FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No.3220 
'1:' "IUNIi, C 
:' U 
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The right to education is a basic human right which provides for free and 
compulsory primary education for all. It also includes a responsibility to develop 
equitable access to higher education. This is how the Intemational Covenant on 
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights defines the universal entitlement to education, but 
unfortunately for most of our people, education is a privilege enjoyed by the upper 
echelon of our society. 
This bill seeks to establish rural farm schools in every province as an alternative 
mode of secondary education which shall provide our rural youth access to schooling at 
a minimal cost and arm them with skills that can be utilized in their environment as well 
as encourage them to engage in agricultural or fishing or similar or related courses 
leading to agricultural or fishing viability and sustainability. 
A rural farm school is a parallel learning system and an alternative delivery mode 
of secondary education that will provide for facilitative and experiential learning on the 
core subjects of the secondary education curriculum with focus on agriculture or fishery 
and is designed to address the needs of children in rural, agricultural or fishing 
communities. 
This proposed Act will promote the establishment of a complete, adequate, and 
integrated system of education that will respond to the needs of our society and 
encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning system. 
In view of the foregoing, early passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
c'~ 
MANUEL "LITO" 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No.3220 
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING RURAL FARM SCHOOLS AS ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY MODE OF 
SECONDARY EDUCATION AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 
1. 
Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Rural Farm 
Schools Act". 
SEC. 2. 
Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared to be the policy of 
the State to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education of all levels 
and take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. Further to this, the 
State shall establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and integrated system 
of education relevant to the needs of the people and society and encourage non-formal, 
informal and indigenous learning systems, as well as self-learning, independent and 
out-of-school study programs particularly those that respond to community needs. 
The State shall likewise promote sustainable agricultural productivity and rural 
development by empowering the human capital in the countryside through access to 
avenues of learning suited to the needs and realities of the rural agricultural 
communities. 
In furtherance of the principles of social justice and social equity, the State shall 
provide the necessary support to the beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian 
Reform Program (CARP) including, but not limited to, the provision of access to a broad 
range of educational opportunities to their children. 


SEC. 3. 
Definition of Terms. 
-
For purposes of this Act, the following 
terms shall be defined as follows: 
(a) Alternative delivery mode refers to the nontraditional education program 
recognized by the Department of Education (DepED) which applies.a flexible 
learning philosophy and a curricular delivery program that includes non-formal 
and informal sources of knowledge and skills. An alternative delivery mode 
may include the use of facilitator-aided and interactive self-instructional print 
and audio-based learning materials, video tapes, face-to-face structured 
learning groups, semi-structured and unstructured discussions, one-on-one 
tutorials, study groups and self-learning groups, demonstration sessions, 
home visits, mentoring and remediation. 
(b) Rural farm school refers to a parallel learning system and an alternative 
delivery mode of secondary education. 
It provides for facilitative and 
experiential learning on the core subjects of the secondary education 
curriculum with focus on agri-fisheries, designed to address the needs of 
children in rural, agricultural or fishing communities. 
(c) Public rural farm school refers to a rural farm school operated by the 
government or any of its political subdivisions. 
(d) Private rural farm school refers to a rural farm school operated by a private 
entity, a non-government organization or a farm association. This is a school 
which is not funded by the government or any of its political subdivisions. 
(e) Tutors refer to facilitators or instructors who comprise the teaching staff of the 
rural farm schooL They are specialists in their own fields of endeavor and 
who facilitate the educative process. 
(f) CARP beneficiaries refer to farmers or their kin who had received Certificates 
of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) or Emancipation Patents under Republic 
Act No. 6657, as amended, otherwise known as the "Comprehensive 
Agrarian Reform Law of 1988". 


(g) Agrarian reform community refers to a barangay or cluster of barangays 
where a critical mass of agrarian reform beneficiaries is situated. 
(h) Farm entrepreneurship refers to the intermingling of finance, business and 
agriculture in setting into operation or motion a business venture involved in 
the production of agricultural commodities or enterprises. 
SEC. 4. 
Establishment of Rural Farm Schools. - rural farm schools are 
hereby established to provide an alternative delivery mode of secondary education. 
The public rural farm schools shall be free from tuition and other school fees, except 
those fees which may be allowed by the DepED. Private rural farm schools shall set a 
minimal tuition and other fees subject to the approval of the DepED: Provided, That the 
relatives of CARP beneficiaries up to the third degree of consanguinity in the 
descending line shall be exempt from payment of the fees. 
The DepED shall institutionalize high standards of quality assurance in rural farm 
schools. 
These standards shall involve prescribing guidelines and policies on the 
operation and management of rural farm schools as well as basic curricular content to 
ensure the credibility and academic integrity of rural farm schools. 
Within one (1) year upon the formulation of the implementing rules and 
regulations of this Act, the DepED shall encourage the establishment of at least one (1) 
public rural farm school in every province in the country. 
SEC. 5. 
Implementing Agency. 
-
The DepED, through the Bureau of 
Secondary Education, shall regulate the organization and operation of the rural farm 
schools and the implementation of its curriculum as prescribed herein. 
SEC. 6. 
Curriculum and Teaching Methodology. - The curriculum of the 
rural farm school shall follow the core secondary education curriculum of the DepED 
with add-on courses focused on Agri-Fishery Arts. 
The last two (2) academic years in the rural farm school educational system shall 
focus on integrative learning across all subject disciplines in the curriculum with 
emphasis on farm entrepreneurship theory and practice and its promotion as a tool in 


cultivating local entrepreneurs, revitalizing rural economies and repopulating rural 
communities. 
The rural farm schools. shall apply a flexible leaming philosophy which may 
include an altemative delivery mode as recognized by the DepED. 
SEC. 7. 
Eligible Students. -
Graduates of elementary school education, 
regardless of age, shall be eligible to enroll in the rural farm schools for their secondary 
education. 
Relatives of the beneficiaries of the CARP up to the third degree of consanguinity 
in the descending line shall be given priority in admission when the rural farm school 
cannot accommodate all of those applying for enrollment. 
SEC. 8. 
The School Head. - Every rural farm school shall have a school 
head to oversee its operations and management. The school head shall be tasked to 
facilitate the tutors' participation in professional development activities including 
technical skills training and extension services by the DepED, the Department of 
Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). The school head shall 
also ensure that the curricular program is properly implemented and sufficient and 
adequate educational resources are available and accessible to the students. 
SEC. 9. 
The Tutors. 
The tutors of the rural farm school shall be 
specialists in their fields of endeavor. They shall act as teachers, guidance counselors, 
rural developers, livelihood project proponents, marketing specialists and/or project 
consultants. They shall establish a working partnership with the parents by conducting 
parent-tutor dialogues and parent workshops. 
SEC. 10. 
Salary of Rural Farm School Personnel. -
Public rural farm 
school personnel shall receive a monthly basic salary based on the compensation 
prescribed under the Salary Standardization Law, as amended, in addition to other 
benefits prescribed by law. 
In the case of private rural farm school personnel, they shall receive the salary 
and other benefits prescribed under the Labor Code of the Philippines. 


SEC. 11. 
Skills Training and Extension Support. - The OepEO, the DAR, 
the OA, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESOA) and the 
Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) shall provide continuous technical skills training and 
provision of extension materials including, but not limited to, books, student workbooks, 
teaching session guides and other materials or equipment on the subjects offered, and 
other extension services to the tutors of rural farm schools. 
SEC. 12. 
Accreditation of Rural Farm Schools. - The OepEO shall set the 
requirements for accreditation of rural farm schools and accredit those that shall meet 
the prescribed requirements. Rural farm schools may not operate unless accredited by 
the OepED. 
The DepED may withdraw or downgrade the accreditation of a rural farm school 
if it fails to maintain the standards set for its accreditation. 
All accredited private rural farm schools, their mentors or facilitators and students 
shall be eligible for subsidies under Republic Act NO. 6728, as amended by Republic 
Act No. 8545, or the "Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in 
Private Education Act". 
SEC. 13. 
School Monitoring and Evaluation. - The OepEO shall conduct 
regular monitoring and evaluation to determine continuing compliance with the 
requirements on accreditation status of the rural farm schools and to determine whether 
or not the rural farm schools adhere to the standards of quality assurance prescribed by 
the OepED. 
SEC. 14. 
Tax Exemption. -
Any donation, contribution, bequest or grant 
which may be made to a rural farm school duly accredited under Section 12 of this Act 
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 donor in 
accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997, 
as amended: Provided, That the rural farm school has likewise been accredited by the 
Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC). 


SEC. 15. 
Appropriations. -
The Secretary of Education shall immediately 
include in the Department's program the operationalization of the public rural farm 
schools, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations 
Act. 
SEC. 16. 
Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days 
after the effectivity of this Act, the DepED, in. consultation with the DA, the DAR, the 
TESDA and the ATI, shall formulate the rules and regulations needed for the effective 
implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 17. 
Separability Clause. 
-
If any provision or part hereof is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
SEC. 18. 
Repealing Clause. -
All laws or parts thereof, decrees, orders, 
rules and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
SEC. 19. 
Effectivity Clause. -
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the Official Gazette. 
Approved.