What if farmers and fishermen in the country had their own pension system?
AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee has filed in the 19th Congress House Bill (HB) No. 2420, or the proposed “Agriculture Pension Act”, in a bid to institutionalize a pension and social security benefit for the downtrodden sector.
Through his measure, Lee wants to guarantee Filipino farmers and fishers’ a steady source of income in order to meet their basic needs once they reach old age and retire.
The bill mandates the institutionalization of a “Farmers and Fisherfolk Social Security and Pension Program”.
This shall consist of a comprehensive set of objectives, targets, and holistic approach in the provision of sickness, maternity, disability, retirement, death, and funeral benefits to farmers and fisherfolk.
“In the trials that our country has gone through, farmers and fishers continue to work to support their families and ensure adequate food supply in our country. Through this measure, we can concretely show how we seriously value their diligence and sacrifices,” Lee said.
Farmers and fishers in the Philippines are reported to have the highest poverty incidences among the basic sectors in 2018. It was also reported that farm workers are being paid an average daily wage of P331.10 in 2019, the lowest daily wage as compared to workers in the industry and service sectors.
Amid this appalling situation, Lee underscored the need for the government’s intervention to help and protect agricultural workers from physical and economic risks.
“As beneficiaries of our farmers and fishers’ immense contributions to our country, it is incumbent upon us to address their present and future needs," the rookie solon said.
The proposed pension scheme shall be made consistent with the package benefits under the existing social security program of the Social Security System (SSS) and relevant programs of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
The PCIC, an attached agency of the DA, and the SSS shall be the primary implementing agencies of the provisions of this Act.
The amount necessary to carry out the initial implementation of this measure shall be drawn from the savings of the national government. The funds necessary for the continuous implementation of the program shall then be sourced from 10 percent of the total annual duties collected from the importation of agricultural products.
The supplemental amount necessary for its implementation shall be included in the annual appropriations of the DA.