EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
^ i t r  o( tijr Sircrctary
20 
TEB 12 P4 ‘18
SENATE 
RECr:.
Senate Bill No. 1342
(In  substitution of Senate Bill Nos. 147, 257, 280, 587, and 1264)
Prepared by the Committees on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform; Basic 
Education, Arts and Culture; Finance; and Ways and Means with Senators 
Cynthia A. Villar, Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay, Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, 
Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid, Grace L. Poe, and Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. as authors
thereof
AN ACT
ADDRESSING FOOD SECURITY CONCERNS THROUGH INTEGRATING 
INSTRUCTIONAL GARDENS IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL 
CURRICULA AND PROMOTING THE USE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the "Instructional
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Gardens and Urban Agriculture Act of 2020."
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SEC. 2. Declaration o f Policy. -  It shall be the policy of the State to
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promote food security, food quality, improved health, fight hunger and
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malnutrition, poverty alleviation, improved quality of environment through
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greening, reduction in pollution, and creation of savings in household
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expenditures. Towards this end, key reforms for the development of
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appropriate, cost-effective, and environmentally safe agricultural practices are


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hereby encouraged in order to ensure the food security of the country.
SEC. 3. Definition o f Terms.- For purposes of this Act, the following
terms shall be defined as follows;
a) Instructional Gardens refer to a program of instruction in all elementary 
and secondary schools, where knowledge and skills, not only in urban 
agriculture and vertical farming, but in agricultural food production in 
general, are imparted to school children through relevant theories and 
actual engagement in agricultural cultivation/production. The theories 
and actual production shall revolve around the concepts of composting, 
waste management techniques, healthy and nutritious farm produce, 
sustainable farm practices, among others.
b) Urban Agriculture refers to the practice of cultivating, processing and 
distributing of food in or around a village, town or city. Urban agriculture 
also involves animal 
husbandry, aquaculture, agro-forestry and 
horticulture.
c) Vertical Farming refers to the method of farming that is brought to the 
urban space by employing the concepts of indoor agriculture in sky 
scrapers and other modern buildings.
SEC. 4. Promotion o f and Comprehensive Research on Urban 
Agriculture and Vertical Farming. 
-  For purposes of this Act, the 
respective Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the 
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) are hereby mandated to 
promote the use of urban agriculture and vertical farming in the 
country's urban areas and in other areas in the country where such 
farming methods are suited, as an intervention mechanism for further 
addressing food security concerns of the country.
Idle and/or abandoned government lots and buildings owned by 
either the national government or local governments or available land


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resources in state universities and colieges shall be considered for 
growing crops, raising livestock, and producing food using the said 
methods.
SEC. 5. Institutionalization o f Instructional Gardens in School 
Curricula.- Instructional Gardens program shall be integrated in the 
academic curricula for elementary and secondary level students of both 
public and private academic institutions, particularly in subjects in 
Agriculture, Practical Arts, Home Economics, and/or other related 
subjects.
The Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with the 
Department of Agriculture, shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
regulations for the implementation of this Section within six (6) months 
from the effectivity of this Act.
SEC. 6. 
Local Government Units' Participation. 
-  Local 
government units shall formulate a policy on the practice of urban 
agriculture and vertical farming, utilizing unused spaces and idle lands. 
This shall require the enactment of local legislation institutionalizing 
urban agriculture in all levels of the LGU. Local government units shall 
also grant necessary incentives to their constituents who actively 
participate in urban farming activities.
SEC. 7. Tax Incentives. -  All allocations of grants, endowments, 
donations, or contributions and technical assistance provided by private 
individuals or corporations to schools for the promotion and 
implementation of Institutional Gardens in the school curricula, as 
certified by the Department of Education (DepEd), shall be exempt from 
taxes and duties.
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). 
-  Within six 
(6) months from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Agriculture


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and the Department of Science and Technology shall promulgate the 
necessary IRR to implement the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 9. Appropriations. -  The amount necessary to carry out the 
provisions of this Act shall be included and incorporated in the annual 
general appropriations of the Department of Agriculture, Department of 
Science and Technology, and the Department of Education.
SEC. 10. Separabiiity Clause.- If any provision of this Act is 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected 
thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, 
executive orders, presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or 
parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 12. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
following its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation or in the Official Gazette.
Approved,