/>” RECEIVED “2A

2 ure, AUG 2,7, 2018
TIME:

2, BY;

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4202
HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ALFRED VARGAS

AN ACT
ENCOURAGING YOUTH SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN THE AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR, ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE A ‘TULONG KABATAAN SA
AGRIKULTURA PROGRAW’ AND A ‘TULONG KABATAAN SA AGRIKULTURA
TRUST FUND’, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR,

AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 5, Article XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that:

The State shall recognize the right of farmers, farmworkers, and
landowners, as well as cooperatives, and other independent farmers’
organizations to participate in the planning, organization, and management of
the program, and shall provide support to agriculture through appropriate
technology and research, and adequate financial, production, marketing, and

other support services.

Agriculture plays a significant role in the Philippine economy. Involving
about 40% of Filipino workers, it contributes an average of 20% to the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP). This output comes mainly from agribusiness, which in
turn accounts for about 70% of the total agricultural output (CIDA-LGSP, 2003).

The general trends in the last two decades present a dim picture of the
agriculture sector. Significant decrease in productivity, high production costs,


and low government support to the sector, among other things, have led to a
crisis in Philippine agriculture (CIDA-LGSP, 2003).

Moreover, the neglect of the agriculture sector and the uneven distribution
of resources worsened the poverty situation in rural areas. Only the remittances
of migrant workers to their families have enabled the latter to survive crippling
poverty brought about by stagnant agricultural productivity, stiff competition
from cheaper food imports, and periodic droughts and floods that devastated
crops and livelihoods.

Immediate and effective intervention is needed to rejuvenate our
agricultural sector. As a matter of fact, the Philippine Development Plan for 2017
to 2022 seeks to expand economic opportunities for those who are engaged in
agriculture, and increase access to economic opportunities for small farmers,
among others.!

This legislative measure aims for the establishment of a Tulong Kabataan
sa Agrikultura scholarship program. The program shall be a ladderized program
in Diploma in Agricultural Technology (DAT), Bachelor in Agricultural
Technology (BAT) and Bachelor of Science in Agri-business (BSAgrib). At least
25% of the entire curriculum of the Program shall be in the form of an on-the-
job training or related learning experience. The laboratory components of various
agricultural subjects shall be in the form of agribusiness ventures, which are
defined as business ventures in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and agri-
entrepreneurship including but not limited to raising of poultry, goats, corn or
rice or crop production.

The program targets senior high school graduates of agricultural and
fisheries tracks, and similarly situated students of agriculture and fisheries in
tertiary education, who have a general weighted average (GWA) of at least 80%
or its equivalent. Beneficiaries shall be entitled to financial assistance, which
shall include tuition and other school fees; an outright grant for prescribed
textbooks and essential school supplies; transportation expenses; and a monthly
living allowance, among others.

This measure proposes the creation of a Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura
Trust Fund, which shall come from the following sources: Php50,000,000.00 seed
capital; a 10% annual share on the total gross collections of the travel tax and
professional registration fee of the Professional Regulatory Commission; grants,
donations and endowments from domestic and foreign sources, pursuant to

thttps:/ /www.pressreader.com


existing laws and regulations; such amounts as may be indicated under the
General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the purpose of sustaining the Fund; and
all interest income of the trust fund.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

dal


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Philippines

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4202
HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ALFRED VARGAS

AN ACT

ENCOURAGING YOUTH SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN THE AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR, ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE A ‘TULONG KABATAAN SA
AGRIKULTURA PROGRAM’ AND A ‘TULONG KABATAAN SA AGRIKULTURA
TRUST FUND’, 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. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Tulong Kabataan sa
Agrikultura Act of 2019”.

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall give priority to education,
science and technology to accelerate social progress and promote development.
Towards this end, the government shall provide opportunities for all to obtain
quality education and for this purpose, scholarships in Agriculture, Agri-
Entrepreneurship, Forestry and Fisheries are hereby strengthened. It is also the
policy of the State to develop graduates who will become competent agribusiness
managers and entrepreneurs.

Sec 3. Objectives. - The objectives of this Act are to:


a) __ Increase youth participation in the agricultural sector;

b) Provide opportunities to poor but deserving students to realize their
potentials in agribusiness and entrepreneurships;

¢) Develop competency skills and knowledge of students in agricultural
technologies and agribusiness;

d) Increase food production;

e) Commercialize proven viable technologies to increase food
production and income of rural communities through the development of
livelihoods and markets;

f) Provide income to students while doing experiential learning and on-
the-job training which form part of their degree programs;

g) Link young farmer-students with credit, financing, and marketing
institutions; and

h) Contribute to the alleviation of poverty.

Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. - for the purposes of this Act:

a. Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura Program or The Program - refers to
the scholarship program established by this Act which targets poor but deserving
graduates of agricultural and fisheries tracks in senior high schools and similarly
situated students taking up agriculture and related courses in tertiary
education;

b.  Tulong Kahataan sa Agrikultura Trust Fund or The Fund ~ refers to
the trust fund created under this Act to ensure the achievement of this Act’s
incentives;

c. Agribusiness Venture Laboratory - refers to agricultural subjects and
classes designed as business ventures in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and
agri- entrepreneurship including but not limited to raising of poultry, goats, corn
or rice or crop production and counted as satisfying the laboratory requirement

of a course.


Sec. 5. Establishment of a Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura Program.
=A Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura scholarship program in agriculture, fisheries,
forestry and related areas to be administered by the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) is hereby established. The program shall be a ladderized
program in Diploma in Agricultural Technology (DAT), Bachelor in Agricultural
Technology (BAT) and Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (BSAgrib). The
program shall initially be offered by the University of the Philippines-Los Bafios
College of Agriculture in the first two (2) years of this Act’s effectivity. The
program shall be offered in SUCs which provide courses in agriculture, forestry,
fisheries, and other allied fields.

Sec. 6. Target Beneficiaries. - The Program shall target senior high
school graduates of agricultural and fisheries tracks, and similarly situated
students of agriculture and fisheries in tertiary education, who have a general
weighted average of at least eighty percent (80%) or its equivalent: Provided, that
beneficiaries who complete the agriculture and fisheries tracks of senior high
and who enroll in an agriculture, forestry, fisheries, or other similar course in
tertiary education shall continue to be covered by the Program.

Sec. 7. Assistance to Grantees. — Beneficiaries of the Program shall be
entitled to financial assistance, which shall include the following:

a) Tuition and other school fees;

b) Outright grant for prescribed textbooks and essential school supplies;
c) Transportation expenses; and

d) Monthly living allowance.

Sec. 8. Curriculum Formulation. - There is hereby established a
technical committee which shall design the curriculum of the Program. The
Committee shall be composed of the following:


a. The Chairperson of the CHED, or his permanent representative, as
Chairperson of the Committee;

b. The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), or his permanent
representative, as the Vice Chairperson;

c. The Dean of the University of the Philippines-Los Bafios College of
Agriculture; and

d. One (1) representative each from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao from other
colleges of agriculture, who shall be appointed by the President, and who

shall each serve a term of one (1) year.

At least twenty-five percent (25%) of the entire curriculum of the Program
shall be in the form of on-the-job training or related learning experience.
Laboratory components of various agricultural subjects shall be in the form of

agribusiness ventures.

Sec. 9. Strengthening Agri-Fisheries Tracks in Senior High. - To
achieve the objectives of this Act, the Department of Education (DepEd) is hereby
directed to ensure that agri-fisheries tracks are offered in as many senior high
school programs in appropriate areas nationwide.

Sec. 10. Agribusiness Venture Laboratories. - Each agribusiness
venture shall be under the supervision of a faculty who is also a technology
expert in the chosen commodity. The agribusiness venture laboratory to be
developed must have short gestation, around three to twelve (3 to 12) months,
should be science and technology-based agribusiness, the end products should
be highly marketable and the facilities needed should be present within the SUC.

Sec. 11. Use of Idle Lands for the Agribusiness Venture Laboratory.
~The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall make
available untenured public lands under its jurisdiction for the use of students
in their agribusiness ventures under appropriate arrangements with CHED and
the participating SUCs.


Sec. 12. Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura Trust Fund. - To ensure the
financial sustainability of this Act, a Tulong Kabataan sa Agrikultura Trust Fund
is hereby created. The Fund shall be used exclusively to fund the Program, and

shall be funded from the following sources:

a) The amount of Fifty Million Pesos (Php 50,000,000.00) as seed
capital;

b) The equivalent of ten percent (10%) annual share on the total gross
collections of the travel tax;

c) The equivalent of ten percent (10%) annual share on the total gross
collections from the Professional Registration Fee of the Professional
Regulatory Commission;

a) Grants, donations and endowments from domestic and foreign
sources, pursuant to existing laws and regulations;

e) Such amounts as may be indicated under the General
Appropriations Act (GAA) for the purpose of sustaining the Fund;
and

f) All interest income of the trust fund.

Sec. 13. Administration of the Fund. - The CHED shall administer the
fund and shall make available all records of how the funds are utilized,

disbursed, and invested, in accordance with existing laws.

Sec. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The CHED in
coordination with the DA, and DENR and relevant private sector stakeholders
shall prepare the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of this Act and
promulgate it within ninety (90) days after approval of this Act.

Approved,