& RECEIVED ”

20 JUNIE

Bouse of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO. __29%

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ALYSSA MICHAELA “MICA” M. GONZALES

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CONSOLIDATION OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS,
TITLING OF UNTITLED AGRICULTURAL LANDS, PROVIDING FOR POST- HARVEST
FACILITIES TO RICE FARMERS, ESTABLISHING IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM TO LAND
OWNER/FARMER AND AGRICULTURAL TENANTS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES:

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Agriculture plays a significant role in the Philippine economy. This is measured by
the valuation of the output of the agricultural sector as percent in the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). About 40% of Filipino workers are involved in agriculture, and that sector
contributes an average of 20% to our GDP. The country’s main agricultural crops are rice,
com, coconut, sugarcane, banana, and abaca

The Philippine Government has recognized the dismal performance of the
agricultural sector despite its contribution to the country's GDP, which was attributed to
external factors, such as extreme weather conditions and poor adoption of technological
advancement in the agricultural sector. Other long-standing issues such as limited access to
credit, lack of sufficient research and development, insufficient governmental subsidy, and
inadequate post-harvest facilities also impede Philippine agricultural development.

The proposed bill intends to address problems of the agricultural sector by
consolidating all agricultural lands in the Philippines on a per province basis, for ease of
profiling; initiate a comprehensive land titling of agricultural areas; and strengthen post-
harvest facility for agricultural development.

Under this bill, the Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources-Land Management Bureau, shall be tasked to
consolidate agricultural lands within the Philippines and initiate titling of such lands.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of the bill is earnestly sought.

Aanrenyal/

REP. ALYSSA MICHAELA “MICA” GONZALES
3" District, Pampanga



CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES
TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

294

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ALYSSA MICHAELA “MICA” M. GONZALES

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CONSOLIDATION OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS,
TITLING OF UNTITLED AGRICULTURAL LANDS, PROVIDING FOR POST-HARVEST
FACILITIES TO RICE FARMERS, ESTABLISHING IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM TO LAND
OWNER/FARMER AND AGRICULTURAL TENANTS 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 “Agricultural Support Act”.
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. — \t is hereby declared as national policy to:

a) Promote agricultural and rural development through the comprehensive consolidation
of agricultural lands in the country which would help the Department of Agriculture in
basic profiling of land owners and tenants;

b) Increase agricultural output and production by providing an efficient post-harvest
facility, equipment, implements, and machinery to rice farmers; and

©) Advance the development of the agricultural sector and provide a systematic
approach in communal farming to sustain the country's food security and stability

Section 3. Objective and Mandate. - The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources - Land Management Bureau, hereinafter referred to as the Bureau, sh:

a ten (10) year program for the purpose of mapping, surveying, consolidating, and titling of
all untitled agricultural land in the entire Philippines on a per province undertaking. The
Bureau shall :

a) Serve as the technical and administrative secretariat of the program;

b) Undertake research, development and extension of appropriate and cost-efficient
system in the mapping, surveying, and consolidating of all agricultural lands in the
Philippines;

¢) Formulate and implement a comprehensive national titling program for agricultural
lands; and

d) Prepare a comprehensive work program for the consolidation and titling of all
agricultural lands.

Section 4. Accelerated Titling of Agricultural Land. - The Bureau shall have the following
priorities and guidelines in the conduct of mapping, surveying, consolidation, and titling of
agricultural lands:

a) Conduct an inventory of all agricultural lands in the Philippines, whether titled or
untitled;


b)

List the priority of proposed pilot provinces that can be used as a benchmark for

comprehensive mapping, surveying, consolidation and titling;

©) Implement such program in pilot provinces to determine the Bureau’s capability in
undertaking the program for the entire country; and

d) Draw-up a work program that is realistic, achievable, and annually target specific

regions that can be subjected to the program

Section 5. Selection Of Qualified Beneficiaries. — On a nationwide basis, the Department
of Agriculture shall select qualified beneficiaries of the program using a standardized
targeting system. It shall conduct a regular revalidation of beneficiary targeting every three
(3) years. The Department of Agriculture shall provide such programs, technical support,
including capacity building and monitoring in the implementation of this Act.

Section 6. Establishment of Post Harvest Facility, Equipment, and Machineries. The
Department of Public Works and Highways, in collaboration with Department of Agriculture
and farmer cooperatives shall establish state-of-the-art rice milling facilities and palay drying
equipment in every province. Also, the Department of Trade and Industry in cooperation
with Department of Agriculture and farmer cooperatives shall provide state-of-the-art
agricultural equipments and machineries to aid local farmers in producing a high variety of
tice.

Section 7. The Land Owner / Farmer and Agricultural Tenant Identification System.
The identification system herein referred to as the Agricultural Identification System is
hereby established as an economic tool towards the effective implementation of the profiling
system in the agricultural sector.

Section 8. The Land Owner / Farmer and Agricultural Tenant Identification Card.
Every Land Owner of Agricultural Land and Agricultural Tenant is mandated to have a non-
transferable Identification Card to be named and known as “Agri ID“ that shall have a
validity of Five (5) years. The Agri ID shall be made of tamper proof security material. It
‘shall have on its face the imprinted photograph, name, birthdate, date of issue, signature of
the holder, a corresponding serial number and such other necessary data as may be
deemed necessary.

Section 9. Registration. Every Land Owner / Farmer and Agricultural Tenant. shall within
‘One (1) year after the promulgation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations subsequent
to the approval of this Act, is mandated to apply for registration and issuance of the Agri ID
at the offices of Department of Agriculture nationwide.

Section 10. Functional Uses of the Agri ID. The Agri ID shall be presented and honored
in transactions requiring the identity, statu 8 such as but
not limited to the following :

1. All transactions with the government

2. Banking transactions with Land Bank of the Philippines

3. Availment of benefits or privileges given by the government to landowner/farmer and

4

agricultural tenant
. Filing of applications for services and benefits offered by agencies of the government
pertaining to the agricultural sector
5. Proof of Identity

Section 11. Appropriations. - Accelerated Titling of Agricultural Land Fund, Post
Harvest Facilities and Identification System. — For the initial implementation of this Act,
the amount of One billion pesos (P1,000,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the
accelerated titling of agricultural lands and the provision of efficient post-harvest facilities,
equipment, implements, and machinery to rice farmers, including the implementation of the


Identification System to Land Owner / Farmer and Agricultural Tenant to effective upon
approval of this Act and to be incorporated in the annual budget of the Bureau. Thereafter, a
Special Fund shall be established by the Department of Budget and Management in the
Annual General Appropriations for the continuous implementation of this Act in the annual
budget of the Bureau until its tenth (10") year completion date.

Section 12. Oversight Provisions. - A Joint Congressional Oversight Committee,
composed of five (5) members each from the House of the Representatives and Senate,
respectively, coming from the House of Representatives Committees on Agrarian Reform,
Agriculture and Food, Natural Resources, and Land Use, and from the Senate Committees
on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, and Environment, Natural Resources and
Climate Change, shall be created to monitor the strict implementation of this Act and the
exercise of the authority granted hereunder.

Section 13. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason, any part or provision of this Act is
declared in or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected thereby
shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 14. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations
or other issuances or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Section 15. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
pubiication in the Official Gazette and in at least two (2) newspapers of gen i

Approved,