TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
4' s - f
muf or;- A
25 AUG -4 P5 :40
SENATE 
S. No. ^56
Rl'CtIVf-D BY;
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
ENCOURAGING YOUTH SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN THE AGRICULTURAL 
SECTOR, ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE A "TULONG KABATAAN SA 
AGRIKULTURA PROGRAM" AND A "TULONG KABATAAN SA AGRIKULTURA 
TRUST FUND" APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Poverty and hunger are inextricably linked. According to the 2018 Family 
Income and Expenditure Survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 42.6% of 
Filipino families' expenditures are directed toward food—an increase of 0.8% from 
2015. Families in the lowest 30% income group spend even more on food, with 58.2% 
of their total expenditures devoted to this basic need. Furthermore, a mere 10% 
increase in food prices could push an additional 2.3 million Filipinos into poverty.
A strong agricultural sector is vital for ensuring food security in the country. 
However, current indicators reveal that the Philippine agricultural sector is struggling. 
Its contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has significantly 
dropped from 11.6% in 1998 to 7.3% in 2016, continuing to decline due to the effects 
of the COVID-19 pandemic. While labor productivity has improved, it still lags behind 
that of the industry and services sectors.


The most concerning factor is the aging farmer population. According to an 
article by Sara Soliven De Guzman in 2018, the average age of Filipino farmers ranges 
from 57 to 59 years old, with retirement typically occurring between 60 and 65 years 
of age. This poses a critical challenge as it suggests that a large proportion of our 
farmers will retire in the coming decade. Unfortunately, fewer young people are 
entering the agricultural profession, as evidenced by the 1.5% decrease in enrollment 
in agriculture-related courses from 2005 to 2010. As of December 2021, the 
agricultural sector employed just 25.6% of the total Filipino workforce. This raises an 
urgent question: Who will feed future generations?
This legislative measure proposes the establishment of the Tubong Kabataan 
sa Agrikultura scholarship program. This program aims to nurture a new generation 
of agricultural professionals by offering a ladderized curriculum in Agricultural 
Technology and Agri-business. The program will include a mix of formal education and 
on-the-job training (OJT), with at least 25% of the curriculum dedicated to practical 
experience in agribusiness ventures. These ventures will cover a wide range of 
agricultural activities, from crop production to livestock and aquaculture.
In light of the urgent need to address the challenges facing our agricultural 
sector, we strongly urge the immediate approval of this measure to ensure the long­
term sustainability of food production in the Philippines and provide opportunities for 
future agricultural leaders.
Filed previously by Senator Grace Poe during the 19th Congress, this measure 
underscores a strong commitment to revitalizing the agricultural sector as a strategic 
avenue for addressing poverty and hunger in the Philippines.
Approval of this measure is therefore earnestly sought.
NGGtoY E3ERCITO ESTRADA


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE 
S. No. 356
■(©ffM-f of t'r
25 AUG-4 P5:40
RECEIVED BV;
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
ENCOURAGING YOUTH SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN THE AGRICULTURAL 
SECTOR, ESTABLISHING FOR THE PURPOSE A "TULONG KABATAAN SA 
AGRIKULTURA PROGRAM" AND A "TULONG KABATAAN SA AGRIKULTURA 
TRUST FUND", APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the " Tuiong Kabataan sa
2 
Agrikuitura Act".
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall give priority to education, science
4 
and technology to accelerate social progress and promote development Towards this
5 
end, the government shall provide opportunities for all to obtain quality education and
6 
for this purpose, scholarships in Agriculture, Agri-Entrepreneurship, Forestry and
7 
Fisheries are hereby strengthened. It is also the policy of the State to develop
8 
graduates who will become competent agribusiness managers and entrepreneurs.
9 
Sec. 3. Objectives. - The objectives of this Act are to:
10 
a) Increase youth participation in the agricultural sector;
11 
b) Provide opportunities to poor but deserving students to realize their
12 
potentials in agribusiness and entrepreneurships;
13 
c) Develop competency skills and knowledge of students in agricultural
14 
technologies and agribusiness;


1 
d) Increase food production;
2 
e) Commercialize proven viable technologies to increase food production and
3 
income of rural communities through the development of livelihoods and
4 
markets;
5 
f) Provide Income to students while doing experiential learning and on-the-
6 
job training which form part of their degree programs;
7 
g) Link young farmer-students with credit, financing, and marketing
8 
institutions; and
9 
h) Contribute to the alleviation of poverty.
10 
Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. - for the purposes of this Act:
11 
a) Tuiong Kabataan sa Agrikuitura Program or The Program - refers to the
12 
scholarship program established by this Act which targets poor but
13 
deserving graduates of agricultural and fisheries tracks in senior high
14 
schools and similarly situated students taking up agriculture and related
15 
courses in tertiary education;
16 
b) Tuiong Kabataan sa Agrikuitura Trust Fund or The Fund- refers to the trust
17 
fund created under this Act to ensure the achievement of this Act's
18 
incentives;
19 
c) Agribusiness Venture Laboratory- refers to agricultural subjects and classes
20 
designed as business ventures in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and agri-
21 
entrepreneurship including but not limited to raising of poultry, goats, corn
22 
or rice or crop production and counted as satisfying the laboratory
23 
requirement of a course.
24 
Sec. 5. Estabiishment of a Tuiong Kabataan sa Agrikuitura Program. - A Tuiong
25 
Kabataan sa Agrikuitura scholarship program in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and
26 
related areas to be administered by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is
27 
hereby established. The program shall be a ladderized program in Diploma in
28 
Agricultural Technology (DAT), Bachelor in Agricultural Technology (BAT) and
29 
Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (BSAgrib). The program shall initially be offered
30 
by the University of the Philippines-Los Banos College of Agriculture in the first two
31 
(2) years of this Act's effectivity. The program shall be offered in SUCs which provide
32 
courses in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and other allied fields.


1 
Sec. 6. Target Beneficiaries. - The Program shall target senior high school
2 
graduates of agricultural and fisheries tracks, and similarly situated students of
3 
agriculture and fisheries in tertiary education, who have a general weighted average
4 
of at least eighty percent (80%) or its equivalent: Provided, That beneficiaries who
5 
complete the agriculture and fisheries tracks of senior high and who enroll in an
6 
agriculture, forestry, fisheries, or other similar course in tertiary education shall
7 
continue to be covered by the Program.
8 
Sec. 7. Assistance to Grantees. - Beneficiaries of the Program shall be entitled
9 
to financial assistance, which shall Include the following:
10 
a) Tuition and other school fees;
11 
b) Outright grant for prescribed textbooks and essential school supplies;
12 
c) Transportation expenses; and
13 
d) Monthly living allowance.
14 
Sec. 8. Curricuium Formuiation. - There is hereby established a technical
15 
committee which shall design the curriculum of the Program. The Committee shall be
16 
composed of the following:
17 
a) The Chairperson of the CfiED, or his 
permanent representative, as
18 
Chairperson of the Committee;
19 
b) The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), or his permanent
20 
representative, as the Vice Chairperson;
21 
c) The Dean of the University of the Philippines-Los Banos 
College of
22 
Agriculture; and
23 
d) One (1) representative each from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao from other
24 
colleges of agriculture, who shall be appointed by the President, and who
25 
shall each serve a term of one (1) year.
26 
At least twenty-five percent (25%) of the entire curriculum of the Program shall
27 
be in the form of on-the-job training or related learning experience. Laboratory
28 
components of various agricultural subjects shall be in the form of agribusiness
29 
ventures.
30 
Sec. 9. Strengthening Agri-Fisheries Tracks in Senior High. - To achieve the
31 
objectives of this Act, the Department of Education (DepEd) is hereby directed to


1 
ensure that agri-fisheries tracks are offered in as many senior high school program in
2 
appropriate areas nationwide.
3 
Sec. 10. Agribusiness Venture Laboratories. - Each agribusiness venture shall
4 
be under the supervision of a faculty who is also a technology expert in the chosen
5 
commodity. The agribusiness venture laboratory to be developed must have short
6 
gestation, around three (3) to twelve (12) months, should be science and technology
7 
based agribusiness, the end products should be highly marketable and the facilities
8 
needed should be present within the SUC.
9 
Sec. 11. Use of Idie Lands for the Agribusiness Venture Laboratory. - The
10 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shall make available
11 
untenured public lands under its jurisdiction for the use of students in their
12 
agribusiness ventures under appropriate arrangements with CHED and the
13 
participating SUCs.
14 
Sec. 12. Tuiong Kabataan sa Agrikuitura Trust Fund. - To ensure the financial
15 
sustainability of this Act, a Tuiong Kabataan sa Agrikuitura Trust Fund is hereby
16 
created. The Fund shall be used exclusively to fund the Program, and shall be funded
17 
from the following sources:
18 
a) The amount of Fifty million pesos (P50,000,000.00) as seed capital;
19 
b) The equivalent of ten percent (10%) annual share on the total gross
20 
collections of the travel tax;
21 
c) The equivalent of ten percent (10%) annual share on the total gross
22 
collections from the Professional Registration Fee of the Professional
23 
Regulatory Commission;
24 
d) Grants, donations and endowments from domestic and foreign sources,
25 
pursuant to existing laws and regulations;
26 
e) Such amounts as may be indicated under the General Appropriations Act
27 
(GAA) for the purpose of sustaining the Fund; and
28 
f) All interest income of the trust fund.
29 
Sec. 13. Administration of the Fund. - The CHED shall administer the fund and
30 
shall make available all records of how the funds are utilized, disbursed, and invested,
31 
in accordance with existing laws.
4


1 
Sec. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The CHED in coordination with
2 
the DA, and DENR and relevant private sector stakeholders shall prepare the
3 
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of this Act and promulgate it within ninety
4 
(90) days after approval of this Act.
5 
Sec. 15. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
6 
unconstitutional and invalid, the provisions hereof which are not affected shall
7 
continue to have force and effect.
8 
Sec. 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules or regulations
9 
thereof, inconsistent with this Act arc hereby modified or repealed accordingly.
10 
Sec. 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
11 
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
12 
circulation, whichever comes after.
Approved,