Revilla pushes for conditional cash aid for poor rice farmers

Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. has filed a bill that seeks to provide conditional cash transfer to qualified poor rice farming households.

According to Revilla, the measure, dubbed "Pantawid Magsasakang Pilipino Act," seeks to provide a national strategy that will reduce rural poverty and ensure food security and sufficiency in the country.

Under the proposed measure, the Department of Social Welfare and Development will be mandated to identify the beneficiaries of the program, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Reform.

The cash aid will be sourced from the amount of annual tariff revenues from rice importation in excess of P10 billion and shall be determined depending on the number of eligible beneficiaries and the administrative and financial cost of providing the grant.

To give additional income to the qualified families, Revilla's bill mandates the DSWD to facilitate short-term intervention to provide temporary employment to the members of the rice farming households.

Revilla said the proposed law will complement Republic Act No. 11598 or the Cash Assistance for Filipino Farmers Act.

RA 11598 mandates the DA to provide P5,000 worth of conditional cash grants to rice land farmers tilling two hectares or less.

Apart from this, Revilla filed the following measures as his pet bills in the 19th Congress: Amendments to Centenarians Act of 2016, Free Public Housing Act, Revival of Philippine Movie Industry Act of 2022, Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2022, Family Medical Leave Act of 2022, Kaayusan sa Adhikaing Pagamutan Act, Amendment to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, and the Right to Adequate Food Act. —Hana Bordey/KBK, GMA News