Article 148Labor and Agrarian Laws and Social Legislation, p. 148

LABOR LAWS AND SOCIAL LEGISLATION SPECIAL LAWS AND IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

cooperative banks and promote the growth of networks

of cooperative banks.

CHAPTER VIII Wage, Incentives and Price

Support

SECTION 23. Incentives . — Small farmers, including

agricultural

share

tenants

and

lessees,

regular

and

seasonal

farmworkers

and

beneficiaries

under

the

Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL), shall be

entitled to the following privileges or incentives:

(1)

Financial

and

technical

assistance

shall

be

awarded

to

deserving

farmers'

organizations

implementing livelihood projects. Concerned national

offices or agencies shall assist them in locating markets

for their produce and by providing other support services

necessary for the success of their projects;

(2) Barangay, municipal or provincial officials shall

assist

their

respective

communities

to

make

the

necessary

representations

before

the

appropriate

government

agencies

in

seeking

assistance

for

agro-based projects. They shall be encouraged to support

farmers to set up site specific agro-based projects that

shall be operated in a business-like manner;

(3)

The

Department

of

Agriculture

and

other

concerned

agencies

shall

promote

investment

and

financing

programs

designed

to

channel

financial

resources to livelihood projects in the countryside;

(4) Preferential tariff terms shall be extended on farm

inputs and spare parts, farm machinery and equipment

imported by farmers' organizations provided that these

are specifically for their projects;

(5)

The

Government

shall

give

incentives

and

recognition

to

farmers

and

farmers'

organizations

adopting more efficient farm technologies or equipment

resulting in increased productivity and income;

(6) The Government shall widen the scope of the

existing

crop

and

livestock

insurance

programs

by

providing an insurance scheme that can accommodate

major crops, livestock and other produce of small farmers;

(7) Study tours of short duration, local or overseas,

shall be provided to deserving small farmers to improve

their technological competence and knowledge;

(8) A system of certification of farm skills shall be

instituted by the Department of Agriculture through duly

authorized institutions to upgrade the skills of farmers

and farmworkers;

(9) Farmers' insurance coverage by the Social Security

System subject to its charter shall be extended to small

farmers and farmworkers; and

(10) Importations shall not be allowed on agricultural

products that are produced locally in sufficient quantity.

Importation policies should include the protection of new

and developing crops such as soybean, ramie, sorghum

and

wheat.

Importation

policies

shall

be

reviewed

periodically by the Government in consultation with

farmers' organizations.

SECTION 24. Income-generating Activities . — Small

farmers

shall

be

encouraged

to

engage

in

other

income-generating activities to supplement their farm

income. National agencies, in collaboration with local

government

units,

shall

provide

technical

and skills

training assistance through farmers' organizations, and

shall also be tasked to provide marketing assistance to

small farmers.

Farmers' organizations shall be the main conduits for

funding

livelihood

projects.

Assistance

to

livelihood

projects shall include identification of specific markets

and

facilitating

access

to

market

facilities.

The

Government shall also provide other support services

necessary for the success of livelihood projects. Priority

shall be given to demand-pulled production activities.

SECTION 25. Price Support . — The Department of

Agriculture,

through

its

appropriate

agencies,

shall

establish a price support system for certain agricultural

products,

especially

rice

and

corn,

taking

into

consideration the need to increase the real income of

small farmers: Provided, however , That the price support

established shall not result in the increase of the retail

prices of such products beyond the paying capacity of the

average

consumer:

Provided,

further ,

That

the

Government shall also endeavor to set farmgate prices

that respond to the changing economic conditions.

In

addition,

the

Government

shall

minimize

importation of farm inputs which are being developed

locally, such as fertilizers and seeds, except at times of

calamities or emergencies.

SECTION

26.

Minimum

Wage .

— Rural workers

including regular farm workers shall be entitled to wage

levels prescribed by the Regional Tripartite Wages and

Productivity Board pursuant to Republic Act Numbered

Sixty-seven hundred and twenty-seven. Contract workers

or

seasonal

farmworkers

shall

also

be

entitled

to

minimum wages unless they receive higher wages under

the terms of their contracts.

SECTION 27. Procurement of Agricultural Produce .

— The National Food Authority or any other appropriate

agency

of

the

Department

of

Agriculture

which

implements

the

government

price

support

for

agricultural produce, especially rice and corn, shall only

procure and purchase palay , corn or other agricultural

produce

directly

from

small

farmers

or

farmers'

organizations.

Such

agency shall devise an effective

procurement scheme to ensure that small farmers can

avail of this benefit.

Any official or employee of such agency who allows,

consorts or connives with any trader or non-farmer in the

purchase of rice, corn or other agricultural produce or

inputs subject to price support or any other government

subsidy which is intended exclusively to benefit small

farmers, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Ten

thousand pesos (P10,000.00) or by imprisonment for a

term of not less than two (2) years but not more than four

(4) years, or both at the discretion of the court, without

prejudice to administrative sanctions imposed by the

subject agency with perpetual disqualification to hold

public

office. The Probation Law shall not apply to

penalties imposed under this Act.

Authentic copies of any evidence of procurement or

purchase of palay , corn and other agricultural produce

enjoying price support as provided in this section shall,

within thirty (30) days from the issuance thereof, be

furnished the Bureau of Internal Revenue by the National

Food Authority or any other agency of the Government

implementing price support therefor, subject to the

penalties

provided

in

the

preceding

paragraph

for

violation thereof.

The

penalties

provided

under

this

section

shall

likewise apply to any official or employee of the National

Food Authority or to any such similar agency of the

Government who consorts or connives with any trader or

nonfarmer in the sale of rice, corn or other agricultural

produce sold under any government program.

CHAPTER IX Research and Extension Services

SECTION 28. Research and Development System . —

The R and D System shall conduct mission-oriented or

strategic

research

and

adaptation

trials

taking

into

consideration

specific

needs

of

the

intended

beneficiaries. The results of these adaptation trials shall

be verified under actual farm conditions to determine

their performance in comparison with existing farming

systems.

The R and D System shall complement national

research centers by contributing studies or actual data to

such studies. It shall concentrate on addressing the

problems faced by farmers at the local level. The R and D

System shall also tap the knowledge or experience of the

farmers in the area and, through proper assessment and

© Compiled By RGL

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