Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1275

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The average Filipino farmer is 57 years old with an educational
attainment of Grade 4. He makes roughly P23,000 ($529) a year, less than 1/3
of what his Thai counterparts earn. The poverty incidence of workers in the
agriculture sector is the highest in the country at 38.3% in 2012', and has never
gone below 20% since 1970°. These figures clearly show that the people who
supply the food that we eat everyday are poor, hungry and aging. Given our
ever-ballooning population, serious food inadequacy in the future is a looming
threat that must be urgently addressed

This bill envisions a Philippines with 100% food sufficiency and reduced
overall poverty incidence. The first step to which entails a massive upgrade of
the agriculture sector which accounts to 32% of the total employment in the
country, but contributes a dismal 11% to our gross domestic product (GDP) as
per the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)’. This representation believes that
our land and waters are rich and bountiful, capable of producing enough
harvest, catch and other goods not only for Filipinos but for global consumption.
We have only to involve this country's best resource — its youth

Half a million fresh graduates endeavor to join the workforce every year.
Unfortunately, work in agriculture is one that is primarily inherited, not pursued
in school. In fact, enrollment in agriculture and related courses continues to go
down despite the increasing demand for food and other farm products in the
country®. This bill recognizes the need to supply the agriculture sector with
educated and techsavvy young blood that could meet the needs of the
agriculture sector in terms of innovation, policy formulation, and even agri-
business integration.

https://psa.gov.ph/content/fishermen-farmers-and-children-remain-poorest-basic-sectors-0
http://www. gmanetworkcom /news/money/content/306370/agriculture-the-decline-of the-poor-
mans-sector/story/

* https://www.rappler.com/move-pMssues/hunger/52372-agriculture-hunger-food-security

* https://businessmirror.com.ph/enrollment-in-agriculture-courses-continues-to-decline/


The bill seeks to establish a Tulong Kabataan sa Agriku/tura scholarship
program in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and related areas which is a ladderized
program in Diploma in Agricultural Technology (DAT), Bachelor in Agricultural
Technology (BAT) and Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (BSAgrib), The
program will be offered to senior high school students in the agricultural and
fisheries tracks, and similarly situated students of agriculture and fisheries in
tertiary education who intend to enroll or continue with their education.
Beneficiaries shall be granted financial assistance covering tuition and other
school fees, monthly living and transportation costs, as well as expenses on
books and other school supplies. Through this bill, this representation believes
that more of our Filipino youth will be encouraged to pursue studies in
agriculture.

A Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura Trust Fund shall be created for the
implementation and continuance of this bill. The Fund shall be sourced from the
General Appropriations Act (GAA), a percentage of the total gross collections
from the Professional Registration Fee of the Professional Regulatory
Commission (PRC), and other sources.

The agriculture industry has steadily declined over the past decades and

many reasons have been cited, namely: the lack of government support and
investments, absence of true land reform, and even the string of natural
disasters that annually devastate some parts of the country. Meanwhile, our
population has only increased, and our food inadequacy worsened. From 2010-
2012, the Philippines had the 5th highest food inadequacy at 54%, behind
Cambodia (27.17)
Myanmar (29.5%), Laos (38.3%), and Timor Leste (46.1%), according to the
FAO*. The lamentable fact is that we are not producing enough food to feed our
current population. Experts wam of a looming national food crisis® should current
trends continue.

We cannot overemphasize the need to finally prioritize the agriculture
sector and to legislate a Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura scholarship program to
involve our youth in our pursuit of food adequacy and sustainable and inclusive
economic growth. In consideration of the foregoing premises, the passage of
this bill is urgently ought.

” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

“https://www.rappler.com/move-pMssues/hunger/52372-agriculture-hunger-food-security
“Ibid


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO. 1275

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

SS

AN ACT
ENCOURAGING YOUTH SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN THE
AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR, ESTABLISHING; FOR THE PURPOSE A 'TULONG
KABATAAN SA AGRIKULTURA PROGRAM' AND A 'TULONG
KABATAAN SA AGRIKULTURA TRUST FUND’, APPROPRIATING;
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress Assembled

ARTICLE | GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 1. Titlek— This Act shall be known as the "Tulong Kabataan sa
Agrikultura Act of 2017".

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy — The State shall give priority to education, science
and technology to accelerate social progress and promote development.
Towards this end, the government shall provide opportunities for all to obtain
quality education and for this purpose, scholarships in Agriculture, Agri-
Entrepreneurship, Forestry and Fisheries are hereby strengthened. It is also the
policy of the State to develop graduates who will become competent
agribusiness managers and entrepreneurs.

SEC. 3. Objectives. — The objectives of this Act are to:
a) Increase youth participation in the agricultural sector;

b) Provide opportunities to poor but deserving students to realize their
potentials in agribusiness and entrepreneurships;


c) Develop competency skills and knowledge of students in agricultural
technologies and agribusiness;

d) Increase food production;

e) Commercialize proven viable technologies to increase food production
and income of rural communities through the development of livelihoods
and markets;

f) Provide income to students while doing experiential teaming and on-the-
job training which from part of their degree programs;

8) Link young farmer-students with credit, financing, and marketing institutions;
and

h) Contribute to the alleviation of poverty.
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. — For the purposes of this Act:

a) "Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura Program" or "The Program" refers to the
scholarship program established by this Act which targets poor but
deserving graduates of agricultural and fisheries tracks in senior high

schools and similarly situated students taking up agriculture and related
courses in tertiary education;

b) "Tulong Kabataan as Agrikultura Trust Fund" or "The Fund" refers to the
trust fund created under this Act to ensure the achievement of this Act's
incentives;

c) "Agribusiness Venture Laboratory" refers to agricultural subjects and
classes designed as business ventures in agriculture, fisheries, forestry,
and agri- entrepreneurship including but not limited to raising of poultry,
goats, corn or rice or crop production and counted as satisfying the
laboratory requirement of a course.

ARTICLE II
THE TULONG KABATAAN SA AGRIKULTURA PROGRAM.

SEC, 5, Establishment of a Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura Program. — A Tulong
Kabataan sa Agrikultura scholarship program in agriculture, fisheries, forestry
and related areas to be administered by the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) is hereby established. The program shall be a laddered program in
Diploma in Agricultural Technology (DAT), Bachelor in Agricultural 1 technology
(BAT) and Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (BSAgrib). The program shall
initially be offered by the University of the Philippines - Los Bafios College of
Agriculture in the first two (2) years of this Ads effectivity. The program shall be


offered in SUCs which provide courses in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and
other allied fields.

SEC. 6. Target Beneficiaries. — The Program shall target senior high school
graduates of agricultural and fisheries tracks, and similarly situated students of
agriculture and fisheries in tertiary education, who have a general weighted
average of at least eighty percent (80%) or its equivalent: Provided, that
beneficiaries who complete the agriculture and fisheries tracks of senior high
and who enroll in an

agriculture, forestry, fisheries, or other similar course in tertiary education shall
continue to be covered by the Program.

SEC. 7. Assistance to Grantees. — Beneficiaries of the Program shall be entitled
to financial assistance, which shall include the following:

a) Tuition and other school fees;

b) Outright grant for prescribed textbooks and essential school supplies;

C) Transportation expenses; and
d) Monthly living allowance

SEC. 8. Curriculum Formulation, — There is hereby established a technical
committee which shall design the curriculum of the Program. The Committee
shall be composed of the following:

a) The Chairperson of the CHED, or his permanent representative, as Chairperson
of the Committee;

b) The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), or his permanent
representative, as the Vice Chairperson;

C) The Dean of the University o f the Philippines-Los Bados College of
Agriculture; and

d) One (1) representative each from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao from
other colleges of agriculture, who shall be appointed by the President,
and who shall each serve a term of one (1) year.

At least twenty-five percent (25%) of the entire curriculum of the Program shall
be in the form of on-the-job training or related learning experience. Laboratory
components of various agricultural subjects shall be in the form of agribusiness
ventures.


SEC. 9. Strengthening Agri-Fisheries Tracks in Senior High. — To achieve the
objectives of this Act, the Department of Education (Deped) is hereby directed
to ensure that agri-fisheries tracks are offered in as many senior high school
programs in appropriate areas nationwide.

SEC. 10. Agribusiness Venture Laboratories, — Each agribusiness venture shall
be under the supervision of a faculty who is also a technology expert in the
chosen commodity. The agribusiness venture laboratory to be developed must
have short gestation, around three to twelve (3 to 12) months, should be
science and technology based agribusiness, the end products should be highly
marketable and the facilities needed should be present within the SUC.

SEC. 11. Use of Idle Lands for the Agribusiness Venture Laboratory. —
The

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall make available
untenured public lands under its jurisdiction for the use of students in their

agribusiness ventures under appropriate arrangements with CHED and the
participating SUCs.

ARTICLE III
THE TULONG KABATAAN SA AGRIKULTURA TRUST FUND
SEC. 12. Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura Trust Fund. — To ensure the financial
sustainability of this Act, a Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura Trust Fund is hereby

created. The Fund shall be used exclusively to fund the Program, and shall be
funded from the following sources:

a) The amount of Fifty Million Pesos (Php 50,000,000.00) as seed capital;

b) The equivalent of ten percent (10%) annual share on the total gross
collections of the travel tax;

c) The equivalent of ten percent (10%) annual share on the total gross
collections from the Professional Registration Fee of the Professional
Regulatory Commission;

d) Grants, donations and endowments from domestic and foreign sources,
pursuant to existing laws and regulations;

e) Such amounts as may be indicated under the General Appropriations Act
(GAA) for the purpose of sustaining the Fund; and

f) Allinterest income of the trust fund.


SEC. 13, Administration of the Fund. — The CHED shall administer the fund and
shall make available all records of how the funds are utilized, disbursed, and
invested, in accordance with existing laws.

ARTICLE IV FINAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 14, Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The CHED in coordination with
the DA, and DENR and relevant private sector stakeholders shall prepare the
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of this Act and promulgate it within
ninety (90) days after approval of this Act.

SEC. 15. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the provisions hereof which are not affected shall
continue to have force and effect.

SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, orders, rules or regulations
thereof. inconsistent with this Act arc hereby modified or repealed accordingly.

SEC. 17. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of
general circulation, whichever comes earlier.

Approved,