Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______  
______________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher V.P. de Venecia 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE YOUNG FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK 
CHALLENGE PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE YOUNG FARMERS 
AND FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE COUNCIL, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It is alarming that the average age of a Filipino farmer is 57-59 years old. If this trend 
continues, it is just a matter of time before our country faces a critical shortage of farmers. Our 
farmers are getting old and their children are not keen on taking over farming because of their lack 
of interest, insufficient incentive, or both. 
 
According to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (2015), Young farmers aged 39 and 
below account for only 12.3% of farmers in major commodity sector. Despite being a 
predominantly agricultural country, there are only about 12 million farmers out of 100 million 
Filipinos. Even with the increasing population, the available labor in the farm has been diminishing 
with an average 1.5% per year (Bureau of Agricultural Statistic, 2015). 
 
The recent years saw a massive loss of farm workers. The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics 
stated that the number of farmers went down to 11.84 million in 2015 from 12.47 million in 2016, 
losing more than half a million farmers in just a span of a year. One possible factor is the waning 
interests of young individuals in entering agricultural-related courses. In the University of the 
Philippines-Los Banos (UPLB), enrollment in agricultural-related courses declined from 51% in 
1980 to only 4.7% in 2014.  
 
Enrollment of agricultural-related courses offered primarily in state universities and 
colleges have steadily declined due to perceived low employment opportunities. This decline leads 
to the shortage of capable agricultural professionals that may endanger the country’s food supply.  
 
Another possible reason for the decline of young farmers is the fact that they are among 
the poorest sector in the country. In 2014, the country’s poverty incidence was at 26.5%, most of 
which are coming from the farmers and fisherfolks comprising 41.4% and 36.7% respectively. 
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Moreover, the agricultural sector receives the lowest average daily basic wage compared 
to non-agriculture industries. In figures, the average daily wage of a farmer is approximately Php 
240.00 versus the national average of Php400.00. It is on this note that most people tend to perceive 
farmers as poor, uneducated and stagnant. 
 
To address this crisis, there is need for an enabling policy framework that will provide a 
sense of pride for young Filipino farmers so that they will opt to stay in the farms, make a decent 
living from agriculture and secure the food sufficiency of the country. 
 
This bill aims to promote the social and economic well-being of young farmers; develop 
their skills and capabilities; and eliminate discrimination against them by recognizing, protecting, 
fulfilling, and promoting their rights. 
It defines and guarantees the human rights, empowerment of young farmers including their 
political, civil and social rights (right to food security, and productive resources, decent work, 
livelihood, credit, capital, and technology, education and training, participation and representation, 
information, social protection, recognition and preservation of cultural identity) and outlines the 
duties of the State to provide sufficient public funds and incentives, and strengthen young farmers’ 
organizations through government research and extension work, trainings and related capacity 
building measures. 
Thus, for the reasons above, support for this Bill is earnestly sought. 
REP. CHRISTOPHER V.P. DE VENECIA 
Fourth District, Pangasinan 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______  
______________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher V.P. de Venecia 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE YOUNG FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK 
CHALLENGE PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE YOUNG FARMERS 
AND FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE COUNCIL, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the ‘Young Farmers and Fisherfolk 
Challenge Act’. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to ensure that the 
rights of young farmers and fisherfolk are recognized, protected and promoted. Pursuant to this, 
the State shall engage the role of the youth in nation building and rural development, providing for 
this purpose access to knowledge, information and education, access to land, new sources of 
financial services and capital, green jobs, access to new and niche markets, and participation in 
policy dialogue. 
SEC. 3. Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program. There is hereby established a 
Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program, hereinafter referred to as the Program, that 
shall support and empower the young farmers and fisherfolk to be active partners in food security 
and agricultural development and modernization. The Program shall encourage the youth to pursue 
a career or engage in activities related to agriculture, ensure young farmers and fisherfolk 
participation in policy formulation and program implementation relative to the agriculture sector, 
and provide institutional support for agri-business and agri-entrepreneurship initiatives of the 
youth to fully realize their roles as agents and partners for development. 
SEC. 4. Beneficiaries of the Program. Young farmers and fisherfolk are those between fifteen 
(15) to forty (40) years of age, are engaged in farming and fisheries activities, and are included in
the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). The Department of Agriculture
shall 
update 
its 
existing 
database 
to 
reflect 
these 
indicators.
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SEC. 5. Creation of a Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council. There is hereby 
created the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council, hereinafter referred to as the 
Council to properly oversee the implementation of the Program. 
 
The 
Council 
shall 
be 
composed 
of: 
 
a. 
The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture or his duly authorized representative 
who is at least an undersecretary, who shall be the Chair; 
b. 
A representative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who shall likewise 
be an Undersecretary; 
c. 
A representative of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST); 
d. 
A representative of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); 
e. 
A representative of the Department of Education (DepEd) who shall likewise be an 
Undersecretary; 
f. 
A representative of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR); 
g. 
A representative of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA); and 
h. 
A representative of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); 
i. 
A representative of a national organization of young farmers’ cooperatives or 
associations, provided that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years 
of age; 
j. 
A representative of a national organization of fisher folks’ cooperatives or 
associations, provided that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years 
of age; 
k. 
A representative of a farmers’ women organization or cooperative, provided that the 
representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age; 
l. 
A representative of a national organization for agritourism;   
m. 
A representative of a national organization for food, restaurant, and business sectors. 
 
The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries shall serve as its Secretariat 
 
SEC. 6. Powers and Functions of the Council. The Council shall have the following powers 
and functions: 
 
a. Formulate the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program, in consultation with 
research institutions such as the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study 
and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic 
and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), University of the 
Philippines - Los Baños (UPLB) and other relevant state universities and colleges 
(SUCs); 
 
b. Identify and streamline access to relevant capacity-building and livelihood programs 
across the different departments and agencies of government, including on-the-job 
trainings, job fairs, employment in farm tourism and agro-industrial zones, and other 
employment-bridging initiatives;  
 


c. Identify and streamline access to possible sources of credit across the different 
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, including access to start-up capital;  
 
d. Monitor initiatives in emerging best practices and products in agriculture such as but 
not limited to smart farming, farm tourism in compliance with RA 10816 or the “Farm 
Tourism Development Act of 2016,” agroponics, aquaponics, hydroponics, and 
organic and boutique vegetables; 
 
e. Improve and facilitate access to marketing services such as but not limited to 
packaging, promotions including branding and advertising, networking events, and 
provide subsidy for participation in trade fairs and exhibits and provide linkage with 
media; 
 
f. Coordinate with LGUs in providing subsidized rental rates for public retail areas and 
public markets to farmers and fisherfolk; 
 
g. Serve as a conduit between stakeholders and national and international leaders 
including Congress as well as the private sector in formulating policies directly 
addressing the concerns of young farmers and fisherfolk;  
 
h. Propose subjects related to agriculture and agribusiness such as but not limited to 
gardening, backyard farming, urban farming, reforestation, agricultural appreciation, 
agricultural entrepreneurship, smart farming, farm tourism, and coastal management 
in all pertinent levels of the DepEd’s K-12 system with the end goal of increasing 
enrollment in the technical-vocational track in Senior High School in courses related 
to agriculture, CHED, including the National Service Training Program (NSTP)  and 
TESDA; 
 
i. Ensure scholarships and subsidized tuition fees for young farmers and fisherfolk in 
SUCs; 
 
j. Provide on-the-job training programs for young farmers and fisherfolk in areas such 
as but not limited to “green jobs”, reforestation, coastal management, fisheries, and 
other rural-based jobs, through DOLE’s Special Program for Employment of Students 
(SPES) and other livelihood and training programs; 
 
k. Explore and facilitate the extension of short-term leases for public land to young 
farmers and fisherfolk, providing free or subsidized land for cultivation and for 
aquaculture, and developing such other packages such as but not limited to lease-to-
buy schemes that would allow young farmers and fisherfolk to use available or 
unutilized agricultural land/fishing ground for the purposes of said Program.  
 
l. Expedite the lease, distribution, and award of agrarian reform land to qualified 
beneficiaries; 
 


m. Facilitate the use of excess land holdings of SUCs and PEIs for agricultural training 
and developmental processes.  
 
n. Foster the formation of new ideas and technologies by assisting agricultural enterprises 
of qualified young farmers and fisherfolk entrepreneurs, pursuant to Republic Act No. 
11337 
otherwise 
known 
as 
the 
“Innovative 
Start-up 
Act 
of 
2018”; 
 
o. Initiate social partnerships and rural development initiatives in partnership with the 
private sector; 
 
p. Optimize existing loan guarantee funds administered by various government entities 
to increase the credit worthiness of young farmers and fisherfolk experiencing 
difficulty in obtaining loans from banks due to lack of acceptable collaterals, credit 
knowledge and credit track record; and 
 
q. Accept donations, contributions, grants, bequests or gifts, in cash or in kind, from 
various sources, domestic or foreign, for purposes relevant to the functions of the 
Council. Said donations shall be deemed automatically appropriated for purposes of 
specified by the donor or in the absence thereof, for the programs and projects as may 
be approved by the Council subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and 
regulations: Provided, that, cash donations shall not be used to fund the personal 
services requirements of the Council.  
 
SEC. 6-A. Tax Exemption on Donations. All grants, bequests, endowments, donations and 
contributions made to and used actually, directly and exclusively by the Council shall be exempt 
from donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction from gross income for 
purposes of computing the taxable income of the donor, in accordance with the provisions of the 
National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended. 
 
SEC. 7. Waiver of Government Fees and Charges. Subject to the exceptions provided in 
Section 8 of Republic Act No. 11261, otherwise known as the “First-Time Jobseekers Assistance 
Act”, all government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled 
corporations (GOCCs), LGUs, and government hospitals, shall not collect fees or charges from 
any young farmer and fisherfolk: Provided, That such fee or charge is in connection with the 
application for and the granting of licenses, proofs of identification, clearances, certificates or other 
documents usually required in the course of employment locally or abroad: Provided further, That 
the benefit provided shall only be availed of once. 
 
SEC. 8. Annual Report. The Council shall submit to the President and to both Houses of 
Congress, not later than the 30th of March of every year following the effectivity of this Act, a 
report giving a detailed account of the effectivity and implementation of this act, and recommended 
legislation where applicable and necessary. 
 
SEC. 9 Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of 
this Act, the DA and DAR, in coordination with the DOST, DOLE, DENR, DepEd, CHED, LBP, 
and NYC, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act. 


 
SEC. 10. Appropriations. The funds necessary to carry out the initial implementation of this 
Act shall be charged against the current year’s budget of the Department of Agriculture. Thereafter, 
such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in 
the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 11. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or 
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected by such declaration shall remain in full force 
and effect. 
 
SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, administrative orders, and rules and 
regulations inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
 
SEC. 13. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,