Manila: A House of Representatives bill is pushing for the passage of a measure that will grant a PHP3,000 monthly pension and life, accident, and disability insurance for farmers.
According to Philippines News Agency, House Bill No. 7663, also known as the Comprehensive Farmers' Pension and Social Protection Act, aims to provide a monthly pension and social protection program for qualified elderly, disabled, and indigent farmers who are not covered by existing retirement systems.
"The creation of a pension program for qualified elderly farmers is crucial for providing financial security, reducing poverty, and ensuring a decent standard of living in their later years, as they are often considered among the poorest in society with limited access to formal, consistent income," stated Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Romualdez further emphasized the necessity of pensions, stating, "Because many farmers face low, variable incomes and often work past traditional retirement age due to financial necessity, pensions offer a guaranteed, regular income source, reducing their dependence on family members or the need to sell off assets to cover living expenses."
Under HB 7663, an elderly farmer is defined as "a qualified farmer aged 60 years and above, not currently receiving any pension from the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) or any private retirement system." A disabled farmer is described as "a farmer with a medically certified physical or mental impairment, permanently or temporarily incapacitated for the performance of farm work in which he/she was habitually engaged."
Furthermore, an indigent farmer is officially classified based on "data collection at the local level, supervised by the Philippine Statistics Authority in accordance with Republic Act No. 11315, otherwise known as the Community-Based Monitoring System Act." A farmer, for this measure, is defined as "any individual primarily and directly engaged in crop production, livestock raising, aquaculture, or other agriculture-related work, whether as landowner, tenant, or agricultural worker."
The proposal outlines that the Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., shall implement the farmers' pension program. The envisioned basic life insurance will amount to PHP50,000, while accident and disability assistance will be up to PHP25,000 per claim.
Funds for the pension and insurance program will be included in the annual budgets of the DA and DSWD. The bill also mandates the DA and other relevant agencies to establish a national database of elderly, indigent, and disabled farmers.
To ensure the integrity of the program, the bill provides penalties of imprisonment from one month to one year, or a fine of PHP10,000 to PHP100,000, or both, for those involved in fraud related to the program. Public officers found guilty will face temporary disqualification from holding public office, in addition to administrative and criminal sanctions.
The measure is co-authored by Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.
