FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2'71~ 
Introduced by SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
'11 
FEB 22 P 5 :45 
The Country Poverty Analysis (CPA) conducted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) 
identified broad causes of poverty, or factors that conspire to keep poverty levels high and rising in 
the Philippines. Included as one of the factors is an underperforming agricultural sector and an 
unfinished land reform agenda. 1 Also from the same report, there has been little intensification, and 
little expansion in the area under cultivation. Structural weaknesses and other problems in the sector 
remain unaddressed, which limits the prospects for improved productivity in the sector. 
As a 
consequence, poverty rates among farming households have remained very high at over half of all 
fanning households, a proportion virtually unchanged since 1985.2 
The Philippine government has declared its commitment to give utmost priority to modernize 
the agricultural sector in order to deal with the problem of poverty. In relation to this, an increase in 
the number of a highly competent workforce is needed in order to deliver tangible and expected 
outputs in this sector. The lack of workforce may be attributed to the continuous decline of enrollees 
in agriculture courses. Agriculture as a profession has lost its attraction because of the more lucrative 
job offers from other competing professions. A reflection of the decreasing competitiveness of 
agricultural courses in the Philippines will ultimately lead to the death of manpower in the sector if 
not promptly and appropriately aided. 
Opportunities in agriculture have to be created, de~eloped and made more lucrative (0 attract 
more students to enroll in agriculture courses. In addition, agricultural education policies and 
curricular programs have to be revised to produce graduates equipped with appropriate and practical 
knowledge in order to become future agribusiness managers, entrepreneurs and farmers. A strong 
agricultural sector will reduce poverty thereby uplifting the standard of living not only of our 
countrymen involved in this sector but also to whole Filipino nation. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage ofthis bill is earnestly sought. 
• 
1 http://www .adb.org/Docu me nts/Books/Poverty-in-the-P hi Ii ppi nes/ cha p8.pdf 
'htlp://www,adb.org/documents/books/poverty-m-the-philippines/chap6.pdf 
MANNY VILLAR 
\ 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B.No. 2712 
Introduced by SE~. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT , 
'11 
FEB 22 P 5 :45 
PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK FOR AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSAUY AND 
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ASSISTANCE TO YOUNG FILIPINOS AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress Assembled: 
SECT ON 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Agri-Kabataan Program Act of 20 11." 
, 
SECTION 2. Statement of Policy. - The State 'shall give priority to education, science and 
technology to accelerate social progress, and promote development. To give realization to this policy, 
government shall provide opportunities to obtain quality education especially to those poor but 
qualified students through the granting of scholarships. 
SECTION 3. Objectives. - The objectives of this Act are: 
a. To develop competency skills and knowledge of students in agricultural technologies and 
agribusiness; 
b. To provide opportunities to poor but deserving students in order to realize their potentials 
in agribusiness and entrepreneurship; 
c. To increase food production by utilizing idle lands of state universities and colleges 
(SUCs); 
d. To commercialize proven viable technologies to increase food production and income of 
rural communities through the development oflivelihoods and markets; 
e. 
Provide income to students while doing experiential learning and on-the-job training 
which form part oftheir degree programs; 
f. Link young farmer-students with credit, financing and marketing institutions; and 
g. Contribute to the alleviation of poverty. 


SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. - For the purposes of this Act, the following terms shall 
have the following meaning: 
a. Agri-kabataan scholarship - a scholarship prograI1).s designed to benefit poor but deserving 
graduates of agricultural and vocational high schools including similarly situated freshmen 
students in agriculture and allied courses; 
b. Agribusiness venture laboratory - laboratory classes of agricultural subjects are designed as 
business ventures in agricultures such as raising of poultry, goats, corn or nce or crop 
production and counted as satisfying the laboratory requirement of a course; 
c. Small enterprise technology upgrading program (SET-UP) - a technology transfer program 
being implemented by the Department of Science ,and Technology designed to assist small 
and medium enterprises by providing packages o( technologies and interest free capital for 
the acquisition of technologies. 
SECTION 5. Establishment of a Agri-Kabataan Scholarship Program in State Universities 
anti Colleges in Agribusiness Management and/or Entrepreneurship. - There is hereby created a 
program of scholarships, bursary and entrepreneurship assistance to Filipino Youth. The program 
shall be called Agri-Kabataan Program. 
A scholarship program in agriculture and related fields shall be established. A ladderized 
program in Diploma in Agricultural Technology (DAT), Bachelor in Agricultural Technology (BAT) 
and Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (BSAgrib) will be prescribed to the student-scholars. The 
OAT -BAT curriculum will be enhanced with agribusiness and entrepreneurship components but 
likewise comply with the minimum standards and guidelines prescribed by the Commission on 
Higher Education (CHED). 
Target beneficiaries are high school graduates from agricultural and vocational high schools 
with average high school grades of at least 80 per cent. College freshmen already enrolled in 
agricultural courses in the State Universities and Colleges (SUC) will be considered for as long as 
their weighted grade average is at least 2.S. 
SECTION 6. Entrepreneurship Components. of the Program. -
To enhance the 
entrepreneurship components of the curriculum, 2S% of the entire curriculum 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. Proven viable agribusiness ventures shall be 
packaged for students to engage in and these shall serve as their laboratory classes under a supervised 
farming scheme. 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 develop.ed must have short gestation, where three 
(3) to twelve (12) months should be science and technology-based agribusiness. The end products 
should be highly marketable and the facilities needed should be present or existing in the SUe. 
• 
SECTION 7. Scholarships and Agribusiness Venture Start-up Financing. - Under the 
Department of Agriculture (DA) issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 19 series of 2008 covering 
the implementing guidelines on the utilization of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement 
Fund (ACEF) which was created under RA 8178 and amended through RA 9586,10 percent of the 
ACEF shall be used for the funding of a comprehensive undergraduate scholarship program in 
agribusiness, forestry, fisheries, and veterinary medicine, ~nd graduate studies in environmental and 
marine sciences, hydrology, renewable energy and agribUSiness management programs. 
There shall be allocated from the ACEF' Three Hundred Fifty million Pesos 
(P3S0,000,000.00) over the first four (4) years of the program, of which Three Hundred million 
Pesos (P300,000,000.00) will be used for the full scholarship of five thousand (5,000) student 
beneficiaries and the Fifty million Pesos (PSO,OOO,OOO,OO) for start-up venture capital of the 
agribusiness venture laboratory. 


The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) shaIl assist the Program by providing 
additional technology packages and making available funds aIlocated for the SmaIl Enterprise 
Technology Upgrading Program (SET -UP) under its own guidelines for funding smaIl enterprises. 
SECTION 8, Management of the Scholarship and Agribusiness Venture Start-up Funds. -
The scholarship funds shall be managed by CHED and wiIl be paid directly to participating SUCs 
based on biIlings of tuition and other fees. The venture financing shall be released to the SUCs to be 
deposited as a trust fund for the purpose. It will also be treated as revolving fund. Student-
beneficiaries are required to pay back the venture capital after each cycle of the agribusiness project. 
SECTION 9. Use of Idle Lands for the Agribusiness Venture Laboratory. - The SUCs 
shaIl provide the lands and facilities to be used by the students under the Program. Where appropriate 
and viable, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shalI make available 
untenured public lands under its jurisdiction for the use ~f students in their agribusiness ventures 
under appropriate arrangements with CHED and the participating SUCs. 
SECTION 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations, - The CHED shaIl prepare the 
implementing rules and regulations (IRR) and promulgate it within one hundred eighty (180) days 
after approval of this Act. The DOST and the DENR shalI assist in the preparation of the IRK with 
respect to their specific rules in the implementation of this Program. 
SECTION 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shaIl remain valid 
and subsisting. 
SECTION 12, Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or reg~lation contrary to or is inconsistent with 
the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shaIl take effect fifteen (15) days alter its 
pUblication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,