particularly in project identification and in the
implementation and monitoring of projects and activities. Projects and activities to
be identified and undertaken under the REAP should be of the type and nature that
can be completed in a specific period of time. These projects may include the

following:


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(a) Development, rebuilding/rehabilitation of agri-based livelihood assets
destroyed or lost due to natural disasters such as desilting of irrigation canals,
development of paddy dikes and rehabilitation of water impounding;

(b) Rehabilitation and or development of common service facilities which
are being shared and used by poor families as production or consolidation
centers/units such as post-harvest facilities and public markets;

(c) Development or rehabilitation of physical assets to open up access to
natural assets where the former is necessary to bring out the products of poor
families to the market such as farm-to-market roads, slope protection and bridges;
and

(d) Protection of productive assets through mitigation measures such as
mangrove planting/rehabilitation and tree planting.

Sec.7. Implementing Rules and Regulations.- Within ninety (90) days
after the approval of this Act, the Secretary of Social Welfare and Development
shall, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government,
issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this
Act.

Sec. 8. Effectivity.- This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,