FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
S E N A T E  
S.B. No. 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
“Mugsusaku lung po uko. ” Thus goes a common self-deprecating identification 
indicative of the prevalent lowly regard for farming. However, despite the upsurge of the 
service sector and rapid worldwide industrialization in recent years, the Philippines’ 
agriculture sector remains foremost in Philippine economy. In 2006, Agriculture, which 
is largely farming and fisheries, employed 11.78 million persons or about 32.4 percent of 
the labor force. It contributes an average of 20 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic 
Product. Unfortunate is the trend in recent years which presents a dim picture for the 
agriculture sector and which culminated in a rice shortage during the first half of 2008, 
with the government resorting to rationing rice in urban centers. 
Unutilized and under-utilized farmlands are extant in the country and this is not because 
of the lack of competent farmers and farm laborers. It is because of the reluctance of 
farmers and the youth., to go into agriculture, particularly farming and fishing. The 
pervading perception, quite correct, is that farming is not a lucrative livelihood. And so 
despite the presence of unutilized and underutilized farming and the marginal potential in 
farming, enrolment in agriculture courses declined from 94,900 in School Year 2001- 
2002 to a low of 70,824 in 2004-2005, a reduction of more than 24,000 in just three 
years. 
“Food self-sufficiency and security.” That is a usual government exhortation which is 
largely ignored in policy-making and implementation. Because of the foregoing reasons, 
the Philippine agriculture sector suffers from insufficiency and insecurity. 
This bill seeks to encourage the Filipino youth to pursue farming and fishery as an 
occupation. Farming and fishing to be attractive to h e  youth should be productive and 
profitable for farmers and fishers. Farmers and fishers should not be confined with 
planting and catching fishes. They must also be equipped with learning in agriculture and 
with entrepreneurial skills. 
Specifically, this bill mandates a scholarship program for agriculture and fisheries 
students as well as support in agribusiness in exchange of extension services for our 
farmers and fisherfolks. 


Through this bill, it is hoped that the country would attain self-sufficiency and security in 
due time. Philippine agriculture will soon be in the hands of the youth- 
subject, of 
course, to their willingness to be at the helm of ensuring the survival of the present and 
future generations of healthy and well-fed Filipinos. 
In view of the foregoing, support for this bill is urged. v 
LOREN LEGARDA 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
S E N A T E  
Introduced by Senator Loren Lcgarda 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE YOUNG FARMERS PROGRAM, PROVIDING 
FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURF’OSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House ofRepresentatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
Section 1. Title. -This Act shall be known as the “Young Farmers Program Act of 
2009.” 
Sec. 2. Declaration ofPoZicy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to imbue 
among the Filipino youth a new perspective of farming and fishing, provide them career 
guidance, equip them with entrepreneurial skills and maximize their learning from 
school-to-work opportunities in the university’s academic, research and extension 
activities, inspire and make them productive partners in the development of the country’s 
agriculture and fishery sector. 
Sec. 3. Statement of Objectives. -This Act shall have the following objectives: 
a) To attract incoming college students to choose and complete a field in agriculture and 
fishery as a college codse; 
b) To prepare career options for students and graduates of agriculture and fishery courses; 
c) To involve agriculture and fishery students in the extension work of the university; 
and; 
d) To support students, graduates and out-of-school youth with academic background in 
agriculture and fisheries in their entrepreneurial pursuits in agribusiness. 
Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. - The following terms shall be defined under this Act: 
a) “Program” refers to the Young Program or YFP as established under this Act; 
b) “Young Farmers” refers to the following: 
1. State colleges and universities (SCUs) enrollees with a commitment to finish 
college, diploma or certificate program in agriculture and fisheries under a 
socialized tuition fee scheme of the Young Farmers Program; 
2. Bachelor degree, diploma or certificate course graduates of any agriculture and 
fishery courses of SCUs and private colleges and universities enlisted by the 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-National Agriculture and Fisheries 
System (NAFES) as members of the Young Farmers Program; and 


3. Out-of-school youth who finished at least two years of college education in 
agriculture and fisheries and are enlisted by the NAFES-SCUs as members of the 
YFP. 
c) National Agriculture and Fisheries Education System (NAFES) refers to the integrated 
system of agriculture and fishery education covering both public and private institutions 
in all three levels of education chaired by the Commission on Higher Education and 
created by the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997. 
Sec. 5. Implementation of the Program. The Extension Offices of the members of the 
National Agriculture and Fisheries System are hereby mandated to implement the Young 
Farmers Program. 
The NAFES Committee shall oversee and monitor the implementation of the Program. It 
shall likewise promulgate the rules and regulations, implement and adopt procedures and 
guidelines to effectively carry out the Program. 
Sec. 6. Role of LGUs. - The LGUs shall endeavour to support the Program through 
additional counterpart funding assistance. The Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) shall 
identify farms or fishfarms in need of assistance to become the field laboratory of 
currently enrolled Young Farmers in case they have not yet chosen laboratories of their 
O w n .  
Sec. 7. Role of SUC and Private Education Institutions. The NAFES-SCUs shall: 
a) Establish a Young Farmers Organization (YFO) out of their respective agriculture and 
fishery enrolees. 
b) Create a socialized tuition fee scheme for agriculture and fishery enrolees. 
c) Trace graduates and those who finished at least two years of their respective 
agriculture and fishery programs and invite them to become members of the 
university/college YFO; 
d) Conceptualize and implement an extension partnership with the Provincial Agriculture 
Offices (PAOs) and Municipal Agricultural Offices; 
e) Conceptualize a career path for the young farmers as agriculture and fishery 
entrepreneurs, support their start-up agri-businesses and forge a contract of service with 
them stipulating their assistance to small farmers and fisherfolks in exchange of 
government support. 
Section 8. Funding. The sum of FIFTY MILLION PESOS (PhP50,000,000.00) is hereby 
appropriated out of any savings or unexpended balance in the National Treasury not 
otherwise appropriated, to cover the amounts needed for the initial year of 
implementation. Thereafter, such amount as shall be needed for the Program shall be 
included in the budget of the SCUs. Amounts needed by the CHED for the management 
of the program and those, of the requirements of private colleges and universities for 
scholarships shall be released to the CHED-NAFES. 
All funds currently being 
appropriated for the Young Farmers Program in the Department of Agriculture shall be 
transferred to CHED-NAFES. Moreover, the CHED-NAFES and the Agricultural 
Competitive Enhancement Fund (ACEF) National Committee shall develop a 
rationalization scheme to allot a portion of ACEF-from 
both the seed fund as well as 
from repayments of loans-to 
the Young Farmers Program. Scholarships of students in 
private colleges and universities shall be given in the form of vouchers. 


Section 9. Effectivity. This Act shall effect thirty (30) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,