Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
One of the continuing major problems of our country despite rapid economic 
growth is unemployment. According to the latest results of the Labor Force Survey 
(LFS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country’s unemployment rate in 
February 2022 remained the same as the 6.4 percent reported January the same year. 
This is translated to 3.13 million unemployed individuals 15 years old and over. 
 
For many years, rural dwellers suffered from low incomes and limited 
opportunities for gainful employment. Many are poor and uncompetitive, due to 
constraints brought about by insufficient production inputs, lack of farm machineries 
and equipment, limited access to credit, and poor access to market, among others. 
Destructive weather events are also a major concern, disproportionately affecting the 
poor and the most vulnerable, many of whom reside in rural areas.1 
Therefore, the Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP), which is a 
temporary work-for-aid initiative for qualified heads of family or unmarried adults, will 
not only help address the unemployment problem of but will also spur agricultural 
and infrastructure development in the rural areas.  
The Program shall provide temporary employment for qualified members 
of poor households in rural areas, as identified by the National Household 
Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the Department of Social 
Welfare and Development (DSWD), who volunteers to do unskilled manual work for a 
minimum  of forty-five (45) days but not more than ninety (90) days in every calendar 
year.  
Projects and activities to be identified and undertaken under the REAP may 
include the following: (a) Development, rebuilding and rehabilitation of agri-
1 https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2021/03/31/reducing-poverty-in-rural-areas 
July 11, 2022
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based livelihood assets destroyed or lost due to natural disasters; (b) Rehabilitation 
or  development of common service facilities which are being shared and used by 
poor  families as production or consolidation centers such as post-harvest facilities 
and  public markets; and (c) Development or rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads 
and  bridges necessary to bring the products of poor families to the market.  
In light of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
AN ACT  
PROVIDING FOR RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Rural Employment 
Assistance Program Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is a declared policy of the State to promote 
a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of 
the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate 
social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved 
quality of life for all. Towards this end, the State shall provide Filipinos with 
opportunities for just and sufficient means of livelihood. The State shall likewise initiate 
meaningful employment assistance programs to qualified individuals of poor, 
disadvantaged or displaced households in rural areas duly identified by the 
appropriate national agencies. 
SECTION 3. Rural Employment Assistance Program. — There is hereby created a 
Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP), which shall provide temporary 
employment to every qualified individual who are poor, disadvantaged/displaced or 
seasonal workers who volunteer to work for a minimum of ten (10) days, but not more 
than ninety (90) days in a calendar year wherein the minimum and maximum period 
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of engagement can cover a single activity or multiple activities spread out  over the 
course of a calendar year: Provided, that qualified individuals may include  sub-
professionals. 
Qualified individuals are not subject to the terms and conditions of regular 
employment and as such, shall not be deemed to have employer-employee 
5relationship with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, or any agency 
or institution who utilizes their services with respect to the program. 
 
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act: 
(a) Displaced worker refers to a worker in the formal and informal sectors who 
became unemployed, underemployed, or have lost livelihood as a result of 
closure of establishment, economic crisis, retrenchment, termination, natural 
disaster/calamities; 
 
(b) Poor refers to individuals and families whose income fall below the poverty 
threshold as defined by the government and/or cannot afford in a sustained 
manner to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing 
and other essential amenities of life, or those who have been identified as poor 
by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR); 
 
(c) Qualified individua/ refers to willing and able Filipino citizens who are at least 
fifteen (15) years of age. Provided, that individuals between the ages fifteen (15) 
and eighteen (18) may only qualify by first obtaining consent from their parent/s 
and/or legal guardian, and can only be employed in non-hazardous work 
environments in accordance with the Labor Code; 
 
(d) Rural area refers to any barangay with at least fifty percent (50%) land 
devoted to agriculture, timberland, forest and/or pasture land as determined by 
the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of the concerned local government unit (LGU; 
and 
 
(e) Seasonal worker refers to a worker who performs work or service that is only 
for a specific period of time or season of the year. 
 


 
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SECTION 5. Qualifications for Availment of Employment Assistance. — The 
Local Social Welfare and Development Officers (LSWDOs), in close coordination with 
other government agencies concerned, as well as the identified rural communities, 
may conduct a preliminary joint assessment of all poor, disadvantaged/displaced 
individuals, including seasonal workers who signify interest in undertaking work in 
order to determine eligibility in availing of the employment assistance program. The 
assessment shall also take into consideration the inherent knowledge, skills, 
capacities, and capabilities of potential qualified participants so as to properly 
determine the type and nature of projects that are most suited to them and their 
respective communities. 
The DSWD shall facilitate basic knowledge and skills orientation and capacity 
building trainings and seminars as deemed necessary towards project development 
for qualified participants. The LGUs and program partners concerned may make 
available for use any tools and equipment necessary for project development to the 
qualified individuals. 
 
SECTION 6. Types of Works and Activities under the Program. — Employment 
activities for this purpose shall be designed to mobilize eligible individuals, families, 
and communities to finish a project within a given time period. These projects may 
include, but are not limited to the following: 
(a) 
Development, rebuilding/rehabilitation of Agri-based livelihood assets 
damaged, destroyed, or lost due to natural disasters, such as desilting of 
irrigation canals, development of paddy dikes, and rehabilitation of water 
impounding dams; 
 
(b) 
Development or rehabilitation of common service facilities, which are 
being shared and used by poor families as production or consolidation centers 
like post-harvest facilities, public markets, display centers, and fish ports; 
 
(c) 
Development or rehabilitation of physical assets to open up access to 
areas necessary to transport rural products, such as construction of farm-to-
market roads and bridges; 
 


 
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(d) 
Protection of natural and productive assets through mitigation and 
disaster risk reduction measures, such as mangrove planting and rehabilitation, 
tree planting, seedling preparation, re-forestation and similar activities; and 
 
(e) 
Social community projects such as repair, maintenance, and/or 
improvement of common public facilities and infrastructure such as schools and 
health centers, debris clearing, declogging of canals, debris segregation and
 materials recovery, stockpiling and clearing. 
The DSWD shall provide an updated list of projects that may be undertaken as 
well as the projects not covered under this Act. This list shall be readily made available 
to potentially qualified individuals who have expressed their desire to participate in the 
REAP. 
 
SECTION 7. Rate of Assistance. — Every position qualified under this Program shall 
be entitled to receive compensation for each day of work at the prevailing minimum 
wage set by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) 
concerned. LGUs may also provide for additional allowances to the beneficiaries in 9 
order to cover for other expenses such as transportation and food. 
 
SECTION 8. Micro-insurance Benefits. — Qualified individuals are granted the 
option to access micro-insurance as a form of social security in the event of accidental 
death or dismemberment, medical reimbursement, and bereavement assistance at a 
socialized cost by mandating the DSWD to provide liaison services necessary to 
enable qualified individuals access to these social serviced. LGUs may also provide 
additional allowance to participants to cover insurance costs. 
 
SECTION 9. Appropriations. — The Secretary of Social Welfare and Development 
shall include in the DSWD's programs the implementation of this Act, the initial funding 
of which shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the DSWD. 
Thereafter, the amount of necessary for its continued implementation shall be included 
in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
In addition, the DSWD may accept donations, contributions or grants from 
foreign and local persons, institutions and governments, among others, for the 
implementation of the Program. 


 
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SECTION 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within ninety (90) days after 
the approval of this Act, the Secretary of the DSWD shall issue the necessary rules 
and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 11. Separability Clause. — If any portion or provision of this Act is 
subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions hereof which are 
not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. — All other laws, acts, presidential decrees, 
executive orders, presidential proclamations, issuances, rules and regulations, or 
parts thereof which are contrary to or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act 
are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 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,