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

HOUSE BILL NO. _6805

Introduced by REP. AURELIO “DONG” D. GONZALES, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Agriculture plays a significant role in the Philippine economy. This is measured by the
valuation of the output of the agricultural sector as percent in the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP). About 40% of Filipino workers are involved in agriculture, and that sector contributes an
average of 20% to our GDP. The country’s main agricultural crops are rice, corn, coconut, sugar-
cane, banana, and abaca.

The Philippine Government has recognized the dismal performance of the agricultural
sector despite its contribution to the country’s GDP, which was attributed to external factors,
such as extreme weather conditions and poor adoption of technological advancement in the agri-
cultural sector. Other long-standing issues such as limited access to credit, lack of sufficient re-
search and development, insufficient governmental subsidy, and inadequate post-harvest facili-
ties also impede Philippine agricultural development.

The proposed Bill intends to address problems of the agricultural sector by consolidating
all agricultural lands in the Philippines on a per province basis, for ease of profiling; initiate a
comprehensive land titling of agricultural areas; and strengthen post-harvest facility for agricul-
tural development.

Under this bill, the Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources-Land Management Bureau, shall be tasked to consolidate
agricultural lands within the Philippines and initiate titling of such lands.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of the bill is earnestly sought.

3 lay

REP. AURELIO “DONG” D. GONZALES, JR
3rd District, Pampanga


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BILL No, 8805

Introduced by REP. AURELIO “DONG” D. GONZALES, JR.

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CONSOLIDATION OF AGRICUL-
TURAL LANDS, TITLING OF UNTITLED AGRICULTURAL LANDS, PROVIDING
FOR POST-HARVEST FACILITIES TO RICE FARMERS, ESTABLISHING IDENTIFI-
CATION SYSTEM TO LAND OWNER/FARMER AND AGRICULTURAL TENANTS
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assem-
bled:

Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as “Agricultural Support Act of 2020.”
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ It is hereby declared as national policy to:

i, Promote agricultural and rural development through the comprehensive consolidation of
agricultural lands in the country which would help the Department of Agriculture in basic
profiling of land owners and tenants;

ii, Increase agricultural output and production by providing an efficient post-harvest facility,
equipment, implements, and machinery to rice farmers; and

ii. Advance the development of the agricultural sector and provide a systematic approach in
‘communal farming to sustain the country’s food security and stability.

Section 3. Objective and Mandate. - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources~
Land Management Bureau, hereinafter referred to as the Bureau, shall underke a ten (10)-year
program for the purpose of mapping, surveying, consolidating, and titling of all untitled agricul-
tural land in the entire Philippines on a per province undertaking. The Bureau shall :

i. Serve as the technical and administrative secretariat of the program;

ii, Undertake research, development and extension of appropriate and cost-efficient system
in the mapping, surveying, and consolidating of all agricultural lands in the Philippines;

iii, Formulate and implement a comprehensive national titling program for agricultural lands;
and

iv, Prepare a comprehensive work program for the consolidation and titling of all agricultu-
ral lands.


Section 4. Accelerated Titling of Agricultural Land. ~The Bureau shall have the following pri-
orities and guidelines in the conduct of mapping, surveying, consolidation, and titling of agricul-
tural lands:

i. Conduct an inventory of all agricultural lands in the Philippines, whether titled or untit-
led;

ii, List the priority of proposed pilot provinces that can be used as a benchmark for compre-
hensive mapping, surveying, consolidation and titling;

iii, Implement such program in pilot provinces to determine the Bureaus capability in under-
taking the program for the entire country; and

iv. Draw-up a work program that is realistic, achievable, and annually target specific regions
that can be subjected to the program.

Section 5. Selection Of Qualified Beneficiaries. - On a nationwide basis, the Department of
Agriculture shall select qualified beneficiaries of the program using a standardized targeting sys-
tem. It shall conduct a regular revalidation of beneficiary targeting every three (3) years. The
Department of Agriculture shall provide such programs, technical support, including capacity
building and monitoring in the implementation of this Act.

Section 6. Establishment of Post Harvest Facility, Equipment, and Machineries, The De-
partment of Public Works and Highways, in collaboration with Department of Agriculture and
farmer cooperatives shall establish state-of-the-art rice milling facilities and palay drying equip-
ment in every province. Also, the Department of Trade and Industry in cooperation with De-
partment of Agriculture and farmer cooperatives shall provide state-of-the-art agricultural
‘equipments and machineries to aid local farmers in producing a high variety of rice.

Section 7. The Land Owner / Farmer and Agricultural Tenant Identification System. The
identification system herein referred to as the Agricultural Identification System is hereby esta-
blished as an economic tool towards the effective implementation of the profiling system in the
agricultural sector.

Section 8. The Land Owner / Farmer and Agricultural Tenant Identification Card. Every
Land Owner of Agricultural Land and Agricultural Tenant is mandated to have a non-transferable
Identification Card to be named and known as ‘Agri ID * that shall have a validity of Five (5)
years. The Agri ID shall be made of tamper proof security material. It shall have on its face the
imprinted photograph, name, birthdate, date of issue, signature of the holder, a corresponding
serial number and such other necessary data as may be deemed necessary.

Section 9. Registration. Every Land Owner / Farmer and Agricultural Tenant shall within One
(1) year after the promulgation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations subsequent to the ap-
proval of this Act, is mandated to apply for registration and issuance of the Agri ID at the offices
of Department of Agriculture nationwide.

Section 10. Functional Uses of the Agri ID. The Agri ID shall be presented and honored in
transactions requiring the identity, status, and other personal circumstances such as but not limi-
ted to the following :

1, All transactions with the government
2. Banking transactions with Land Bank of the Philippines

3. Availment of benefits or privileges given by the government to landowner/farmer and
agricultural tenant

4. Filing of applications for services and benefits offered by agencies of the government per-
taining to the agricultural sector


5. Proof of Identity

Section 11. Appropriations. - Accelerated Titling of Agricultural Land Fund, Post Harvest
Facilities and Identification System. ~ For the initial implementation of this Act, the amount of
One billion pesos (P'1,000,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the accelerated titling of agri-
cultural lands and the provision of efficient post-harvest facilities, equipment, implements, and
machinery to rice farmers, including the implementation of the Identification System to Land
Owner / Farmer and Agricultural Tenant to effective upon approval of this Act and to be incorpo-
rated in the annual budget of the Bureau. Thereafter, a Special Fund shall be established by the
Department of Budget and Management in the Annual General Appropriations for the continuous
implementation of this Act in the annual budget of the Bureau until its tenth (10) year comple-
tion date.

Section 12. Oversight Provisions. ~ A Joint Congressional Oversight Committee, composed of
five (5) members each from the House of the Representatives and Senate, respectively, coming
from the House of Representatives Committees on Agrarian Reform, Agriculture and Food, Nat-
ural Resources, and Land Use, and from the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Food and Agrar-
ian Reform, and Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, shall be created to moni-
tor the strict implementation of this Act and the exercise of the authority granted hereunder.

Section 13. 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 thereby shall remain in
full force and effect.

Section 14. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or
other issuances or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Section 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,