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DATE July13,2022_

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

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NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. __ 1957

Introduced by
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to mandate the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) to implement the Rural Employment Assistance
Program (REAP).

Itis a sustainable livelihood program wherein temporary employment will
be provided to every qualified head of a family or a single adult member of poor
families in rural areas who volunteer/s to do unskilled manual work for a
minimum of forty-five (45) days but not more than ninety (90) days in every
calendar year. They shall be entitled to receive for each day of work an
employment assistance equal to the applicable minimum wage set by the
Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in their Region.

This proposed legislative measure is in line with the 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.

This bill seeks to address the growing unemployment rate in the country,
to uplift the lives of the workers and their families, and to spur economic growth.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

Rep. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative Uringog Sinirangan

. ACIDRE
ive, Tingog Sinirangan



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. __ 1957

Introduced by
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

al
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of the 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. — \t is the 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 employment assistance to a qualified head of family or
single adult member of poor households in rural areas identified by the National
Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Section 3. Rural Employment Assistance Program. — The DSWD
shall implement the Rural Employment Assistance Program, hereinafter


referred to as the Program, in coordination with local government units. The
Program shall provide temporary employment to every qualified head of family
or single adult member of poor families in rural areas who volunteer/s to do
unskilled manual work for a minimum of forty-five (45) days but not more than
ninety (90) days in every calendar year.

Rural areas refer to barangays which have a population size of less than
two thousand five hundred (2,500). Barangays which do not have an
establishment with twenty-five (25) or more employees, or five (5) or more
establishments with a minimum of ten (10) employees, or five (5) or more
facilities within the two-kilometer radius from the barangay hall, are also
classified as rural areas.

Section 4. Assessment to Determine Qualification for Availment of
Employment Assistance. - The DSWD, in close coordination with the local
government units and other concerned government agencies, shall conduct an
assessment of all poor individuals and families in rural areas who signified
interest to do unskilled labor to determine eligibility in availing of the
employment assistance program.

For the purpose of this act, the poor shall refer 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)

Section 5. Aate of Assistance. — Every qualified head of family or
single adult member of a poor family in the rural areas who are qualified under
the Program shall be entitled to receive for each day of work an employment
assistance equal to the applicable minimum wage set by the Regional Tripartite
Wages and Productivity Board in the Region. They shall also be entitled to the


payment of mandatory social security dues such as PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and
Social Security System (SSS).

Section 6. Types of Works and Activities. — The DSWD, in
Coordination with the local government units and other concerned government
agencies, shall take the lead in the implementation of the rural employment
assistance program along project identification, implementation, and
monitoring of the works and activities. The works and activities for this purpose
are Classified as activities that will mobilize eligible poor individuals and families
to finish a project in a given period. These projects may include, but are not
limited to, the following

(a) Development, rebuilding/rehabilitation of agri-based livelihood
assets destroyed or lost due to natural disasters (e.g., desilting of
irrigation canals, development of paddy dikes, rehabilitation of water
impounding, among others)

(b) Rehabilitation and or development of common service facilities,
which are being shared and used by poor families as production or
consolidation centers/units (e.g., post-harvest facilities, public
markets etc.)

(c) Development or rehabilitation of physical assets to provide for access
to natural assets where the former is necessary to bring out the
products of poor families to the market (e.g., farm to market road,
slope protection, bridges, among others)

(d) Protection of productive assets through mitigation measures such as
mangrove planting/rehabilitation, tree planting and the likes.

Section 7. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the
implementation of the rural employment assistance program shall be included
in the budget of the DSWD in the annual general appropriations act.



The DSWD may also get funds, donations, and other forms of financial
support from foreign and local persons, institutions, and governments for the
implementation of the program.

Section 8. Employment Assistance and Skills Training Fund
(EASTF). — There is hereby created an Employment Assistance and Skills
Training Fund (EASTF) which shall be administered by the DSWD. The EASTF
shall be exclusively for the benefit of the qualified head of family or single adult
member of poor family in the rural areas who availed of the Program.

The EASTF shall be used to pay the wages and skills training programs
of qualified head/s of families or single adult member/s of the poor families in
rural areas who availed of the Program.

Section 9. /mplementing Rules and Regulations. — Within ninety (90)
days after the approval of this Act, the Secretary of the Social Welfare and
Development shall, in Consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and Local
Government, issue the Necessary rules and regulations for the effective
implementation of this Act.

Section 10. Effectivity.—This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general

circulation.

Approved,