Republic of the Philippines ‘+
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1192

HOUSE BILL

Introduced by Representative Dante Sotelo Garcia

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In the Philippines, where the average age of the population is 25.7 years old, the average age of
farmers is 57. Despite being an agricultural country with a population of 108 million, the
Philippines has less than I million farmers. And this number has been diminishing at an
average rate of 1.5% per year. (Bureau of Agricultural Statistics 2015).

According to a recent study, the oldest farmer in the country is 89 years old, while the youngest
is 16 years old. Despite having young farmers, there is fear of losing the next generation of
farmers because the country is already facing its shortage at present. More farmers today aspire
for their children to have non-farming jobs that pay better than have them follow their footsteps.
(Palis 2020)

This proposed law promotes and hamess the potential of young farming entrepreneurs fostering
growth and development especially in the rural areas, and encourages the youth to pursue a
career or engage in activities related to agriculture, participate in policy formulation, and in the
implementation of programs relative to the agriculture sector.

It also provides institutional support for agri-business and agri-entrepreneurship initiatives of the
youth to fully realize their roles as agents and partners for development. It also defines young
farmers and fisherfolk as those between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age, are engaged in
farming and fisheries activities. and are included in the Registry System for Basie Sectors in
Agriculture (RSBSA).

And to encourage active participation among the youth, government fees and charges are waived
to young farmers and fisherfolk who are first time jobseekers in connection with the application
for and the granting of licenses, proofs of identification, clearances, certificates or other
tally required in the course of employment locally or abroad

TELO GARCIA
Union


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1192

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative Dante Sotelo Garcia

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE YOUNG FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE
PROGRAM, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE YOUNG FARMERS AND
FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE COUNCIL, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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. \t 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 role of 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 roles as agents and partners for development.

SEC. 4. Beneficiaries of the Program. Young farmers and fisherfolk are those between
fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age, are engaged in farming and fisheries activities, and are
included in the Registry System for B: -ctors in Agriculture (RSBSA). The Department of
Agriculture shalt 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:

a. The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture or his duly authorized representative who
is at least an undersecretary, who shall be the Chair;


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b. A representative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who shall likewise be an
Undersecretary;

c. A representative of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST);

. A representative of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED);

A representative of the Department of Education (DepEd) who shall likewise be an

Undersecretary;

A representative of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR);

A representative of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);

and

A representative of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);

A representative of a national organization of young farmers’ cooperatives or associations,

provided that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age;

j. A representative of a national organization of fisher folks’ cooperatives or associations,
provided that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age;

k. A representative of a farmers’ women organization or cooperative, provided that the
representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age;

1. A representative of a national organization for agritourism;

m. A representative of @ national organization for food, restaurant, and business sectors.

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Provided, That the DA shall convene and Chair the Council, and the Philippine Council for

Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) 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 Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program, in consultation with
research institutions such as the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and
Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and
Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), University of the
Philippines - Los Bafios (UPLB) and other relevant State Universities and Colleges;

b. Identify and streamline access to relevant capacity-building and livelihood programs
across the different departments and agencies of goverment, including on-the-job
trainings, job fairs, employment in farm tourism and agro-industrial zones, and other
employment-bridging initiatives, and;

c. Identify and streamline access to possible sources of credit across the different
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, including access to start-up capital;

4. Monitor initiatives in emerging best practices and products in agriculture such as but not
limited to smart farming, farm tourism in compliance with RA 10816 or the “Farm
Tourism Development Act of 2016,” agroponics, aquaponics, hydroponics, and organic
and boutique vegetables;

fe. Improve and facilitate access to marketing services such as but not limited to packaging,
promotions including branding and advertising, networking events, and provide subsidy
for participation in trade fairs and exhibits and provide linkage with media;

f. Coordinate with LGUs in providing subsidized rental rates for public retail arcas and
public markets to farmers and fisherfolk;

g. Serve as a conduit between stakeholders and national and international leaders including
Congress as well as 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 but not limited to
gardening, backyard farming, urban farming, reforestation, agricultural appreciation,
agricultural entrepreneurship, smart farming, farm tourism, and coastal management in ail
pertinent levels of the DepEd’s K-12 system with the end goal of increasing enrollment in
the technical-vocational track in Senior High School in courses related to agriculture,
CHED, including the National Service Training Program (NSTP) and TESDA;

i, Ensure scholarships and subsidized tuition fees for young farmers and fisherfolk in state
10 universities and colleges;

2 J. Provide on-the-job training programs for young farmers and fisherfolk in areas such as
3 but not limited to green jobs, reforestaiton, coastal management, fisheries, and other
4 rural-based jobs, through DOLE’s Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES)
15 and other livehood and training programs;

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7 k. Explore and facilitate the extension of short-term leases for public land to young farmers
18 and fisherfolk, providing free or subsidized land for cultivation and for aquaculture, and
19 developing such other packages such as but not limited to lease-to-buy schemes that
20 would allow young farmers and fisherfolk to use available or unutilized agricultural
a land/fishing ground for the purposes of said Program.

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2 1. Expedite the lease, distribution, and award of agrarian reform land to qualified
2 beneficiaries;

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26 m. Facilitate the use of excess land holdings of SUCs and PEls for agricultural training and
2 developmental processes.

28 n, Incubate agricultural enterprises of qualified young farmers and fisherfolk entrepreneurs,
2 pursuant to Republic Act No. 11337, otherwise known as the “Innovative Start-up Act of
30 2018”, and other programs shall include the agricultural enterprises for qualified young
31 farmer and fisherfolk entrepreneurs in their incubation efforts;

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33 ©. Initiate social partnerships and rural development initiatives in partnership with the
34 private sector

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36 p. Optimize existing loan guarantee funds administered by various government entities to
37 increase the credit worthiness of young farmers and fisherfolk experiencing difficulty in
38 ing loans from banks due to lack of acceptable collaterals, credit knowledge and
39 credit track record.

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a1 q. Accept donations, contributions, grants, bequests or gifts, in cash or in kind, from various
a2 sources, domestic or foreign, for purposes relevant to the functions of the Council. Said
a donations shall be deemed automatically appropriated for purposes of specified by the
48 donor or in the absence thereof, for the programs and projects as may be approved by the
45 Council subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations: Provided, that
46 cash donations shall not be used to fund the personal services requirements of the Council.
47 Any donation, contribution, subsidy or financial aid which may be made to the Council
48 shall be exempt from taxes of any kind and shall constitute allowable deductions in full
49 from the income of the donors or contributors for income tax purposes;

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51 SEC. 7. Waiver of Government Fees and Charges. Subject to the exceptions provided in

52. Section 8 of Republic Act No. 11261, otherwise known as the “First-Time Jobseekers Assistance
53 Act”, all government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and
54 controlled corporations (GOCCs), LGUs, and government hospitals, shall not collect fees or


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charges from young farmers and fisherfolks who are first-time job seekers: 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 30" of March of every year following the effectivity of this Act, a
report giving a detailed account of the effectivity and 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, in coordination with the DOST, DOLE, DENR, DepEd, CHED,
LBP, and NYC, shall 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 Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,