Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 3173

Introduced by Honorable ABRAHAM “BAMBOL” N. TOLENTINO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines is an agricultural country with 47% of its total land area being
utilized for agriculture. This gives agriculture a crucial importance to the Philippines’
economy.

According to a study by the Food and Fertilizer Technology for the Asia and the
Pacific Region, agriculture accounted for 13%-14% of the country’s GDP from 1998 to
2009. This steadily declined to 10% by 2017. However, the agriculture industry in not
shrinking in absolute size as its GVA has been growing during the same period.
Although in the first quarter of 2019, the GVA of agricultural production decreased by
3.12%, going down to 0.67% from last year’s 1.08%, greatly missing the annual growth
rate of 4%. Demand for food continues to rise as agricultural production slows while
population grows exponentially.

With all of this information, there is an urgent need to develop the agricultural
industry. To ensure food security and resource sustainability, there is a need to
encourage more young people to take studies and engage in this industry. To optimize
our resources, there is a need to produce more knowledgeable agriculturists who can


use modern technology to their advantage. To do this, agricultural studies must be
incorporated into our educational systems.

Republic Act No. 10533, otherwise known as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act
of 2013”, was initially completed through Department Order No. 15, series of 2015
during the school year 2016-17 with the following tracks, namely: (1) Academic, (2)
Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, (3) Sports, and (4) Arts and Design. These tracks will
aid students to specialize in their future career fields.

After a careful perusal of the different tracks mentioned above, it is seen that
there is no track that would offer the students a preparation for specialization in
agriculture.

Section 2 of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 provides:

“Declaration of Policy. - The State shall establish, maintain,
and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of
education RELEVANT to the needs of the people, the country, and
society-at-large.”

Considering this policy, the Philippines is and still should be an agricultural
country and that there is a pressing need for food security, it is therefore RELEVANT to
include agricultural studies in the Senior High School curriculum in order to prepare and
encourage those who are interested in the field of agriculture.

This bill then seeks to integrate an Agricultural Strand in the Academic Tracks of
the Senior High School curricula in all educational institutions.

In light of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

House BILL no.3273

Introduced by Honorable ABRAHAM N. TOLENTINO

AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533,

OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013,
FOR THE INTEGRATION OF AN AGRICULTURAL STRAND IN THE
ACADEMIC TRACK OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

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

Section. 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Senior High School
Agricultural Strand Act.”

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the declared policy of the State to sustain
and provide support to the agricultural industry through the provision of appropriate
technology and research; adequate financial, production, marketing and other
support services; and comprehensive education and training to agriculturalists, their
families, and other interested individuals to enable them to utilize resources to their
full potential and enable them to participate in the planning, organization and
management of the programs affecting them.

It is the policy of the state to ensure food security for the country through the
modernization of agricultural systems, the creation and improvement of agricultural
educational institutions as well as the encouragement of the youth to engage,
sustain and develop the agricultural industry.


1 Towards this end, the government shall include the agricultural strand in the
2 academic track to prepare students who are interested in pursuing a college degree
3 in agriculture and encourage others to engage and participate in this nationally
4 critical industry.

6 Sec. 3. Definition of Terms — For purposes of this Act:

7 a) Agriculture Strand — refers to the basic course subjects in the field of
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agriculture.

b) Academic Track — refers to one of the fields in the curricula of Senior High
10 School level preparatory to earning a degree in college.
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2 Sec. 4. Amendment. — Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced
13 Basic Education Act of 2013, is hereby amended to read as follows:
4 “Sec. 6. Curriculum Consultative Committee. — There shall be created a
1s curriculum consultative committee chaired by the DepED Secretary or
16 his/her duly authorized representative and with members composed of,
17 but not limited to, a representative each from the CHED, the TESDA, the
18 DOLE, the Department of Agriculture, the PRC, the Department of
19 Science and Technology (DOST), and a representative from the business
20 chambers such as the Information Technology - Business Process
a Outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry association. The consultative committee
22 shall oversee the review and evaluation on the implementation of the
23 basic education curriculum and may recommend to the DepED the
24 formulation of necessary refinements in the curriculum.
25 The Department and the Committee shall give priority to
26 agriculture in the development and review of the curriculum. To
7 this end, there shall be an Agricultural Strand integrated under
28 the Academic Track in the curricula of the Senior High School in
29 all educational institutions. Future amendments of the curricula
30 must include an agricultural strand.”


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Sec. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within ninety (90) days from
the date of effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education (DepEd) shall
formulate and design the agricultural strand subjects, modules and other necessary
details to implement this act.

Sec. 6. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this
Act shall be appropriated from the budget of the DepEd. Subsequently, the
appropriations shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 7. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason, any part or provision of this
Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not
affected shall remain in full force and effect.

Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. — All other laws, executive orders, presidential
decrees, rules and regulations inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least one (1) newspaper of

general circulation.

Approved,