Under the Agriculture & Fisheries Modernization Act and the Rice Tariffication Law, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is mandated to facilitate the registration of all farmers, farm workers, and fisherfolks into the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBSA) for them to be eligible to avail of various agricultural programs from the government such as agricultural loans, crops and livestock insurance, provision of seeds, fertilizers, farm inputs, technical assistance, soil analysis, and issuance of livestock and poultry travel certification.
Who can apply?
All farmers, farm laborers, fisherfolks, and agri-youth Filipino citizens at least 18 years old can apply.
Farmers are people whose livelihood is the cultivation of land to produce crops, livestock, and poultry, solely or with the assistance of the farm household, whether the land is owned, leased, or shared.
Farm laborers are people who render services as an employee or laborers in an agriculture enterprise or farm. Unpaid family members who are farm workers are also included. However, drivers, tractor drivers, motorized farm equipment operators, office clerks, and veterinarians are excluded.
Fisherfolks are people directly and physically engaged in taking and culturing fishery and aquatic resources for commercial or house consumption. This also refers to fish workers and fishery operators but excludes fish vendors, fish processors, pump boat operators, and fishery or aquaculture caretakers.
Agri-youth includes 12 to 30 years old engaged in any agricultural activity or a member of a farming household. They also refer to someone who attended or is currently enrolled in formal or non-formal agri-fishery-related courses and programs.
How to register
Those eligible to register should secure and accomplish an RSBSA enrolment form that can be acquired from the local Municipal Agriculture Office or Department of Agriculture - Regional Field Office, photocopy of any valid government identification card, proof of land ownership for farm owners, and proof of agreement for lessees.
Submit the accomplished form together with the other documents to the Municipal Agriculture Office. The farmer’s photo, biometrics, and signature will be taken upon registration. Finally, enrollees will receive a stub with the RSBSA number as proof of registration.
Registration is voluntary, requires no registration fee, and serves as a lifetime enrollment. Once registered, enrollees will be eligible to apply and receive DA interventions and services. However, registration in the RSBSA does not guarantee that enrollees will automatically receive assistance from the government’s agriculture and fisheries program. The DA and other implementing agencies, such as the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), will still set the requirements and qualifications for their beneficiaries.
For more information, please contact your Municipal Agriculture Office or Department of Agriculture - Regional Field Office.