TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) JUL -3 75:48 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session SENATE 5.B. No. 112 Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A MINIMUM WAGE FOR FARMERS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE Article XII, Section 1 states that, " The goals of the national economy are a more equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth." Agriculture is the backbone of our economy. However, agriculture in real terms has been declining. During the past ten (10) years, the Philippine economy grew by an average of 4.8% per annum. On the same time period, the agricultural sector grew by an average of 0.6% per annum. As of April 2025, the agriculture sector employs 10.02 million individuals or 20.6% of the labor force and was responsible for the creation of 223 thousand new jobs compared to April 2024. However, despite this development, the sector's contribution to national income has been declining, from 11% in 2015 to 9.1% in 2024. This data is further captured by the official government statistics. According to the latest official poverty data of the Philippine Statistics Authority as generated through the 2023 Family Income and Expenditure Survey, farmers had a poverty incidence rate of 27% in 2023, which is only slightly lower than the 30% in 2021. Likewise, the poverty incidence among individuals residing in rural areas where agricultural activity is concentrated was recorded at 22.1 percent in 2023, higher than the poverty incidence of those in urban areas at 10.3 percent, with 11.35 million poor individuals living in rural areas. Given the factors stated above, it is imperative for the government to guarantee a minimum wage for the country's agricultural workers. Doing so will reduce the poverty rate of farmers and provide purchasing power to the countryside, allowing economic growth in rural areas.
This bill aims to provide a minimum wage for farmers and farm workers. The bill shall mandate the Department of Agriculture to provide income support for farmers to incentivize agriculture in the country. For the abovementioned reasons, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. IMEER. MARCOS
JUL -3 P5:48 TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session REY. SENATE S.B. No. 112 Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A MINIMUM WAGE FOR FARMERS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Minimum Wage for
Farmers Act".
SEC. 2. Minimum Wage for Farmers. - Farmers and farm workers
registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) should receive the guaranteed minimum wage for agricultural workers as determined by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in their respective regions. The Department of Agriculture shall determine the appropriate number of days worked and personnel per hectare of farmland for each major crop. Farmers and farmworkers are entitled for the difference between the computed income of farmers and the actual income received, Provided that, the Municipal Agricultural Officer (MAO) or the City Agricultural Officer (CAO) of each local government unit shall be responsible to monitor the output and progress of the farmers and farm workers.
SEC 3. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Budget and Management, and the Department of Finance, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.
SEC 4. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the implementation of this
Act shall be provided in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected
shall remain valid and subsisting.
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.
SEC. 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,