Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. __________________ 
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Rep. Wilfrido Mark M. Enverga 
_____________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Emphasizing the importance of food supply, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. made 
agriculture in his highest priority as the nation cannot build a strong economy without 
the foundation of a robust agricultural sector which assures food supply even in 
emergencies. 
Our constitution recognizes promotion of comprehensive rural development, 
industrialization and full employment based on agricultural development, however, our 
poverty level continue to rise and food security is being threatened by the global 
situation brought by the Russian-Ukraine conflicts and the worldwide pandemic. 
In the Philippines, most families in the countryside depend on agriculture as their 
primary, and often sole, source of income. But because of rapid urbanization, many rural 
population especially the youth , comprising a huge 40% portion of the Philippine 
population, often choose to leave their parents' farms, rejecting agriculture-related 
activities for the more profitable professions available in the cities. 
Today the average age of Filipino farmers, is fifty-seven (57) years, posing a serious 
threat to national food security by 2030. As of January 2019, the Philippine youth sector 
numbers 44 million individuals, and from fifteen (15) to forty (40) years. 
According to the Labor Force Survey, the overall youth unemployment rate is 7.2%, 
significantly higher than national unemployment at 5.2%. Upon further examination, it 
will be noted that the "graduate" or 15-24 year old unemployment rate is a staggering 
14.1%, or almost thrice the national unemployment rate! 
The failure to generate jobs and opportunities for the youth is not merely a 
development obstacle, it also impedes social justice and threatens national security. 
July 26, 2022
6:05 pm
2388


By challenging the youth sector to participate in agriculture, this bill seeks to address 
poverty, inequality, and the lack of social mobility. Until today, young farmers are 
burdened by their lack of access to knowledge, information and education; the lack of 
available land to till or affordable credit; a lack of "green jobs"; and hardly any 
consultation or participation venues for the youth in agricultural policy debate and 
formulation. 
This bill seeks to address the myriad problems of the youth in the countryside by 
institutionalizing the Young Farmers Challenge Program which will support and 
empower the young farmers and fisherfolk to be active partners in food security and 
agricultural development and modernization. 
The Program shall encourage the youth to pursue a career or engage in activities related 
to agriculture, ensure young farmers and fisherfolk participation in policy formulation 
and program implementation relative to the agriculture sector, and provide 
institutional support for agri-business and agri-entrepreneurship initiatives of the 
youth to fully realize their roles as agents and partners for development. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this proposed measure is earnestly sought. 
WILFRIDO MARK M. ENVERGA 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Rep. Wilfrido Mark M. Enverga 
_____________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE YOUNG FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK CHALLENGE PROGRAM, 
CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE YOUNG FARMERS AND FISHERFOLK 
CHALLENGE COUNCIL, 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. Short title. This Act shall be known as the ‘Young Farmers and 
Fisherfolk Challenge Act’. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to ensure 
that the rights of young farmers and fisherfolk are recognized, protected and promoted. 
Pursuant to this, the State shall engage the role of the youth in nation building and rural 
development, providing for this purpose access to knowledge, information and 
education, access to land, new sources of financial services and capital, green jobs, 
access to new and niche markets, and participation in policy dialogue. 
SEC. 3. Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program. There is hereby 
established a Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program, hereinafter referred to 
as the Program, that shall support and empower the young farmers and fisherfolk to be 
active partners in food security and agricultural development and modernization. The 
Program shall encourage the youth to pursue a career or engage in activities related to 
agriculture, ensure young farmers and fisherfolk participation in policy formulation and 
program implementation relative to the agriculture sector, and provide institutional 
support for agri-business and agri-entrepreneurship initiatives of the youth to fully 
realize their roles as agents and partners for development. 
SEC. 4. Beneficiaries of the Program. Young farmers and fisherfolk are those 
between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age, are engaged in farming and fisheries 
activities, and are included in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture 
(RSBSA). The Department of Agriculture shall update its existing database to reflect 
these indicators.    
2388


SEC. 5. Creation of a Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council. There is 
hereby created the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council, hereinafter 
referred to as the Council to properly oversee the implementation of the Program. 
 
The Council shall be composed of: 
 
a. The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture or his duly authorized 
representative who is at least an undersecretary, who shall be the Chair; 
b. A representative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who shall 
likewise be an Undersecretary; 
c. A representative of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST); 
d. A representative of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); 
e. A representative of the Department of Education (DepEd) who shall likewise be 
an Undersecretary; 
f. A representative of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR); 
g. A representative of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA); and 
h. A representative of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); 
i. A representative of a national organization of young farmers’ cooperatives or 
associations, provided that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to 
forty (40) years of age; 
j. A representative of a national organization of fisher folks’ cooperatives or 
associations, provided that the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to 
forty (40) years of age; 
k. A representative of a farmers’ women organization or cooperative, provided that 
the representative shall be between fifteen (15) to forty (40) years of age; 
l. A representative of a national organization for agritourism;   
m. A representative of a national organization for food, restaurant, and business 
sectors. 
 
Provided, That the DA shall convene and Chair the Council, and the Philippine 
Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) shall serve as its Secretariat. 
 
SEC. 6. Powers and Functions of the Council. The Council shall have the following 
powers and functions: 
 
a. Formulate the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program, in consultation 
with research institutions such as the Southeast Asian Regional Center for 
Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Philippine Council for 
Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development 
(PCAARRD), University of the Philippines - Los Baños (UPLB) and other relevant 
State Universities and Colleges; 
 
b. Identify and streamline access to relevant capacity-building and livelihood 
programs across the different departments and agencies of government, 
including on-the-job trainings, job fairs, employment in farm tourism and agro-
industrial 
zones, 
and 
other 
employment-bridging 
initiatives, 
and;  
 
c. Identify and streamline access to possible sources of credit across the different 
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, including access to start-up 
capital;  


 
d. Monitor initiatives in emerging best practices and products in agriculture such as 
but not limited to smart farming, farm tourism in compliance with RA 10816 or 
the “Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016,” agroponics, aquaponics, 
hydroponics, and organic and boutique vegetables; 
 
e. Improve and facilitate access to marketing services such as but not limited to 
packaging, promotions including branding and advertising, networking events, 
and provide subsidy for participation in trade fairs and exhibits and provide 
linkage with media; 
 
f. Coordinate with LGUs in providing subsidized rental rates for public retail areas 
and public markets to farmers and fisherfolk; 
 
g. Serve as a conduit between stakeholders and national and international leaders 
including Congress as well as the private sector in formulating policies directly 
addressing the concerns of young farmers and fisherfolk;  
 
h. Propose subjects related to agriculture and agribusiness such as but not limited 
to gardening, backyard farming, urban farming, reforestation, agricultural 
appreciation, agricultural entrepreneurship, smart farming, farm tourism, and 
coastal management in all pertinent levels of the DepEd’s K-12 system with the 
end goal of increasing enrollment in the technical-vocational track in Senior High 
School in courses related to agriculture, CHED, including the National Service 
Training Program (NSTP)  and TESDA; 
 
 
i. Ensure scholarships and subsidized tuition fees for young farmers and fisherfolk 
in state universities and colleges; 
 
j. Provide on-the-job training programs for young farmers and fisherfolk in areas 
such as but not limited to green jobs, reforestaiton, coastal management, 
fisheries, and other rural-based jobs, through DOLE’s Special Program for 
Employment of Students (SPES) and other livehood and training programs; 
 
k. Explore and facilitate the extension of short-term leases for public land to young 
farmers and fisherfolk, providing free or subsidized land for cultivation and for 
aquaculture, and developing such other packages such as but not limited to 
lease-to-buy schemes that would allow young farmers and fisherfolk to use 
available or unutilized agricultural land/fishing ground for the purposes of said 
Program.  
 
l. Expedite the lease, distribution, and award of agrarian reform land to qualified 
beneficiaries; 
 
m. Facilitate the use of excess land holdings of SUCs and PEIs for agricultural 
training and developmental processes.  
n. Incubate agricultural enterprises of qualified young farmers and fisherfolk 
entrepreneurs, pursuant to Republic Act No. 11337, otherwise known as the 
“Innovative Start-up Act of 2018”, and other programs shall include the 


agricultural enterprises for qualified young farmer and fisherfolk entrepreneurs 
in their incubation efforts; 
 
o. Initiate social partnerships and rural development initiatives in partnership with 
the private sector  
 
p. Optimize existing loan guarantee funds administered by various government 
entities to increase the credit worthiness of young farmers and fisherfolk 
experiencing difficulty in obtaining loans from banks due to lack of acceptable 
collaterals, credit knowledge and credit track record. 
 
q. Accept donations, contributions, grants, bequests or gifts, in cash or in kind, from 
various sources, domestic or foreign, for purposes relevant to the functions of 
the Council. Said donations shall be deemed automatically appropriated for 
purposes of specified by the donor or in the absence thereof, for the programs 
and projects as may be approved by the Council subject to the usual accounting 
and auditing rules and regulations: Provided, that cash donations shall not be 
used to fund the personal services requirements of the Council. Any donation, 
contribution, subsidy or financial aid which may be made to the Council shall be 
exempt from taxes of any kind and shall constitute allowable deductions in full 
from the income of the donors or contributors for income tax purposes; 
 
SEC. 7. Waiver of Government Fees and Charges. Subject to the exceptions 
provided in Section 8 of Republic Act No. 11261, otherwise known as the “First-Time 
Jobseekers Assistance Act”, all government agencies and instrumentalities, including 
government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), LGUs, and government 
hospitals, shall not collect fees or charges from young farmers and fisherfolks who are 
first-time job seekers: Provided, That such fee or charge is in connection with the 
application for and the granting of licenses, proofs of identification, clearances, 
certificates or other documents usually required in the course of employment locally or 
abroad: Provided further, That the benefit provided shall only be availed of once. 
 
SEC. 8. Annual Report. The Council shall submit to the President and to both Houses 
of Congress, not later than the 30th of March of every year following the effectivity of 
this Act, a report giving a detailed account of the effectivity and implementation of this 
act, and recommended legislation where applicable and necessary. 
 
SEC. 9 Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the DA and DAR, in coordination with the DOST, DOLE, DENR, 
DepEd, CHED, LBP, and NYC, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the 
implementation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 10. Appropriations. The funds necessary to carry out the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s budget of the 
Department of Agriculture. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the 
continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the Annual General 
Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 11. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or 
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected by such declaration shall remain in 
full force and effect. 


 
SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, administrative orders, and 
rules and regulations inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed or amended 
accordingly. 
 
SEC. 13. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,