Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

fe
HOUSE BILL NO. 1008

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill which seeks to create the “Rural Employment Assistance Program”
for the benefit of qualified head of the family, or single adult member of poor
households in the rural areas has already been approved by the House of
Representatives on its 3" and final reading in the 17% Congress. So as to
equitably render meaningful the definition of social justice in the rural areas, it is
but imperative to refile the said bill to economically empower the poor and the
marginalized in the countryside.

Section 1, Article 13 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides, “The
Congress shall give highest priority to the enactment of measure that protect and
enhance the right of all the people to human dignity, reduce social, economic,
and political inequities, and remove cultural inequities by equitably diffusing
wealth and political power for the common good.”

It includes the commitment to create economic opportunities for the poor
through effective legislative measures. As defined under this act, the term “poor”
refers to individuals and families whose income falls below the poverty threshold
as defined by the government and/or cannot afford in a sustained manner to
provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other
essential amenities of life, or those who have been identified as poor by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the National
Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction. A “rural area” refers to a
barangay with at least fifty percent (50%) land area devoted to agriculture,
timberland, forest and/or pasture land as determined by the Comprehensive
Land Use Plan of the concerned local government unit. Through the Rural
Employment Assistance Program, temporary employment will be given to qualified
individuals.

Approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Veal /
MARLY#i L. IICIAS-AGABAS


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
.
HOUSE BILL No. LOOE

Introduced by Representative MARLYN L. PRIMICIAS-AGABAS

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A RURAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFORE

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

SECTION1. Short Title.- This Act shall be known asthe“Rural
Employment Assistance Program Act’.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy ofthe
State to promote a just and dynamic social order that will
ensurethe prosperity and independence of the nation and free
thepeople from poverty through policies that provide adequate
socialservices, promote full employment, a rising standard of
living, andan improved quality of life for all. Towards this ends,
the State shallprovide employment assistance to a qualified head
of a family orsingle adult member of poor households in rural
areas identified bythe National Household Targeting System for
Poverty Reduction(NHTS-PR) of the Department of Social Welfare
and Development(DSWD).

SEC. 3. Rural Employment Assistance Program. — There
ishereby created a Rural Employment Assistance Program
(REAP),which shall provide temporary employment to every
qualified headof a family or single adult member of a poor family
in rural areaswho volunteers to do unskilled labor for a minimum
of forty five (45)days but not more than ninety (90) days in a
calendar year.

SEC. 4. Definitionof Terms. - As used in this Act:

(a) Poor refers to individuals and families whose income
fallbelow the poverty threshold as defined by the government

and/orcannot afford in a sustained manner to provide their
minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and


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other essentialamenities of life, or those who have been identified
as poor by theNHTS-PR;

(b) Rural area refers to any barangay with atleast fiftypercent
(50%) land area devoted to agriculture, timberland, forestand/or
pasture land as determined by the Comprehensive Land Use plan
of the concerned local government unit (LGU); and

(c) Unskilled labor refers to a segment of the
workforceassociated with a limited skill set or minimal economic
valuefor the work performed. It is generally characterized by the
lowereducational attainment, such as a high school diploma,
GeneralEquivalency Diploma (GED) or lack thereof, and typically
results inlower wages.

SEC. 5. Qualifications for Availment of
EmploymentAssistance. - The DSWD, in close coordination with
the LGUs andother concerned government agencies, shall conduct
an assessmentof all poor individuals and families in rural areas
who signifyinterest in undertaking work as unskilled labor to
determineeligibility in availing of the employment assistance
program. Itshall take the lead in the implementation of the REAP
along projectidentification, implementation and monitoring of the
works andactivities.

Employment activities for this purpose shall be designed
tomobilize eligible individuals and families to finish a project in
agiven period. These projects may include the following:

(a)Development, _rebuilding/rehabilitation of -—_agri-
basedlivelihood assets destroyed or lost due to natural disasters
such asdesilting of irrigation canals, development of paddy dikes,
andrehabilitation of water impounding dams;

(b) Development or rehabilitation of common service
facilities,which are being shared and used by poor families as
production orconsolidation centers like postharvest facilities, and
public markets;

(c) Development or rehabilitation of common service facilities up
access to areas necessary to transport rural products such
asconstruction of farm to market roads and bridges; and

(d) Protection of productive assets through mitigationmeasures
such as mangrove planting and rehabilitation,treeplanting and
similar activities.

SEC. 6. Rate of Assistance. - Every person qualified underthis
Program shall be entitled to receive compensation for each dayof


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work employment assistance equal to the applicable
minimumwage set by the concerned Regional Tripartite Wage
andProductivity Board (RTWPB).

SEC. 7. Appropriations. - The Secretary of Social Welfareand
Development shall _beinclude theDSWD’s program
theimplementation of this Act, the initial funding of which shall
becharged against the current year’s appropriations of the
DSWD.Thereafter, the amount necessary for its continued
implementationshall beincluded in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

In addition, the DSWD may accept the donation, contributions
orgrants from various sources for the implementation of the REAP.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. ~ Withinninety
(90) days after the approval of this Act, the Secretary of theDSWD
shall, in consultation with the Secretary of the Development —_ of
the Interior and Local Government, issue the necessary rules
andregulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 9.Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act
isdeclared unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or
anyprovision not affected hereby shall remain in full force and
effect.

SEC. 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen
(15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any
newspaperof general circulation.

Approved,