Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3935

HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ALFRED VARGAS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Despite the country’s highly touted rapid economic growth, unemployment
remains a persistent problem. Based on a 2016 survey by the Philippine
Statistics Authority, unemployment had already reached almost 3 million
unemployed persons in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, progress has been uneven, with the poverty gap between the
urban and rural areas. The lack of significant economic growth in rural areas has
resulted in shortage of employment opportunities for residents in the said areas,
which contributes to the poverty incidence. This also explains the stubborn
rural-to-urban migration experience.

This bill aims to provide temporary employment for qualified members of poor
households in rural areas. Projects and activities to be identified and undertaken
under the proposed Rural Employment Assistance Program may include the
following:

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;

cc. Development or rehabilitation of Physical assets to open up access to
natural assets where the former is necessary to bring 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.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate enactment of this measure is earnestly

sought.
ALFRED VARGAS


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

35
HOUSE BILL NO. H

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ALFRED VARGAS

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

Be it enacted by the State and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Rural Employment
Assistance Ac

SECTION 2, Declaration of Policy. It is 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 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).

SECTION 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.

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 NHTS-PR.

SECTION 4. Assessment to Determine Qualification for Ailment 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.

SECTION 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. The
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).

SECTION 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 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:

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;

¢. Development or rehabilitation of Physical assets to open up access to
natural assets where the former is necessary to bring 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 plating, rehabilitation and tree planting.



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

SECTION 8. Effectivity. This Act shall take after fifteen (15) days following the
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or two (2) newspapers of

general circulation.

Approved,