Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
24 Regular Session

House Bill No. 8964

Introduced by Representative ERIC GO YAP

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 11203 or "An Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation
and Trading of Rice, Lifting for the Purpose the Quantitative Import Restriction on
Rice, and For Other Purposes," which was enacted on March 15, 2019, provides that if
the annual tariff revenues from rice importation exceed Ten Billion Pesos
(P10,000,000,000:00) in any given year within the six (6) period following the
effectivity of this Act, the excess tariff revenues shall be earmarked by Congress and
included in the General Appropriations Act (ACT) of the following year:

" (a) Rice Farmer Financial Assistance — A portion of the excess rice tariff revenues shall be released
to the DA and shall be used for providing direct financial assistance to rice farmers who are farming
two (2) hectares and below regardless of whether they continue farming rice or not as compensation
{or the projected reduction or loss of farm income arising from the tariffcation of the quantitative
import restrictions on rice;

* (b) Titling of Agricultural Rice Lands — A portion of the excess rice tariff revenues shall be released
to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) and Land Registration Authority (LRA). and shall be used for the subdivision and titling
of agricultural rice lands or parts thereof awarded to farmer-beneficiaries under the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and other similar programs of the government:

"(o) Expanded Crop Insurance Program on Rice - A portion of the excess tariff revenues shall be
released to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) and shall be used for the provision of
crop insurance to qualified rice farmer-beneficiaries under « its existing agricultural insurance
programs; and

*(d) Crop Diversification Program — A portion of the excess tariff revenues shall be released to the
DA and shall be used for productivity-enhancement programs for rice farmers seeking to diversify
production towards other crops.

"The Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization
(COCAFM) shall conduct a periodic review of the use of the Rice Fund."


This bill seeks to authorize the Department of Agriculture (DA) to use the
annual tariff revenues in excess of P10 billion, directly remitted from the BOC, for
direct cash assistance to farmers owning one (1) hectare or less of rice land until 2024.
According to the Bureau of Customs (BOC), they have collected P14.6 billion in
revenues from January to November 2020 from the 2.25 million metric tons of rice
imports during the 11-month period. This provision of excess collection to our farmers
shall provide them with immediate aid and assistance, most especially during these
difficult times.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

=a ERIC GO YAP


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
2nd Regular Session

House Bill No. Gg

Introduced by Representative ERIC GO YAP

AN ACT

AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO USE THE
ANNUAL TARIFF REVENUES IN EXCESS OF P10 BILLION, UNDER REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 11203 OR “AN ACT LIBERALIZING THE IMPORTATION,
EXPORTATION AND TRADING OF RICE, LIFTING FOR THE PURPOSE THE
QUANTITATIVE IMPORT RESTRICTION ON RICE, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES," FOR DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS OWNING ONE
(1) HECTARE OR LESS OF RICE LAND UNTIL 2024

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

SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Cash Assistance for
Filipino Farmers Act of 2020."

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby the declared policy of the State to
address the plight of small farmers in the country. The State recognizes the urgency
of intervening for our farmers in light of the current state of declining palay prices and
the crippling effects of the COVID pandemic. Towards this end, the State shall provide
monetary assistance to the hardest hit segments of our small farmers in the form of
actual giving of cash to farmers.

SEC. 3. Coverage. - This Act shall apply only to farmers owning one (1) hectare
or less of rice land. The Department of Agriculture (DA) shall establish actual
beneficiaries of this Act on the basis of its Registry System for Basic Sectors in
Agriculture (RSBSA) for rice.

SEC. 4. Authorization. - The DA is hereby authorized to use the monies from
the annual tariff revenues in excess of Ten billion pesos (P10B), as provided in Section
13 of Republic Act No. 11203, for direct provision of cash assistance to farmers. The
Bureau of Customs (BOC) is hereby mandated to directly remit to the DA the said
excess funds.

Further, any money in excess of Ten billion pesos (P10B) in the annual tariff
revenues in any given year in the life of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund


(RCEF) under said Act, shall automatically be given as cash assistance to farmers,
unless otherwise amended by law.

The BOC and the DA shall submit separate reports to Congress at year end,
through the Committee on Agriculture, on the remittance of funds and the actual
fund disbursement for the year, respectively.

SEC. 5. Funding. - The source of funds for the annual direct cash assistance to
farmers shall be the excess of Ten billion pesos (P10B) in the annual revenue
collections under Republic Act No. 11203.

SEC. 6. Separability Clause. - In case any provision or any part thereof is
declared unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared and affected shall
remain in force and effect.

SEC. 7. Repealing Clause, - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent or contrary to the provisions
of this Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately following its
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,