FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2065 
,U 
Introduced by Senator EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It is estimated that as much as five million Filipinos in the rural sector are either 
unemployed or underemployed. Although the employment in the rural sector is largely 
seasonal, much of the unemployment and underemployment can be attributed to 
underutilization of agricultural lands throughout the country. 
With the Rural Employment Generation Act of 2010, one million hectares of idle 
and underutilized lands will be converted into modem productive agricultural resources. In 
the process, it is expected tilat one million rural jobs will be created, with annual farm 
incomes of at least Twenty Five Thousand Pesos per hectare being generated. 
Corn, cassava and high vallie commercial crops shall be planted throughout the 
country under this Act, with the Department of Agriculture serving as lead agency. Tie-ups 
between. the private sector and government will be necessary, including collaborations 
between agribusiness companies and farmer-beneficiaries. 
As catalyst, the Program will generate rural employment valued at 10.354 Billion 
Pesos and private sector investments of 10.605 Billion Pesos. More impoliantly, with an 
improvement in our country's rural employment level, it is anticipated that rural poverty 
will drastically be reduced. 
For the above-mentioned reasons, approval oft11is bili is earnestly urged. 
w~ 
EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
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'_ f.." 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2065 
Introduced by Senator EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
AN ACT 
TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF IDLE AND 
UNDERUTILIZED AGRICULTIDUL LANDS AS A MEANS TO 
GENERATE EMPLOYMENT 
Be it enacted in the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in the 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Title of Act. This Act shall be known as the "Rural Employment 
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Generation Act of2010." 
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SEC. 2. Purpose of the Act. There is a need to accelerate the development of idle 
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and underutilized agricultural land throughout (he country as a means of generating rural 
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economic activity, especially since (he majority of our country's poor popUlation belongs 
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to the rural sector. In generating rural employment, it is anticipated t~at at least one person 
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will find employment for every hectare developed, with an increase in income of Twenty 
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Five Thousand Pesos (P25,000.00) per farmer. 
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SEC. 3. Lead Agency. The Department of Agriculture ("DA") shall undertake the 
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implementation of the Rural Employment Generation Program (the "Program") and shall 
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ensure implementation of this Act and its purposes, including the determination of areas to 
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be planted. 
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SEC. 4. Activities to be Ulldertaken. The DA shall undertake the development of a 
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total of eight hundred forty five thousand (845,000) hectares of idle or underutilized 
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agricultural land, to be planted hybrid corn, cassava and high value commercial crops 
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("HVCC") over a period of two years, as follows: 
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Yr 1 Hectares Planted 
Y r 2 Hectares Planted 
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1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
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18 
19 
20 
Com 
Cassava 
404,000 
20,000 
185,000 
613,000 
88,000 
194,000 
HVCC 
SEC. 5. Features of/he Program. The Program shall have the following features: 
(a) Modem Technology Systems. The Program will consolidate existing crop areas 
as well as idle prime lands into farm cluster modules for mechanized and/or 
irrigated production of hybrid com, cassava and HVCC; 
(b) Production Credit Support. To ensure the adoption of modem crop production 
technologies, the Program will enhance farl1Jers' access to credit for the 
purchase of production inputs through innovative credit schemes through the 
establishment of a seed/guarantee fund for production loans to be extended by 
input suppliers, end-users, traders, service providers and the formal banking 
sector; 
(c) Human Resource Development. The Program shall train farmers on hybrid 
technologies, fann mechanization, post harvest and processing technologies and 
promote local capacity-building in areas of partiei patory program management 
and implementation, research and extension and agribusiness marketing and 
management. 
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SEC. 6. Farmer-Agribusiness Tie-ups. The DA shall facilitate arrangements 
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between farmers and agribusiness groups in the devclol'll1ent of agricultural lands. 
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Different business partnership modalities shall be established between farmer cooperatives 
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and the private sector to provide ready markets, management and technical support, in 
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whichever form most suitable for rural development, including but not limited to purchase 
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orders, service or management contracts, contract groll"'),; or processing arrangements, 
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lease agreements and joint venture agreements. 
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SEC. 7. Quality Stalldards and Classific{Jtioll Systems. Quality standards and 
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classification systems shall be c1eveloped by lite DA :til,: implemented for feedgrains, 
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vegetables, fibers, fruits and industrial crops ill o:"dc"" 
10 ensure better prices and 
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competitiveness of domestic produce. 
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SEC. 8. Joint Governlllent-Private Se((o,. COlli II' iltee. A committee is hereby 
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created, consisting of the Secretary of AgriculllllC :l, C:" i1"11,an, a representative of the 
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private sector involved in agriculture as Vice Chairman, two representatives of the fanner-
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beneficiaries, two representatives of agribusiness companies involved in the Program, and 
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two officials of the DA as members, all of which shall be appointed by the President of the 
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Republic of the Philippines upon recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture. The 
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committee shall facilitate the assistance of the pri v~te sector in the identification of farmer 
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beneficiaries, credit channels and market and service p' oviders and shall oversee the 
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administration, management and implementation a lthe Program. 
S 
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SEC. 9. Establishment of lite Agriculture! Develo.'!IIleJtt Fund. The Agricultural 
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Development Fund (the "Fund) is hereby establi':lcd, in 1:1C amount of Five Billion Five 
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Hundred Fifty One Million Pesos (PhP5,551,OOO,O(JO.OO) iur the first year and Four Billion 
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Seventy Eight Million Pesos (P4,078,000,000.OO) 111 the Sc llel year of the Program. The 
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Fund shall be taken from the budget allocation of the D. \, and will be utilized for the 
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provision of a seed/loan guarantee fund for the' :oducll," 
:'lCll1S and direct government 
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intervention in the provision of, among others, 
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1 i, cry, post harvest facilities, 
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farm-to-market roads and human resource develop, :ent aei "i I' ','S. 
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SEC. 10. Injunctions, Restraining O/'l!("'\' IIlId C'" 
.,. 'llter/ocutory Orders.- The 
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development of the Camarines Slir Special Eel', ','mic :;, 
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government priority and therefore, no injtl1: ,ons, 
",ei Free port is a national 
, "ining orders and other 
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interlocutory orders which seek to stop or in'",'" 
11 any 
'act entered into or project 
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undertaken by the CSSEZA may be issued bv <lily coml, I bw or quasi-judicial body 
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except by the Supreme Court of the Philippine, 
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SEC. 11. Separability Clause. - If anI' I" '-11'15"" 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions n0. otllel.\ 
force and effect. 
) . I his Act shall be declared 
IIected, shall remain in full 
SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive I" 
' .' or issnances, or any parts, 
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thereof which are inconsistenthcrc'with are hen'0y,lC:1I,' or nended accordingly, 
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32 
SEC. 13. Effectivity Clausl'. - This Aci shedl take ,'! 
,t upon its publication in at 
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least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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