EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
F irst R egular Session 
)
S E N A  T E
S.B. No. 482
! . < •• «/3iiui III i 
:, " '
'19 
JUL 15 
AlO '41
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III
i\ECLi.
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to create the R ural Em ploym ent A ssistance Program  for 
th e benefit of qualified head of family or single a d u lt m em ber of poor 
h o u seholds in the ru ral a re as an d  appropriating funds therefor.
This proposed m easure is p atterned after the N ational Em ploym ent 
G uarantee Act of 2005 w hich w as enacted by the P arliam ent of India. U nder 
the N ational Em ploym ent G uarantee Act of India, every household w hose 
ad u lt m em ber volunteered to do unskilled m an u al w ork is guaranteed 
em ploym ent of not less th a n  one h u n d red  (100) days in every year. U nder 
th a t sam e law, if the a d u lt m em ber is not provided w ith em ploym ent w ithin 
fifteen (15) days from receipt of his application for em ploym ent, the ad u lt 
m em ber shall be entitled to a  daily unem ploym ent allowance.
The R ural Em ploym ent A ssistance Program , however, is aim ed a t 
providing tem porary em ploym ent to qualified h ead s of family or single ad u lt 
m em bers of poor households who volunteer to do unskilled m an u al work in 
ru ral a re as w here they reside. The R ural Em ploym ent A ssistance Program  is 
sim ilar to the C ash for W ork Program , one of the su stainable livelihood 
program s of the DSWD. U nder th is biU, the program  will be im plem ented by


th e DSWD in coordination w ith the local governm ent u n its (LGUs) for a 
period of five years. The DSWD wiU take charge of evaluating the qualified 
head of family or single ad u lt m em ber of poor households can be employed. 
The qualified head of family or single ad u lt m em ber of poor households is 
entitled to a  wage rate of not less th a n  seventy-five percent (75%) of the 
prevailing m inim um  wage set by th e N ational W ages a n d  Productivity 
Com m ission.
Suffice it to say, th is Bill is envisioned to a rre st the growing 
unem ploym ent rate in th e country w hich is the highest in the ASEAN region. 
B ut above anything, it is designed to m ake our ru ral poor productive in 
order for them  to uplift th eir lives and their fam ilies as well a s to sp u r 
econom ic grow th in their com m unities.
In view of the foregoing, approval of th is bill is highly recom m ended.
VICENTE C/ SOTTO III
Senaftor


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
F ir s t R e g u la r S e ssio n  
)
S E N A T E
S.B. No. 482
: 
■! 
. V ' l i u " . - .
*19 
JUL 15 
A1C '41
Introduced by SENATOR VICENTE C. SOTTO III
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assem bled:
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SECTION 1. 
S h o rt T itle. — This Act shall be know n as the “Rural
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Employment A ssistance Program Act. ”
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SECTION. 2. D e c la ra tio n  o f Policy. -  It is the declared policy of the State 
to prom ote a  ju s t an d  dynam ic social order th a t will en su re the prosperity 
an d  independence of the nation an d  free the people from poverty through 
policies th a t provide adequate social services, prom ote full em ploym ent, a 
rising stan d ard  of living, an d  an  im proved quality of life for all. Tow ards this 
end, the State shall provide em ploym ent assistan ce to a  qualified head of 
family or single ad u lt m em ber of poor households in ru ral areas identified by 
the N ational H ousehold Targeting System  for Poverty R eduction (NHTS-PR) 
of the D epartm ent of Social Welfare an d  D evelopm ent (DSWD).
SECTION. 3. R u ra l E m p lo y m en t A ssista n c e  P ro g ram . -  There is hereby 
created a  R ural Em ploym ent A ssistance Program  (REAP), w hich shall 
provide tem porary em ploym ent to every qualified head of a family or single 
ad u lt m em ber of a  poor family in ru ral areas who volunteers to do unskilled 
labor for a m inim um  of forty-five (45) days b u t not m ore th a n  ninety (90) 
days in a calendar year.


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SECTION. 4. D e fin itio n  o f  T erm s. — As u sed  in th is Act;
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(a) Poor refers to individuals an d  fam ilies w hose incom e fall below the 
poverty threshold as defined by the governm ent a n d /o r cannot 
afford in a su stain ed  m an n er to provide their m inim um  basic 
n eeds of food, health, education, housing an d  other essential 
am enities of life, or those who have been identified a s poor by the 
NHTS-PR;
(b) R ural a re a  refers to any barangay w ith a t least fifty percent (50%) 
land devoted to agriculture, tim berland, forest a n d /o r p a steu r land 
a s  determ ined by the C om prehensive Land Use Plan of the 
concerned local governm ent u n it (LGU);
(c) Unskilled labor refers to a  segm ent of a  workforce associated w ith 
a lim ited skill set or m inim al econom ic value for the work 
perform ed. It is generally characterized by a  lower educational 
attain m en t, su ch  a s a  high school diplom a. G eneral Equivalency 
D iplom a (GED) or lack 
thereof, an d  typically resu lts in lower 
w ages.
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Section 5. Q u alificatio n s fo r A vailm ent o f E m p lo y m en t A ssista n ce . 
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The DSWD, in close coordination w ith the LGUs an d  other concerned 
governm ent agencies, shall conduct an  assessm en t of all poor individuals 
a n d  fam ilies in ru ral areas w ho signify in terest in u ndertaking work as 
unskilled labor to determ ine eligibility in availing of the em ploym ent 
assistan ce program . It shall take the lead in the im plem entation of the REAP 
along project identification, im plem entation and m onitoring of the w orks 
an d  activities.
Em ploym ent activities for th is purpose shall be designed to mobilize 
eligible individuals an d  fam ilies to finish a  project is a  given period. These 
projects m ay include th e following:


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(a) D evelopm ent, rebuilding/rehabilitation of agri-based livelihood 
asse ts destroyed or lost due to n a tu ra l d isasters su ch  a s  desilting 
of irrigation canals, developm ent of paddy dikes, and rehabilitation 
of w ater im pounding dam s;
(b) D evelopm ent or rehabilitation of com m on service facilities, w hich 
are being shared  and u sed  by poor fam ilies a s production or 
consolidation 
centers 
like 
postharvest 
facilities, 
an d  
public 
m arkets;
(c) D evelopm ent or rehabilitation of physical a sse ts to open u p  access 
to 
areas 
necessary 
to 
tra n sp o rt 
ru ral 
products 
such 
as 
construction of farm  to m arket roads and bridges; and
(d) Protection of productive a sse ts through m itigation m easu res such 
a s m angrove planting an d  rehabilitation, tree planting a n d  s i m i l a r  
activities.
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SECTION 6. R a te  o f A ssista n c e . -  Every person qualified u n d er this 
Program  shall be entitled to receive com pensation for each day of work 
em ploym ent assistan ce equal to the applicable m inim um  wage set by the 
concerned Regional T ripartite W ages an d  Productivity Board (RTWPB). 
SECTION 7. A p p ro p ria tio n s. -  The Secretary of Social W elfare and  
D evelopm ent shall include in the DSWD’s program s the im plem entation of 
th is Act, the initial funding of w hich shall be charged against the cu rren t 
y ear’s appropriations of the DSWD. Thereafter, the am o u n t necessary for its 
continued im plem entation shall be included in the a n n u al G enereal 
A ppropriations Act.
In addition, the DSWD m ay accept donations, contributions or 
g ran ts from various sources for th e im plem entation of the REAP.
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SECTION 8. Im p le m e n tin g  R u les a n d  R e g u latio n s. -  W ithin ninety (90)
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days after the approval of this Act, the Secretary of the Social W elfare an d


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D evelopm ent shall, in C onsultation w ith th e Secretary of the Interior and
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Local G overnm ent, issue th e necessaiy rules an d  regulations for th e effective
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im plem entation of this Act.
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SEC. 9. Separability C la u s e . -  If any provision of this Act is declared
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unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected
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hereby shall rem ain in full force an d  effect.
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SECTION 10. E ffectiv ity . - This Act shaU take effect fifteen (15) days after
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its publication in the Official G azette or in a national new spaper of general
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circulation.
Approved,