A proposed measure filed in the House of Representatives is seeking to grant qualified farmers a monthly pension of P3,000, along with life, accident, and disability insurance coverage, as part of a broader social protection program.
Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, author of House Bill (HB) No. 7663, said the initiative aims to provide financial stability to farmers who continue working well beyond retirement age due to unstable and insufficient income.
“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,” Romualdez said on his House Bill (HB) No. 7663.
The bill, titled “Comprehensive Farmers’ Pension and Social Protection Act,” was co-authored by Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre and is intended for elderly, disabled, and indigent farmers who are not currently receiving benefits from existing retirement systems.
Under the proposal, an elderly farmer is defined as a qualified individual aged 60 and above who is not receiving any pension from the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), or any private retirement plan.
The measure also covers disabled farmers, described as individuals with medically certified physical or mental impairments who are either temporarily or permanently unable to continue performing farm work they previously relied on for livelihood.
Meanwhile, indigent farmers are those officially classified by their local government units based on local data collection supervised by the Philippine Statistics Authority, in line with Republic Act No. 11315 or the Community-Based Monitoring System Act.
The bill broadly defines a farmer as anyone directly involved in agriculture-related work such as crop production, livestock raising, aquaculture, or similar activities, whether they work as a landowner, tenant, or agricultural laborer.
If passed into law, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will be tasked to lead the implementation of the pension program in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.
Apart from the P3,000 monthly pension, the program will also include basic life and disability insurance. The proposed life insurance benefit is pegged at P50,000, while accident and disability assistance may reach up to P25,000 per claim.
To ensure accessibility, the DA is also directed to allow beneficiaries or household members to claim benefits through accredited banks, cooperatives, and remittance centers.
Funding for the pension and insurance coverage will be sourced from the annual appropriations of the DA and DSWD, based on their approved budgets.
The proposal further requires the DA and other concerned agencies to create and maintain a national database of elderly, indigent, and disabled farmers for proper monitoring and program implementation.
Individuals found guilty of committing fraud in relation to the program may face imprisonment of one month to one year, or a fine ranging from P10,000 to P100,000, or both, depending on the offense.
Source - https://theglobalfilipinomagazine.com
