;H 
,jem1ir 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
tl}fj,;, "I t~. ~",.I"r~ 
• 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
"14 
JAN 22 P2 :44 
SENATE 
S.No. 
2075 
RECEIVED HY!'-f 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Research suggests that earlier influences on a person will likely affect his 
future career considerations and interests. Studies have likewise estimated that 
money invested in quality early education leads to yields savings of about seven 
times that amount in education costs later in the child's life. This bill seeks to help 
improve the quality ·of Philippine education by providing for additional subjects on 
agricultural science in elementary and junior high school. 
There is now a waning interest on the part of the youth in taking up farming 
as a vocation and this has resulted in the drop of enrollees in agricultural courses, 
which are offered primarily in state universities and colleges. Rex Bingabing, the 
executive director of the Philippine Center· for Postharvest Development and • 
Mechanization (PhilMech), said that aging Filipino farmers quitting has led to 
problems in some areas in the country, which could lead to a food crisis. He was 
quoted in saying that in many areas, we are already experiencing the effects of this 
scenario. In places in Central Luzon, farm owners are already having difficulty in 
finding farm workers during the time of planting and harvest. 
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While the government has yet to det~rmine how many farmers are quitting 
because of old age, the preliminary results of the last Labor Force Survey (LFS) of 
the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed 624,000 workers losing their jobs 
during the period in review. This drop in the country's overall,employment rate is 
due to the decline in employment in the agriculture sector, with th~ number of 
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agricultural workers falling from an estimated 12.468 million in April 2012 to 
11.844 million in April 2013, or by about 624,000 workers. 
This bill will renew interest in crops and livestock cultivation to ensure the • 
steady stream of students who will pursue agricultural science as a college degree, 
and eventually as a career in their professional life. This will ultimately strengthen 
our position as an agricultural country and ensure food stability and the availability 
of local experts on farming techniques and innovations. 
~ 
A.1"h 
J,~:h,~" 
.MIRIAM DE~~sOR~T¥(jO 
tP 
2 
• 


• 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
'sl'nlltp 
(~H,;r of t~e j.('ftl'br~ 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'14 
JAN 22 P 2 :44 
SENATE 
S.No .. 2075 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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INTEGRATING AN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE SUBJECT IN THE 
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PHILIPPINE ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Agricultural 
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Science Early Education Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote 
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the general welfare of the people. Pursuant to this policy, this Act seeks to create 
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an educational program to develop the foundation of learning among young 
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children of the different studies of discipline in agricultural science. 
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SECTION 3.Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the term 
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(A) 
"Agricultural science" refers to the study of the science and 
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technology underlying the principles and practices of agriculture, which 
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is study of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock. It 
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aims to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes concerning the factors 
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that affect the long-term well-being of agricultural resources, and places 
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emphasis on the managed use of these resources; 
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(B) 
"Department" means the Department of Education; and 
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(C) 
"Secretary" means the Secretary of Education. 
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SECTION 4. Agricultural Science Subjects. - The Secretary shall require the 
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inclusion of a primary agricultural science subject in the senior year of elementary 
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and an advanced agricultural science subject in one year in junior high school. 
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SECTION 5. Program Requirements. -The Agricultural Science Subjects. 
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described in Section 4 of this Act shall have the following minimum curriculum: 
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(A) 
(B) 
(C) 
(D) 
(E) 
(F) 
(G) 
Soils; 
The general structure and'function of plants; 
Farm crops - cereal and roots; 
Farm crops - grassfands; 
Structure and function of the animal body; 
Common livestock; 
Agricultural Marketing practices. 
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SECTION 6. Duties of the Secretary: - In order to carry out the purpose of 
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this Act, the Secretary shall: 
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(A) 
Formulate the necessary curriculum in the stated grade levels 1ll 
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consultation with the Department of Agriculture. 
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(B) 
Establish any other policies, procedures, or requirements, with respect 
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to this educational prograJ? 
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SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held 
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invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise 
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affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
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, 
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SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
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, 
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executive order, letter of instruction, administrative 'order, rule or regulation 
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contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this act is hereby repealed, 
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modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
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after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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