Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH (20th) CONGRESS 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
House Bill No. ____ 
Introduced by  
Rep. ROBERT NAZAL 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING EXPANDED PHILHEALTH COVERAGE AND CASH ASSISTANCE FOR 
FILIPINO FARMERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS DURING PERIODS OF ILLNESS 
OR RECOVERY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Filipino farmer is central to the nation’s food supply and rural economy yet 
continues to suffer from some of the country’s gravest structural inequities among them 
inadequate health coverage and near-absence of economic fallback during periods of 
illness. Despite their indispensable role, farmers remain among the most vulnerable 
sectors, frequently excluded from formal safety nets and medical subsidy programs. 
Consistent with past PSA surveys, such as the 2021 APIS and earlier FIES data, 
farmers have historically remained among the poorest occupational groups with limited 
capacity to absorb the financial shocks of illness.  Despite the implementation of the 
Universal Health Care Law, PhilHealth utilization remains limited among informal rural 
workers, including farmers, due to persistent barriers such as geographic inaccessibility, 
limited awareness, and out-of-pocket expenses. While PhilHealth offers partial coverage 
for critical illnesses like cancer, stroke, and kidney failure under its Z Benefits program, 
the assistance is often insufficient to cover the full cost of long-term treatment. These 
gaps in effective coverage pose serious consequences for smallholder farmers, where a 
single health crisis can interrupt farm operations and threaten household livelihoods. 
This bill seeks to correct that imbalance by expanding PhilHealth coverage for 
registered farmers and their legal dependents, particularly in the treatment and 
management of chronic and critical illnesses. It also mandates the creation of a 
Farmer’s Recovery Cash Assistance Program (FRCAP) that provides temporary 
financial relief during the recovery period, an intervention modeled after the principle 
that no family should slide into poverty because of sickness. 
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11:27 am
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Under the proposed measure, PhilHealth shall enhance its coverage to include full or 
near-full subsidies for treatment and care of major diseases affecting farmers, with zero 
co-payment for public hospital confinement. Annual health check-ups and preventive 
screenings tailored to agricultural workers’ risks will likewise be instituted. 
In parallel, the Department of Agriculture, DSWD, and DOLE will implement a cash 
assistance program offering up to six months of recovery support to qualified sick 
farmers an amount not lower than the minimum regional wage. This is intended to 
ensure that recovery from illness does not mean permanent livelihood loss or deeper 
debt. 
By institutionalizing a pro-health, pro-farmer framework, this bill affirms the State’s duty 
under Article XIII, Section 11 of the Constitution to "adopt an integrated and 
comprehensive approach to health development" with priority for underprivileged 
sectors. It likewise reinforces the constitutional policy to value labor and promote social 
justice in all phases of national development. 
In view of the urgent need to protect Filipino farmers from the double burden of illness 
and poverty, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought. 
      Rep. ROBERT NAZAL 
Bagong Henerasyon Party-List 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH (20th) CONGRESS 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
House Bill No. ____ 
Introduced by  
Rep. ROBERT NAZAL 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING EXPANDED PHILHEALTH COVERAGE AND CASH ASSISTANCE FOR 
FILIPINO FARMERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS DURING PERIODS OF ILLNESS 
OR RECOVERY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. TITLE. 
This Act shall be known as the “Farmer’s Health and Recovery Assistance Act of 2025.” 
SECTION 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY. 
The State recognizes the indispensable role of Filipino farmers in ensuring national food 
security and economic sustainability. It is therefore the policy of the State to safeguard 
their health, productivity, and resilience by ensuring expanded health insurance 
coverage and targeted financial assistance during periods of illness or incapacity. 
SECTION 3. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES. 
This Act aims to strengthen the welfare and resilience of Filipino farmers by: 
A.
Providing expanded PhilHealth coverage for farmers and their qualified
dependents, specifically targeting chronic and critical illnesses;
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B.​
Ensuring equitable access to preventive healthcare, diagnostics, and outpatient 
support services tailored to the occupational health risks prevalent in the 
agricultural sector; 
C.​
Establishing a temporary cash assistance program for sick, injured, or recovering 
farmers to safeguard their income and support recovery; and 
 
D.​
Institutionalizing transparent, politically neutral mechanisms for the delivery of 
healthcare and financial assistance to ensure fairness and accountability. 
 
 
SECTION. 4. DEFINITION OF TERMS.  
 
For the purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be defined as follows: 
 
A.​
Farmer - refers to any individual directly engaged in the cultivation of crops, 
livestock and poultry production, aquaculture, or other forms of agricultural 
livelihood, who is duly registered with the Department of Agriculture (DA) or the 
Local Government Unit (LGU) Agricultural Office 
 
B.​
Dependents - refer to the farmer’s legal spouse, unmarried minor children, and 
dependent parents, as recognized under applicable PhilHealth guidelines 
 
C.​
Chronic and Critical Illnesses - refer to long-term or life-threatening medical 
conditions, including but not limited to cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic 
kidney disease, cerebrovascular accidents (stroke), severe respiratory illnesses, 
diabetes complications, and other comparable ailments as determined by the 
Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth 
 
 
SECTION 5. EXPANDED PHILHEALTH COVERAGE.  
 
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) shall implement an expanded 
coverage program specifically for registered farmers and their qualified dependents. 
The expanded coverage shall include the following benefits: 
 
A.​
Full or enhanced subsidy for hospitalization, diagnostic procedures, prescribed 
medications, and outpatient care related to chronic and critical illnesses; 
 
B.​
Zero co-payment for confinement in government hospitals pursuant to the No 
Balance Billing Policy; 
 
C.​
Access to annual health check-up packages, preventive screenings, and other 
wellness services designed to address occupational health risks commonly 
encountered in agricultural work. 
 
 


 
 
 
SECTION 6. FARMER’S RECOVERY CASH ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (FRCAP).  
 
There is hereby established a Farmer’s Recovery Cash Assistance Program (FRCAP) 
under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with the 
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Labor 
and Employment (DOLE). The program shall: 
 
A.​
Provide temporary monthly cash assistance equivalent to no less than the 
prevailing regional minimum wage to eligible sick or recovering farmers; 
 
B.​
Be granted for a period of up to six (6) months, subject to verified medical 
certification and treatment or recovery documentation; 
 
C.​
Prioritize certified and registered farmers, as validated by municipal or city 
agriculturists and relevant agencies; 
 
D.​
Enforce strict safeguards to prevent political interference, favoritism, or patronage 
in the selection and approval of beneficiaries. 
 
 
SECTION 7. ELIGIBLE BENEFICIARIES 
 
To qualify for assistance under this Act, individual farmers or farming households must 
meet the following criteria: 
 
A.​
They must be actively engaged in primary agricultural activities, including but not 
limited to rice farming, crop cultivation, livestock or poultry production, aquaculture, 
or related livelihood activities, as their principal source of income; 
 
B.​
They must be formally registered with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the 
Local Government Unit (LGU) Agricultural Office, or any recognized farmer registry 
system maintained by the government, such as the Registry System for Basic 
Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA); 
 
C.​
They must be classified as “poor” or “near-poor” based on the most recent 
standardized targeting system or poverty classification tool adopted by the national 
government. This classification shall be guided by the poverty incidence data, 
income thresholds, and vulnerability indicators published and updated periodically 
by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA); 
 
D.​
Special priority shall be given to the following groups, provided they meet the 
eligibility criteria above: 
 


1.​
Smallholder farmers cultivating two hectares of land or less; 
2.​
Women farmers and heads of farming households; 
3.​
Elderly or persons with disabilities engaged in farming; 
4.​
Farmers from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs); 
5.​
Indigenous farmers and members of recognized ancestral domain 
communities. 
 
E.​
Eligibility shall be validated and endorsed by the municipal or city agriculturist in 
coordination with the barangay council and other relevant local agencies. In cases 
of discrepancy or dispute, appeals may be submitted to the Department of 
Agriculture’s Regional Office for final review. 
 
 
SECTION 8. LEAD AGENCY. 
 
The Department of Agriculture (DA) shall serve as the lead implementing agency for this 
Act, in close coordination with: 
 
A.​
PhilHealth, for healthcare coverage and service delivery; 
B.​
DSWD, for social welfare integration and cash assistance disbursement; 
C.​
DOLE, for labor support and employment protection; and 
D.​
Local Government Units (LGUs), for validation, beneficiary profiling, and 
community-based implementation. 
 
 
SECTION 9. MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND REPORTING.  
 
The Department of Agriculture, in coordination with PhilHealth, DSWD, DOLE, and 
LGUs, shall establish a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system to assess the 
performance, coverage, and impact of the programs under this Act. An annual report on 
implementation progress, beneficiary reach, disbursements, and outcomes shall be 
submitted to Congress not later than March 30 of each year. 
 
 
SECTION 10. APPROPRIATIONS.  
 
The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act shall be charged against 
the current year’s appropriations of the Department of Agriculture, PhilHealth, and 
DSWD. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its continued implementation 
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA). 
 
 
SECTION 11. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE.  
 
If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the provisions not 
affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 


 
 
 
SECTION 12. REPEALING CLAUSE.  
 
All laws, executive orders, proclamations, rules, regulations, and other issuances or 
parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended 
accordingly. 
 
 
SECTION 13. EFFECTIVITY.  
 
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete publication in the 
Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
 
Approved,