Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
        HOUSE BILL NO. 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES JOSEPH KIM C. YU and JEYZEL VICTORIA 
C. YU
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Philippine Constitution itself mandates the State, through Article II, Sec. 21, to 
promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform. It has been a long-standing 
perception that the agrarian reform and agricultural industries will always play a main component 
of food security and sustainable livelihood.  
The Philippines is an agriculturally rich nation with its vast agricultural lands across the 
archipelago, and the many waters connecting the islands, farming and Eshing are two highly 
available industries in the country for purposes of livelihood and employment opportunities. 
However, there are more farmers who are close to their retirement age already, with young people 
having an interest in farming decreasing in numbers. Even though farming and Eshing are always 
linked to the success of food security, we do not have sufEcient programs and measures pushing 
for the reforms speciEcally beneEcial to the young farmers and Esherfolk, giving them a sense of 
security in pursuing an agricultural career.  
This bill seeks to institutionalize the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program, 
targeting to entice the young generations of today to consider the farming and Eshing industry as 
their future career paths. It likewise creates a Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council 
that will oversee the proper implementation of the program. 
Should this measure be enacted, it would provide a concrete framework and strengthen 
the support of the nation to the young generations of farmers and Esherfolk; hence, passage of 
this bill is earnestly sought.  
          JOSEPH KIM C. YU 
      JEYZEL VICTORIA C. YU 
  1st District, Zamboanga del Sur 
     2nd District, Zamboanga de Sur 
July 10, 2025
2:22 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
        HOUSE BILL NO. 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES JOSEPH KIM C. YU and JEYZEL VICTORIA 
C. YU
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE YOUNG FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK 
CHALLENGE PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE YOUNG 
FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE COUNCIL, 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 “Young Farmers and Fisherfolk 
Challenge Act”.  
  SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to ensure that the 
rights of young farmers and fisherfolk are recognized, protected, and promoted. Pursuant to this, 
the State shall engage the youth in nation-building and rural development, providing for this 
purpose access to knowledge, information, and education, access to land, new sources of financial 
services and capital, green jobs, access to new and niche markets, and participation in policy 
dialogue.  
  SEC. 3. Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program. There is hereby established a 
Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program, hereinafter referred to as the Program, that 
shall support and empower the young farmers and fisherfolk to be active partners in food security 
and agricultural development and modernization. The Program shall encourage the youth to pursue 
a career or engage in activities related to agriculture, ensure young farmers and fisherfolk 
participation in policy formulation and program implementation relative to the agriculture sector, 
and provide institutional support for agri-business and agri-entrepreneurship initiatives of the 
youth to fully realize their role as agents and partners for development.  
  SEC. 4. Beneficiaries of the Program. The Program is intended to support young farmers and 
fisherfolk between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age, who are engaged in farming and fisheries 
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activities, and are included in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). The 
Department of Agriculture (DA) shall update its existing database to reflect these indicators.  
  
  SEC. 5. Creation of a Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council. There is hereby 
created the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council, hereinafter referred to as the 
Council, to properly oversee the implementation of the Program.  
  
   
The Council shall be composed of the following:  
  
a. Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) or a duly authorized representative who 
is at least an Undersecretary, who shall be the Chair;  
b. Representative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who shall likewise be an  
Undersecretary;  
c. Representative of the Department of Education (DepEd) who shall likewise be an  
Undersecretary;  
d. Representative of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST);  
e. Representative of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED);  
f. Representative of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR);  
g. Representative of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);   
h. Representative of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);  
i. Representative of a national organization of young farmers’ cooperative or association,  
provided that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age;   
j. Representative of a national organization of fisherfolk’s cooperative or association, provided 
that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age; 7   
  k. Representative of a farmers’ women organization or cooperative, provided that the 
representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age;  
l. representative of a national organization for agritourism; and 
m. Representative of a national government for food, restaurant, and business sectors.  
 
 The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries shall serve as its Secretariat.  
 
SEC. 6. Powers and Functions of the Council. The Council shall have the following powers and 
functions:  
 
a. Formulate the Program, in consultation with research institutions such as the Southeast 
Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the 
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and 
Development (PCAARRD), the University of the Philippines- Los Baños (UPLB), and 
other relevant state universities and colleges (SUCs);  
b. Identify and streamline access to relevant capacity-building and livelihood programs across 
the different departments and agencies of government, including on-the-job training, job 
fairs, employment in farm tourism and agro-industrial zones, and other employment 
bridging initiatives;  


c. Identify and streamline access to possible sources of credit across the different 
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, including access to start-up capital;  
d. Monitor initiatives in emerging best practices in agriculture, such as smart farming, farm 
tourism in compliance with RA 10816, or the “Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016,” 
agropinics, aquaponics, hydroponics, organic and boutique vegetables;  
e. Improve and facilitate access to marketing services such as product packaging, promotions 
including branding and advertising, networking events, provision of subsidies to enable 
participation in trade fairs and exhibits, and linkage with media;  
f. Coordinate with local government units (LGUs) in providing subsidized rental rates for 
public retail areas and public markets to farmers and fisherfolk;  
g. Serve as a conduit between stakeholders and national and international leaders, including 
Congress and the private sector, in formulating policies directly addressing the concerns of 
young farmers and fisherfolk;  
h. Propose subjects related to agriculture and agribusiness, such as gardening, backyard 
farming, 
urban 
farming, 
reforestation, 
agricultural 
appreciation, 
agricultural 
entepreneurshop, smart farming, farm tourism, and coastal management in all pertinent 
levels of the DepEd’s L-12 system with the end goal of increasing enrollment in the 
technical-vocational track in Senior High Schoool in courses related to agriculture, CHED, 
including the National Service Training Program (NSTP) and TESDA; 
i. Ensure scholarshipsand subsidized tuition fees for young farmers and fisherfolk in SUCs; 
j. Provide on-the-job training programs for young farmers and fisherfolk in areas such as  
“green jobs”, reforestation, coastal management, fisheries, and other rural-based jobs, 
through the DOLE’s Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) and other 
livelihood and training programs;  
k. Explore and facilitate the extension of short-term leases for public land to young farmers 
and fisherfolk, providing free or subsidized land for cultivation and for aquaculture, and 
developing other packages such as, lease-to-buy schemes that would allow young farmers 
and fisherfolk to use available or unutilized agricultural land or fishing ground for the 
purposes of said Program;  
l. Expedite the leasing, distribution, and award of agrarian reform land to qualified 
beneficiaries;  
m. Facilitate the use of excess land holdings of SUCs and PEIs for agricultural training and 
developmental processes;  
  
n. Foster the formation of new ideas and technologies by assisting agricultural enterprises of 
qualified young farmers and fisherfolk entrepreneurs, pursuant to Republic Act No. 11337, 
otherwise known as the “Innovative Start-up Act of 2018 
 
o. Initiate social partnerships and rural development initiatives in partnership with the private 
sector;  
p. Optimize existing loan guarantee funds administered by various government entities to 
increase the credit worthiness of young farmers and fisherfolk experiencing difficulty in 
obtaining loans from banks 


q. Accept donations, contributions, grants, bequests or gifts, in cash or in kind, from various 
sources, domestic or foreign, for purposes relevant to the functions of the Council. Said 
donations shall be deemed automatically appropriated for purposes specified by the donor 
or in the absence thereof, for the programs and projects as may be approved by the Council 
subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations: Provided, That, cash 
donations shall not be used to fund the personal services requirements of the Council.   
 
SEC. 6-A. Tax Exemption on Donations. All grants, bequests, endowments, donations and 
contributions made to and used actually, directly and exclusively by the Council shall be exempt 
from donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction from gross income for 
purposes of computing the taxable income of the donor, in accordance with the provisions of the 
National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.  
 
SEC. 7. Waiver of Government Fees and Charges. Subject to the exceptions provided in  
Section 8 of Republic Act No. 11261, otherwise known as the “First-Time Jobseekers Assistance 
Act”, all government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled 
corporations, LGUs, and government hospitals shall not collect fees or charges from young farmers 
and fisherfolks who are first-time jobseekers: Provided, That such fee or charge is in connection 
with the application for and the granting of licenses, proofs of identification, clearances, 
certificates or other documents usually required in the course of employment locally or abroad: 
Provided further, That the benefit provided shall only be availed of once.  
 
SEC. 8. Annual Report. The Council shall submit to the President and to both Houses of   
Congress, not later than the 30th of March of every year following the effectivity of this Act, a 
report giving a detailed account on the effective implementation of this Act, and recommended 
legislation where applicable and necessary.  
 
  SEC. 9.  Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of 
this Act, the DA and DAR shall, in coordination with the DOST, DOLE, DENR, DepEd, CHED, 
Land Bank of the Philippines, and National Youth Commission, issue the necessary rules and 
regulations for the implementation of this Act.  
 
SEC. 10.  Appropriations. The funds necessary to carry out the initial implementation of this Act 
shall be charged against the current year’s budget of the Department of Agriculture. Thereafter, 
such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in 
the annual General Appropriations Act.  
 
  SEC. 11. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, 
the other provisions not affected by such declaration shall remain in full force and effect.  
  
  SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, administrative orders, and rules and 
regulations inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.  
  


   
SEC. 13. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
  
   
Approved,