| HUUNi OF REPRESENTATIVES
RECEIVED
| pare 19 AUG 2016

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Quezon City REGISTRATION UNIT
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS} yf ap Roo SeeunOe
First Regular Session (| -
HOUSE BILL NO22OS

AN ACT REQUIRING THE MANDATORY INCLUSION OF BASIC
FARMING AND AGRICULTURAL AWARENESS IN THE CURRICULA OF
ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT
THE PHILIPPINES.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines has a total land area of about 30 million hectares and
approximately 9.67 million hectares of which are classified as agricultural. The
agricultural land area represents 32.22% of the total land area of the country.!

Considering the agricultural predominance of our country, it is imperative
that the Filipino people further enrich and strengthen this vast natural resource
through inculcating its importance to the youth coupled with the basic and
practical knowledge of farming and agricultural awareness in the school
curricula.

The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall
promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-
being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage
their involvement in public and civic affairs.

* Data from Philippine Statistics Authority


The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts,
culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social
progress, and promote total human liberation and development.

The State shall promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian
reform.

In line with the foregoing declared State policies, a step towards the
objectives mentioned above is by requiring the mandatory inclusion of basic
farming and agricultural awareness to our youth in the curricula of all public and
private elementary schools throughout the Philippines.

The Department of Education (Deped) has already implemented a similar
undertaking through programs such as the “Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP)”
through Memorandum No. 191 series of 2013. Also, the current K-12 program
has provided for a Technology and Livelihood Education which includes Agri-
Fishery Arts.

To reinforce and fortify these existing programs, this Bill is being proposed
to give life and institutionalize the mandatory inclusion of said programs in the
curricula of the Filipino youth in all elementary schools.

Hence, the approval of this Bill is earnestly sought.

Tea

HON. VINI NOL A. ORTEGA
Representative
ABONO Party-list


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL No.280S

AN ACT REQUIRING THE MANDATORY INCLUSION OF BASIC
FARMING AND AGRICULTURAL AWARENESS IN THE CURRICULA OF
ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT
THE PHILIPPINES.

Section1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Basic Farming and
Agricultural Awareness for the Youth Act of 2016”.

Section 2, Declaration of Policy.

The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall
promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-
being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage
their involvement in public and civic affairs.

The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture,
and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and
promote total human liberation and development.

The State shall promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform.


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Towards this end, basic farming and agricultural awareness must be imparted to
the Filipino youth in all public and private elementary schools through
mandatory inclusion of these subjects in their respective school curricula. The
State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and
sustainable system of education or learning to attain said objective.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of this Bill, the following terms
shall be defined as follows:

(a) Basic Farming refers to the fundamentals of the practice of cultivating,
land for crops, plants, fruits, fruit trees, vegetation, fungi, and other life
forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life, as well as
cultivation of animals and raising stock.

(b) Agricultural Awareness refers to basic information or knowledge of the
fundamental principles of agriculture, its scientific, social, economic,
and industrial implications in the community and the country as a
whole.

Section 4, Mandatory inclusion of Basic Farming and Agricultural
Awareness in school curricula. ~ Basic Farming and Agricultural Awareness
shall now be mandatorily included as required subjects in the academic curricula
of all public and private elementary schools throughout the Philippines.

The Department of Education (DepEd) shall ensure that a_ scientifically
supported program be integrated to existing school curricula in order to cover
the areas of Basic Farming and Agricultural Awareness. The DepEd shall
institutionalize high standards of learning and teaching methods to ensure
credibility and academic integrity of said subjects.

Within one (1) year from the issuance of the Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR) of this Act, Basic Farming and Agricultural Awareness shall be
included in the curricula of all public and private elementary schools throughout
the Philippines.


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Section 5. Implementing Agency. - The Department of Education (DepEd)
through the Bureau of Curriculum Development, shall develop and maintain
new programs to be integrated with existing similar programs or subjects,
creating and including Basic Farming and Agriculture Awareness in the school
curricula of all public and private elementary schools.

Section 6. Skills Training and Development. — The Department of Education
(DepEd), Department of Agriculture (DA), Technical Education Skills
Development Authority (TESDA), and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI),
and other related agencies shall continuously provide scientific and technical
training and provisions for materials and equipment necessary for faculty
members for teaching and dissemination of Basic Farming and Agricultural
Awareness to the students.

Section 7. Appropriations. - The Secretary of the Department of Education
(DepEd) shall immediately include in the Department's program the
development and maintenance of Basic Farming and Agricultural Awareness,
the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations
Act.

Section 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. ~ Within ninety (90) days after
the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education (DepEd), in consultation
with and support of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Technical Education
Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Agricultural Training Institute
(ATI), and other related agencies, shall formulate the rules and regulations
necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

Section 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision thereof shall
remain valid and effective.

Section 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general

circulation.

Approved