REPRESENTATIVES

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| RECEIVED

Republic of the Philippines pare, 03 AUG 2016
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ~ wh i
Quezon City Time: q i
BY:_ _ j
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS |
First Regular Session REGISTRATION UNIT |
2472 BILLS AND INDEX SERVICE |

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by Representative Rico B. Geron

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Bill seeks to grant our Filipino farmers and farmer beneficiaries a non wage benefit in a
form of free college education for agricultural courses in all state college or universities.

Considering that agriculture is not merely a source of livelihood but a way of life. It is the main
source of food, fodder and fuel. It is the basic foundation of economic development, the back
bone of our economy. Agriculture is important not only from economic point of view but has
deep rooted influence on our social, political and cultural life. Agriculture provides highest
contribution to national income. But this idealism has been dejected when many of the
government programs do not reach our small agricultural farmers and farm beneficiaries
including their free access to education when the children of our small farmers could not even
finish tertiary education.

When the Constitution specifically mandates that the State shall give priority to quality
education especially to those who are poor and underprivileged, thus, our farmers are most of
the time remain to be the deprived and unfortunate. This proposed legislation is a definite
method toward providing the most deserved assistance to uplift the lives of our small Filipino
farmers.

Approval of this bill earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
2472

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by Representative Rico B. Geron

AN ACT GRANTING AGRICULTURAL FARMERS AND FARMER BENEFICIARIES NON-BENEFITS IN
‘THE FORM OF FREE TERTIARY EDUCATION FOR AGRICULTURAL COURSES IN ALL STATE
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROVIDING GUIDELINES FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Agricultural farmers and farm beneficiaries shall be exempted from paying tuition
and matriculation fees within the entire stay a state college and universities provided however,
that the student shall enrol agricultural courses.

SECTION 2. The Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education shall jointly
promulgate the necessary implementing rules to carry out the purposes of the Act.

SECTION 3. Appropriations. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be
charged to the budget of Department of Education and Commission of Higher Education as
provided in General Appropriations Act.

Thereafter, the necessary sum for the implementation of this Act shall be provided in
the subsequent General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. --- All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations,
issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended
accordingly.

SECTION 5. Effectivity.
Official Gazette.

- This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the

Approved.