, ' 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
) 
'15 
AUG 18 All:OS 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 
2903 
Introduced by: Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" A. Aquino IV 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR 
Explanatory Note 
It is our directive to ensure that as the Philippine economy grows and thrives, all 
Filipinos gr0Y" and thrive together. One of our mandates is to promote inclusive growth and 
spread wealth and opportunity across the country. 
As such, we need to take a look at our rural communities and provide opportunities to 
those along the countryside and within our islands, beginning with our least fortunate 
countrymen, 
Considering that almost 80% of Filipinos living in poverty reSide in our rural areas' , we 
are in urgent need of measures to combat poverty and unemployment beyond our cities and 
urban hubs in the short and long term. 
The Rural Employment Assistance Program (REAP) Act of 2015 is one such policy for the 
short term, which aims to provide heads of poor families in rural areas fair wages for temporary 
unskilled work. 
This bill not only addresses the issue of unemployment in rural areas, it also involves our 
less fortunate citizens in nation building as we provide other measures that will help them 
pursue permanent employment. 
The REAP Act of 2015 mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development 
(DSWD) to hire unemployed Filipinos to maintain, build, and rehabilitate shared, public facilities 
and livelihood assets within their community. 
Let us bring opportunities, wealth, and capacity to the Philippine islands, especially in 
the countryside, let every Filipino reap the fruits of our positive progress and development. 
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought, 
~tJn.-
(l,~, /l4 
Senator pk:BenignO :;a~" A. Aquino IV 
1 http://www.ruralpovertyportal.orglcountry/home/tags/philippines 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2903 
Introduced by Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" A. Aquino IV 
'15 
AUG 18 IIll:OS 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Rural Employment Assistance Program 
2 
Act" 
3 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to promote a just and 
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dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people 
5 
from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising 
6 
standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all. Towards this end, the State shall provide 
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employment assistance to a qualified head of family or single adult member of poor households in rural 
8 
areas identified by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the 
9 
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 
10 
SECTION 3. Rural Employment Assistance Pragram. - The DSWD shall implement the Rural 
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Employment Assistance Program, hereinafter referred to as "the Program," in coordination with local 
12 
government units. The Program shall provide temporary employment to every qualified head of family 
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or single adult member of poor families in rural areas who volunteerls to do unskilled manual work for a 
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minimum of forty-five (45) days but not more than ninety (90) days in every calendar year. 
15 
Rural areas refer to barangays which have population size of less than two thousand five 
16 
hundred (2,500). 
Barangays which do not have an establishment with 
twenty-five (25) or more 
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employees, or five (5) or more establishments with a minimum of ten (10) employees, or five (5) or 
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more facilities within the two kilometer radius from the barangay hall, are also classified as rural areas. 
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SECTION 4. Assessment ta Determine Qualification for Avoilment of Employment Assistance. -
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The DSWD, in close coordination with the local government units and other concerned government 
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agencies, shall conduct an assessment of all poor individuals and families in rural areas who signified 
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interest to do unskilled labor to determine eligibility in availing of the Employment Assistance Program. 
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For the purpose of this Act, the poor shall refer to individuals and families whose income fall 
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below the poverty threshold as defined by the government and/or cannot afford in a sustained manner 
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to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other essential amenities 
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of life or those who have been identified as poor by the National Household Targeting System for 
6 
Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR). 
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SECTION 5. Rate af Assistance. - Every qualified head of family or single adult member of a poor 
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family in the rural areas who qualified under the Program shall be entitled to receive for each day of 
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work an employment assistance equal to the applicable minimum wage set by the Regional Tripartite 
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Wages and Productivity Board in the region. They shall also be entitled to the payment mandatory social 
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security dues such as Philhealth, Pag-ibig and Social Security System (SSS). 
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SECTION 6. Types of Works and Activities. - The DSWD, in coordination with the local 
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government units and other concerned government agencies, shall take the lead in the implementation 
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of the Rural Employment Assistance Program along project identification, implementation and 
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monitoring of the works and activities. The works and activities for this purpose are classified as 
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activities that will mobilize eligible poor individuals and families to finish a project in a given period. 
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These projects may include, but are not limited to, the following: 
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a. 
Development, re-building/rehabilitation of agri-based livelihood assets destroyed or lost 
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due to natural disasters (e.g. desilting of irrigation canals, development of paddy dikes, rehabilitation of 
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water impounding, among others); 
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b. 
Rehabilitation and or development of common service facilities, which are being shared 
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and used by poor families as production or consolidation centers/units (e.g. post-harvest facilities, public 
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markets etc.); 
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c. 
Development or rehabilitation of physical assets to open up access to natural assets 
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where the former is necessary to bring out the products of poor families to the market (e.g. farm to 
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market road, slope protection, bridges, among others); and 
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d. 
Protection of productive assets through mitigation measures such as mangrove 
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planting/rehabilitation, tree planting and the likes. 
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SECTION 7. Appropriotions. - The amount necessary for the implementation of the Rural 
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Employment Assistance Program shall be included in the budget of the DSWD in the annual General 
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Appropriations Act. 
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The DSWD may also get funds, donations and other forms of financial support from foreign and 
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local organizations, institutions and governments for the implementation of Rural Employment 
6 
Assistance Program. 
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SECTION 8. Employment Assistance and Skills Training Fund (EASTF). - There is hereby created 
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an Employment Assistance and Skills Training Fund (EASTF) which shall be administered by the DSWD. 
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The EASTF shall be exclusively for the benefit of the qualified head of family or single adult member of 
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poor family in the rural areas who availed of the Program. 
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The EASTF shall be used to pay the wages and skills training programs of qualified head/s of 
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families or single adult member/s ofthe poor families in rural areas who availed of the Program. 
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SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days after the approval of 
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this Act, the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development shall, in consultation with 
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the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, issue the necessary rules and 
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regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
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SECTION 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
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Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved. 
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