Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3640

Introduced by: HON. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill aims to promote agriculture in all urban areas of the country to help address the
burgeoning need to attain food security for our nation in the foreseeable future.

This bill was first filed by former AGRI Partylist Rep. Orestes Salon in the 17 Congress as
House Bill 4337. The said measure was eventually consolidated with three similar bills and
approved on third and final reading by the House as House Bill 9105 as the previous
Congress ended in June 2019.

The achievement of self-sufficiency and sustainability in food production and food security
is paramount for the country as it is the policy of the State to promote the fundamental
right of every person to adequate food and be free from hunger.

Toward this end, the State shall modern, appropriate, cost-effective and environmentally-
safe agricultural technologies to ensure food security, promote a healthy citizenry, and
advance an improved quality of life.

‘The measure defines urban agriculture as the development paradigm that encompasses
principles, management, technologies, and the policies relating to the practice and
application of agricultural production of food in urban areas.

The bill provides that urban agriculture shall apply to all urban spaces such as idle,
government or private lots or buildings, available land resources in state or private
universities and colleges suitable for growing crops and raising poultry and livestock, and
for agriculture.


Itis imperative that a policy platform to achieve food security is enacted by Congress
considering that the Philippines ranked 79th in the 2017 Global Food Security Index
released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

Itis hoped that the country can attain food security - a situation wherein sufficient, safe,
and nutritious food is accessible and affordable at all times - with the passage of this bill.

‘The immediate passage of this bill is hereby earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5640

Introduced by: HON. RUTH MARIANO-HERNANDEZ

AN ACT
PROMOTING THE USE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE IN ALL URBAN AREAS IN THE
PHILIPPINES, ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE THE URBAN AGRICULTURE
PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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 “Integrated Urban Agriculture
Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby dechred the policy of the State to ensure
that every citizen will have unrestricted access to quantitative and qualitative adequate
supply of food. Pursuant to this, the State shall establish and adopt a continuing program
that will promote and protect the right to adequate food of all Filipinos by promoting urban
agriculture. The implementation of modern, environmentally safe and costeffective
agricultural technobgies shall be encouraged in all urban areas in the country.

SECTION 3. Urban Agriculture Program. - There shall be established an Urban Agriculture
Program, hereinafter referred to as the Program, which shall be implemented on ide or
abandoned government bts owned by either national or bcal governments, and on
avaibk land resources in state colleges and universities. The Program aims to boost food
productivity, help address food inadequacy and regenerate ecosystem functions in the
country.

‘The program shall encourage the use of indigenous material for agricultural inputs such as
seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural machinery and other agricultural impements.

{As used in this Act, Urban Agriculture shall mean farming in all its branches including, but

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not limited to, the cultivation and tillage of the soil, the production, cultivation, growing, and
harvesting of any agricultural, aqua cultural, agro-forestry or horticultural products, the
raising of livestock, dairy-producing animak, and poultry, agricultural education, the sale of
produce and any practices performed by a farmer or on a farm as an incident to or in
conjunction with farming operations.

SECTION 4. Coverage. - The Program shall cover idk or abandoned lands in all urban areas
and all availbk land resources in state colleges and universities in the country which are not
ess than 200 square meters but not more than half a hectare in size, Urban areas refer to
cities and municipalities categorized as such by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

SECTION 5. Urban Agriculture Zone. - All city and municipal governments shall designate
an urban agriculture zone (UAZ) within their jurisdiction, indicating the appropriate
geographic boundaries. The UAZ may be composed of one large parcel of lnd or multiple
smalkr parcels of and, whichever is applicabk. The designation of the UAZ shall be subject
to the approval of the city or municipality's Sanggunian, which shall pass an ordinance
expressing its approval.

SECTION 6. Participation of the Private Sector. - Private individuals, civil society groups,
corporations and partnerships may participate in the Program and enter into management
contract or joint venture arrangement with the local government units (LGUs) for the
development or cultivation of the UAZ, subject to existing hws. The LGUs shall require the
participating corporation and partnerships to provide livelihood projects or opportunities to
families living within the city or municipality where the UAZ to be developed is bcated.

SECTION 7. Incentive Package. - Individuals, groups, corporations or partnerships that
participate in the program are entitked to tax incentives in all aspects germane to the urban
agriculture activities. These incentives include:

a) In case importation is necessary, exemption from the payment of customs and
duties of all types of agricultural inputs, particularly seeds, fertilizers, agricultural
machinery and other agricultural impkments as provided under Republic Act
(RA) No. 8435, otherwise known as the ‘Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization
Act of 1997,” as amended;

b)

Exemption from the value-added tax (VAT) on the importation of agricultural
inputs particularly fertilizers, seeds and seedlings in accordance with Section 109
of RA 8424, otherwise known as the “Tax Reform Act of 1997," as amended; and

a

Expenses that are directly related to the program may be chimed as allowable
expenses in the regular operation of the corporation.

SECTION 8. Other Incentives. - Loans extended by government and private banks to
participating individuak, corporations and partnerships shall be treated as compliance to
RA 10000, otherwise known as the ‘Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of 2009.”


SECTION 9. Duration. - Participating individuals, corporations and partnerships may
develop or cultivate the UAZ or parts of it, for a period of five (5) years which may be
renewed for another five (5) years, subject to the approval of the cal Sanggunian.

SECTION 10. Inclusion of Urban Agriculture in the Curriculum. - The Department of
Education and the Commission on Higher education shall ensure that urban agriculture
shall be included in the academic curriculum for secondary and tertiary level students of both
public and private academic institutions studying courses on Agriculture, Practical Arts,
Home Economics or other subjects related to agriculture. A course curriculum on urban
gardening shall ako be developed and included into the regur curriculum of both
elementary and secondary kvek.

For universities and colleges, urban agriculture shall form part of the required period of
time spent by students in the National Service Training Program or the Citizens Military
Training.

SECTION 11. Implementing Agencies. - The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the
Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) shall be the lead agencies to institute measures to
ensure the proper devebpment and cultivation of the UAZ through urban agriculture
schemes. In coordination with the other government agencies, the DA and DAR shall
facilitate the processing of contracts between corporations and partnerships and the LGUs.
‘The DA and DAR shall exercise the following functions:

a)

Facilitate and promote grassroots cooperation to access agricultural services such
as information, inputs and technical assistance;

b)

Initiate and devebp periodic farm assembly markets to provide avenues to
showcase the produce;

ic)

Exercise regulatory functions with respect to the adherence to the provisions of
contracts and arrangements entered into by individual, corporations and
partnerships and the LGUs, and to develop mechanisms to facilitate negotiations
and mediate in disputes between stakehoHers on matters of contract
enforcement;

dq)

Coordinate with appropriate government agencies to ensure the timely
establishment of support services such as credit, infrastructure, extension
services and others; and

e)

Conduct, together with the LGUs, a training program for residents regarding
urban
agriculture.

SECTION 12. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this
‘Act shall be included in the current appropriations of the Department of Agriculture.
Thereafter, such amounts as may be necessary for its continued impkmentation shall be

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included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 13. Implementing Ruks and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days after the
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture jointly with the Secretary of Agrarian
Reform shall, in consultation with other concerned government agencies, non-governmental
organizations, private sectors and farmers’ groups, formulate the rules and regulations
necessary for its effective implementation.

SECTION 14. Automatic Review. - The Department of Agriculture and the Department of
Agrarian Reform, being the kad government agencies in the urban agriculture program,
shall submit periodic reports to both Houses of Congress on the status of the program three
(3) years after its impkmentation. Thereafter, a review on the viability of the program shall
be mace by the appropriate agencies every five (5) years.

SECTION 15. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall remain in full
force and effect.

SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regultions,
issuances or parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed
or modified accordingly.

SECTION 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,