1
Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____ 
Introduced by Representative Rudys Caesar G. Fariñas I 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This proposed measure seeks to amend Section 5 of the Republic Act No. 7192, 
otherwise known as the “Women in Development and Nation Building Act.” 
The salient features of this bill shall amend Section 5 of RA 7192 in two critical 
aspects: 
•
Women will be able to borrow money and sign security and credit
agreements under the same circumstances as men;
•
Women will be treated equally in agrarian reform and land resettlement
initiatives and shall have equal access to all public and private sector
programs providing agricultural credit, loans, and non-material resources.
The amendment introduces that under the provisions of Republic Act No.
10000, also known as the "AGRI-AGRA REFORM CREDIT ACT OF 2009,"
women must be granted by banks a credit window equivalent to at least
thirty percent (30%) of their agricultural funds at lower rates of interest:
Further, agricultural loans must cover loans for agricultural product
production, transportation, processing, and marketing of agricultural
produce.
Hence, the passage of this measure is sought.   
RUDYS CAESAR G. FARIÑAS I 
March 6, 2023
5:22 pm
7450


 2
Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____ 
Introduced by Representative Rudys Caesar G. Fariñas I 
AN ACT 
GRANTING WOMEN IN THE COUNTRYSIDE GREATER ACCESS TO 
INSTITUTIONAL CREDIT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AMENDING FOR 
THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7192, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
“WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT AND NATION BUILDING ACT” 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 5 of Republic Act No. 7192, otherwise known as the “Women 
1 
in Development and Nation Building Act,” is hereby amended to read as follows: 
2 
3 
“SEC. 5. Equality in Capacity to Act. – Women of legal age, regardless of civil 
4 
status, shall have the capacity to act and enter into contracts which shall in 
5 
every respect be equal to that of men under similar circumstances. 
6 
7 
In all contractual obligations where married men have the capacity to act, 
8 
married women shall have equal rights. 
9 
To this end: 
10 
11 
a. Women shall have the capacity to borrow and execute security and credit
12 
arrangements under the same conditions as men;
13 
14 
b. Women shall have equal access to all government and private sector
15 
programs granting agricultural credit, loans and non-material resources
16 
and shall enjoy equal treatment in agrarian reform and land resettlement
17 
programs[;]: PROVIDED, THAT WOMEN SHALL BE ALLOTED BY BANKS
18 
AT LOWER RATES OF INTEREST A CREDIT WINDOW EQUIVALENT TO
19 
AT LEAST THIRTY PERCENT (30%) OF THEIR AGRI-AGRA FUNDS AS
20 
PROVIDED UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10000 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
21 
THE “AGRI-AGRA REFORM CREDIT ACT OF 2009”: PROVIDED,
22 
FURTHER, THAT AGRICULTURAL LOANS SHALL INCLUDE LOANS FOR
23 
7450


 
 
 
3
PRODUCTION, TRANSPORTATION, PROCESSING AND MARKETING OF 
1 
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE; 
2 
X X X” 
3 
 
4 
SECTION 2. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
5 
Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.  
6 
 
7 
Approved, 
8