FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
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Prepared by the Committees on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development 
and Finance with Senators Trillanes IV and P. Cayetano as authors thereof. 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA OF THE POOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Tit/e. - This Act shall be known as the "Magna Carta of the Poor". 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy.- It is the declared policy of the State to uplift the 
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standard of living and quality of life of the poor and provide them with sustained 
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opportunities for growth and development. Every poor Filipino family must be 
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empowered to meet their minimum basic needs, through the partnership of the 
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government and the basic sectors. It is likewise vital that the State complies with 
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its international obligations to eradicate poverty, such as our commitment to 
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achieve the Millennium Development Goals which include the eradication of 
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extreme poverty and hunger, achievement of universal primary education, 
, 
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promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, reduction of child 
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mortality, improvement of maternal health, combating HIV/ AIDS, malaria and 
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other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and development of a 
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global partnership for development. 
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To attain the foregoing policy: 
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(a) Government must prioritize investments in anti- poverty programs to 
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enable the poor to participate responsibly in the country's growth and 
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development; 
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(b) All government departments, agencies and instrumentalities must provide 
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full access to government services for the poor; 
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(c) Government interventions must be strengthened to address the genuine 
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concerns of the poor, while long- term strategies and solutions for the 
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empowerment of the poor are being put in place; and 
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(d) The capabilities and competencies of the basic sectors, the non 
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government organizations (NGOs) and people's organizations (POs), as 
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partners of the government for the effective delivery and implementation of 
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a wide range of anti- poverty programs and basic services, shall be 
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enhanced and promoted. 
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SEC. 3. Definition of terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms are hereby 
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defined: 
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(a) Poor shall refer to individuals or families whose income fall below the 
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poverty threshold as defined by the National Economic and Development 
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Authority (NEDA) and/or cannot afford to provide their minimum basic 
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needs of food, health, education, housing and other essential amenities in 
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a sustained manner; 
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(b) Basic sectors shall refer to the disadvantaged sectors of Philippine 
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society, namely: farmer- peasants, artisanal fisherfolks, workers in the 
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formal and informal sectors, migrant workers, indigenous people and 
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cultural communities, women, differently- abled persons, senior citizens, 
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victims of calamities and disasters, youths, students, children and the 
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urban poor; 
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(c) Hazardous or danger zones shall refer to areas which when occupied for 
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residential purposes actually pose a danger to the life and safety of the 
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occupants or of the general community. 
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(d) People's organization (PO) shall refer to any recognized or accredited 
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self- help association or cooperative of the basic sectors or disadvantaged 
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groups composed of members having a common bond of interest, who 
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voluntarily join together to achieve a lawful common social and economic 
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end. 
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SEC. 4. Basic Rights of the Poor. - The poor shall have the following rights, the 
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enjoyment of which is an essential step towards poverty alleviation: (a) the right 
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to food; (b) right to employment and livelihood; (c) the right to quality education; 
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(d) the right to shelter; and (e) the right to basic health services and medicines. 
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The government shall, as a matter of duty and obligation, provide the 
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requirements, conditions and opportunities for the full enjoyment of these rights 
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of the poor, and which the poor can demand as a matter of right. 
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4.1. The Right to Food.-
The Department of Social Welfare and 
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Development (DSWD) shall expand a program of subsidy to help the poor 
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meet their minimum food requirements. 
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To help ensure the implementation of the food assistance program, all 
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food items and food products, including rice, corn, sugar and other prime 
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commodities, seized and forfeited with finality in favor of the government 
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for violations of customs laws shall be automatically transferred to and/ or 
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turned over to the DSWD for proper disposition. 
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The DSWD, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA), shall 
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develop plans and projects to complement existing food subsidy programs 
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of the government so that the poor can engage in productive activities. 
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These shall promote food self- sufficiency among the poor. 
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4.2. The Right to Employment and Livelihood.- The Department of Labor 
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and Employment (DOLE), in coordination with the POs, National Anti-
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Poverty Commission (NAPC), Local Government Units (LGUs), and 
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relevant government agencies and government financial institutions, shall 
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primarily be responsible for providing facilitation assistance to the poor to 
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ensure better access to livelihood opportunities and employment openings 
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in private enterprises and in government programs and projects. The 
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DOLE and other concerned government agencies are likewise tasked to 
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address the emergency employment needs of displaced families. 
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In the hiring of workers needed for the implementation of government 
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infrastructure 
projects 
and/or 
government-funded 
contracts 
or 
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government-assisted undertakings, it shall be mandatory to prioritize 
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qualified laborers from the poor sector who are residents of the LGUs 
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where the project is located, as provided in the implementing rules. 
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4.3. The Right to Quality Education.- The right of the poor to free public 
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elementary and secondary education shall not be impaired. 
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The right to education shall include access to quality education at the 
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college level. Consistent with the government's goal of providing 
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socialized college education, including the student loans or study-now-
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pay-later plans, 
programs 
on 
education 
shall 
be 
expanded 
in 
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state/locallprivate universities and colleg'es, as well as higher education 
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institutions: Provided, That the students qualify and maintain good 
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academic standing: Provided further, That the students enroll in priority 
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courses, as determined by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). 
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It shall also include the right to avail of quality technical vocational 
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education and training through scholarships, subsidies and financial 
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assistance, to ensure access to decent and productive employment. 
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At least five percent (5%) discount shall be granted by establishments that 
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sell reference books for college and school supplies to poor but deserving 
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students, subject to the guidelines to be issued by CHED: Provided, That 
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these establishments may claim the cost as allowable tax deduction from 
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the gross income in the computation of their income tax in accordance 
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with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as 
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amended. 
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The Department of Education (DepED), CHED and the Technical 
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Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in coordination with 
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government agencies concerned, shall ensure the full enjoyment of the 
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poor of the right to education. 
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4.4. The Right to Shelter. - The right of the poor to decent housing shall 
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not be abridged. The government shall develop and implement a housing 
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program for the poor which shall include a well- targeted and responsive 
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subsidy scheme that will provide decent housing with the least financial 
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burden. 
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In all cases, the government, in ensuring the exercise and enjoyment of 
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the right of the poor, shall put in place a system consisting of simple 
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requirements and procedures, and expeditious processing and approval. 
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The government, through the Housing and 
Urban 
Development 
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Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the National Housing Authority (NHA), 
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in coordination with the LGUs, shall prioritize the implementation of the 
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socialized housing and resettlement for the poor specially those residing in 
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hazardous or danger zones. 
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The implementers of the socialized housing and resettlement programs 
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shall enjoy the incentives stated in Section 20 of Republic Act No. 7279, 
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otherwise known as the "Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992". 
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4.5. The Right to Basic Health Services and Medicines.- The LGUs shall 
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ensure and promote the health of their populace in a rational manner, 
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including the availability of quality primary healthcare services and access 
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to secondary and tertiary healthcare services and public healthcare 
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programs. 
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The Department of Health (DOH) shall provide the highly specialized level 
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of quality health care in a rational manner as well as technical assistance 
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to LGUs, POs and other members of civil society in effectively 
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implementing programs, projects and services that will promote the health 
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and well- being of every Filipino, especially the poor. 
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The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhiIHealth), in coordination 
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with the DOH, shall ensure that every Filipino, especially the poor, is 
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covered and entitled to an adequate package of health services. The out-
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of-pocket expenses of every Filipino, especially the poor, shall be 
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substantially reduced, with the end view of totally eliminating such 
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expenses. The current payment and enrollment mechanisms shall also be 
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reformed. 
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The DOH, LGUs and Philhealth shall define an expanded primary health 
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package that every citizen is entitled ·t6 and can readily avail of. Clear 
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responsibilities must be defined and allocated between the three partners, 
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ensuring 
also 
that 
services 
provided 
are 
consistent 
with 
the 
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epidemiological profile and population needs. 
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~ ;.. 4.6. Other Rights of the Poor. - All other rights and benefits for the 
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poor provided under existing laws shall remain in full force and effect. 
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Nothing herein shall be construed to diminish the enjoyment of such rights 
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by the poor who shall have the right to avail of the greater rights or 
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benefits offered by existing laws, including those granted under this Act. 
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SEC. 5. System for Targeting of Beneficiaries.- The DSWD, in coordination with 
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NAPC and other relevant government agencies, LGUs, NGOs and POs, shall 
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come up with a single system of classification to be used for targeting 
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beneficiaries of the government's anti- poverty programs and projects to ensure 
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that such programs reach the intended beneficiaries. 
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SEC. 6. Funding Requirements. The funding for the pro- poor programs and 
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projects implemented under this Act shall be taken from the appropriate 
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programs of the relevant agencies, guided by the Medium Term Expenditure 
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Framework which they develop and submit to the Department of Budget and 
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Management (DBM). 
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Deficiencies in the existing appropriations of the pro- poor programs in the 
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different departments and agencies shall be included 
in the General 
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Appropriations Act of the year following the enactment of this Act and thereafter. 
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SEC. 7. Rational Allocation of Funds. -
The National Economic and 
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Development 
Authority (NEDA), in relation with NAPC, shall be principally 
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responsible for the efficient and rational 'allocation of available funding 
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requirements as may be needed by the different government departments and 
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agencies in implementing the rights of the poor. 
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SEC. 8. Private Sector Participation. - The private sector is highly encouraged to 
be an active partner for the empowerment of the basic sectors. 
As such, the DSWD, DOLE, DepEd, DOH, NAPC, DA, CHED, TESDA, HUDCC, 
NHA are hereby authorized to solicit donations, aids or grants, in cash or in kind, 
from whatever source, and/or enter partnerships with private/public institutions to 
meet the demands of the basic rights to food, employment and livelihood, quality 
education, shelter, basic health services and medicine, and other rights. 
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SEC. 9. Tax Exemptions. - Any donation, contribution or grant which may be 
made to the programs and projects entered into pursuant to this law shall be 
exempt from the donor's tax and the same shall be considered as allowable 
deduction from the gross income in the computation of the income tax of the 
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donor in accordance with the provisions of the '''National Internal Revenue Code 
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of 1997", as amended, 
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SEC, 10, Role of the Local Government Unit. - LGUs shall be responsible for the 
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formulation and implementation of local anti-poverty programs and projects in 
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their jurisdictions and ensure that these are consistent with, and complementary 
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to, national programs and projects set forth in the basic rights of the poor as 
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provided in Section 4 of this Act 
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SEC, 11, Joint Congressional Oversight Committee,- There is hereby created a 
, 
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joint congressional oversight committee to monitor the implementation of this Act, 
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including the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, The committee 
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shall be composed of five (5) senators and five (5) representatives to be 
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appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of 
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Representatives, respectively, The oversight committee shall be co-chaired by a 
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senator and a representative designated by the Senate President and the 
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Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively, 
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The mandate given to the joint congressional oversight committee under this Act 
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shall be without prejudice to the performance of the duties and functions by the 
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respective existing oversight committees of the Senate and the House of 
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Representatives, 
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SEC, 12, Implementing Rules, - The NAPC, in, coordination with the government 
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departments and agencies, shall promulgate rules and regulations to carry out 
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the provisions of this Act within three (3) months from its effectivity, The rules 
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shall set priority target areas for the initial implementation of this Act, with the end 
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in view of ensuring the successful replication of the program nationwide, 
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SEC, 13. Compliance Report. - The NAPC, in coordination with all government 
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departments and agencies concerned, shall within six (6) months, from the 
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effectivity of this Act and every six (6) months thereafter, submit a report to Joint 
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Congressional Oversight Committee on the cOf!1pliance with the provisions of this 
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Act 
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SEC. 14. Separability Clause. - If any prpvision of this Act is declared 
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unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full 
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force and effect 
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SEC. 15. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or 
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parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
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repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 16. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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