NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 2117
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RECEIVED B".
Introduced by Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" T. Go
AN ACT
GRANTING FULL AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE COVERAGE TO ALL 
QUALIFIED AGRARIAN REFORM BENEFICIARIES OF THE 
COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM. AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6657( AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 
9700. OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN 
REFORM LAW OF 1988M
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Republic Act No. 9700 strengthened the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform 
Program (CARP) by extending the acquisition and distribution of all agricultural 
lands, Instituting necessary reforms. Filipino farmers who feed the nation, 
inevitably face adverse effects of circumstances that are beyond their control such 
as natural calamities, the infestation of plant diseases and pests, or even death and 
injury while farming, which also leads to loss of money and resources. While crop 
insurance is available through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, farmers 
often cannot afford the insurance premium required to be paid under the program.
The purpose of this bill is to provide assistance to agrarian reform 
beneficiaries (ARB) in the event of natural calamities to make their losses more 
bearable, to help them recover from adverse effects, and to mitigate the effects of 
natural calamities by providing full crop insurance coverage to qualified agrarian 
reform beneficiaries. By providing full crop insurance coverage, we are 
unburdening agrarian reform beneficiaries from insurance premium payment.


aiding them in times of calamities and allowing them to immediately recover, 
thereby protecting food security in the country.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE "BONG" T. GO


of ti)c
NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 2117
23 ni\Y -3 All ••44
w-ctivi'onv
Introduced by Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" T. Go
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AN ACT
GRANTING FULL AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE COVERAGE TO ALL 
QUALIFIED AGRARIAN REFORM BENEFICIARIES OF THE 
COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM. AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6657. AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 
9700. OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN 
REFORM LAW OF 1988"
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Section 37 of Republic Act No. 6657, as amended, is 
hereby further amended to read as follows:
"SEC. 37. Support Services for the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries. - The 
State shall adopt the integrated policy of support services delivery to 
agrarian reform beneficiaries. To this end, the DAR, the Department of 
Finance, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shall institute reforms to 
liberalize access to credit by agrarian reform beneficiaries. The PARC shall 
ensure that support services for agrarian reform beneficiaries are 
provided, such as:
"(a) X X X :
"(e) X X x; fand}


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"(f) XXX
"The Bagong Kilusang Kabuhayan sa Kaunlaran (BKKK) Secretariat shall be 
transferred and attached to the LBP, for its supervision including all its 
applicable and existing funds, personnel, properties, equipment and 
records. [.]; AND
"(G) FULL AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR 
COMPENSABLE LOSSES TO ALL QUALIFIED AGRARIAN REFORM 
BENEFICIARIES, WHO ARE ACTUALLY TILLING THE LAND.
THE DAR SHALL PROVIDE THE PROCEDURES FOR SUCH 
REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATION OF ACTUAL BENEFICIARIES 
AND FARMING INVESTMENTS AND PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN BY 
SUCH. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION. "QUALIFIED AGRARIAN 
REFORM BENEFICIARIES" SHALL BE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 3 (b) 
OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10000. OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "AGRI- 
AGRA REFORM CREDIT ACT OF 2009".
COMPENSABLE LOSSES INCLUDE THOSE RESULTING FROM:
i. 
NATURAL CALAMITIES SUCH AS TYPHOON. FLOOD. 
DROUGHT. EARTHQUAKE. VOLCANIC ERUPTION. FROST. 
AND OTHER DESTRUCTIVE NATURAL PHENOMENA SUCH 
AS HEAT AND HOT WIND;
ii. PLANT DISEASES CAUSED BY PATHOGENS. BACTERIA. 
FUNGI. VIRUSES. VIRUS-LIKE PATHOGENS. AND OTHER 
SIMILAR FOREIGN BODIES
m. PEST INFESTATIONS CAUSED BY NEMATODES. INSECTS. 
MITES AND SPIDERS. MILLIPEDES AND CENTIPEDES.


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SYMPHYLANS, SLUGS AND SNAILS. SOW BUGS AND 
PILLBUGS. PARASITIC HIGHER PLANTS. AND OTHER 
PARASITES; AND
iv. LOSS OF LIFE OR INJURY TO THE QUALIFIED AGRARIAN 
REFORM BENEFICIARY DUE TO ACCIDENT OR ANY OF THE 
AFOREMENTIONED CAUSES.
"THE FOLLOWING CROPS AND OTHER FARMING AND FISHERY 
PRODUCE ARE COVERED:
i. 
PALAY. CORN. SUGARCANE. HIGH-VALUE CROPS AS 
DEFINED IN SECTION 4(b) of REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7900. 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 'HIGH-VALUE CROPS 
DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1995*. COCONUT. TOBACCO;
ii. CROPS OR STOCKS IN FISHERIES FARMS;
iii. LIVESTOCK; AND
iv. NON-CROP AGRICULTURAL ASSETS USED IN ACTUAL 
FARMING AND REPORTED TO AND CERTIFIED BY THE DAR.
"Misuse or diversion of the financial and support services herein provided 
shall result In sanctions against the beneficiary guilty thereof, Including the 
forfeiture of the land transferred to him/her or lesser sanctions as may be 
provided by the PARC, without prejudice to criminal prosecution.
"THE SECRETARY OF THE DA AND THE SECRETARY OF THE DAR 
SHALL IMMEDIATELY INCLUDE IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS' 
PROGRAMS THE OPERATIONALIZATION OF THIS INSURANCE 
COVERAGE. THE INITIAL FUNDING FOR WHICH SHALL BE


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CHARGED AGAINST THE CURRENT APPROPRIATIONS OF THE 
PHILIPPINE CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION (PCIC) FOR THE 
REGISTERED BENEFICIARIES UNDER THE RSBSA. THEREAFTER. 
PROJECTIONS OF THE ANNUAL PREMIUM REQUIREMENT SHALL BE 
SUBMITTED BY THE PCIC AND THE DAR TO THE PRESIDENT WHO 
SHALL INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT 
THE NECESSARY BUDGET FOR THE INSURANCE COVERAGE 
MANDATED IN THIS ACT: PROVIDED. THAT IN CASE OF 
INSUFFICIENCY OF THE INITIAL FUND TO COVER ALL QUALIFIED 
ARBS AND LEASEHOLDERS. COVERAGE SHALL BE PRIORITIZED IN 
THE FOLLOWING MANNER: FIFTY PERCENT (50%) TO THOSE 
NEWLY INSTALLED AND QUALIFIED ARBS WITH ISSUED 
CERTIFICATE OF LANDOWNERSHIP AWARDS (CLOAs) OR 
LEASEHOLD INSTRUMENTS. IN DESCENDING CHRONOLOGICAL 
ORDER; AND THE REMAINING FIFTY PERCENT (50%) TO THOSE 
EARLIEST INSTALLED AND QUALIFIED ARBS WITH ISSUED 
EMANCIPATION PATENTS OR CLOAS OR LEASEHOLD 
INSTRUMENTS. IN ASCENDING CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER 
PROVIDED FURTHER, THAT ADDITIONAL QUALIFIED ARBS AND 
LEASE HOLDERS SHALL BE COVERED YEARLY BASED ON ANNUAL 
PROJECTIONS AND IN THE SAME MANNER AS PROVIDED. UNTIL 
SUCH TIME THAT ALL QUALIFIED ARBS AND LEASEHOLDERS ARE 
COVERED UNDER THIS ACT.
"FURTHER. A CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE FOR THE 
FULL INSURANCE COVERAGE OF AGRARIAN REFORM 
BENEFICIARIES (COCFICARB) IS HEREBY CREATED. IT SHALL BE 
COMPOSED OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
AGRARIAN REFORM OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND 
THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. FOOD 
AND AGRARIAN REFORM OF THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES. 
THREE (3) MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AND


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THREE (3) MEMBERS OF THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES. TO BE 
DESIGNATED RESPECTIVELY BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE 
PHILIPPINES."
SEC. 2. Within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of this Act, the 
DAR, shall, in coordination with the Land Bank of the Philippines submit to the
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Department of Agriculture (DA), the complete list of qualified ARBs and
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leaseholders to be included in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture
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(RSBSA), their respective locations, and size of land holdings.
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SEC. 3. Within thirty (30) days from the approval of this Act, the DAR, shall, in
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coordination with the DA, PCIC, and Department of Budget and Management,
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issue the rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
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SEC. 4. All laws, acts, decrees, executive orders, issuances, and rules and
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regulations or parts thereof which are contrary to and inconsistent with this Act are
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hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
21 the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,