At A Glance
- Senior Citizen Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes sees the need to institutionalize a pension system for Filipino farmers and fishermen. Ordanes filed House Bill (HB) No.10740 or the proposed "Agriculture Pension Act" for this purpose.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Senior Citizen Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes sees the need to institutionalize a pension system for Filipino farmers and fishermen.
For this purpose, Ordanes filed House Bill (HB) No.10740 or the proposed “Agriculture Pension Act".
The proposed pension scheme will be consistent with the package benefits under the Social Security System (SSS) and relevant to the programs of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).
“This will provide farmers and fisherfolks with a modest, dependable source of income security upon their retirement,” said Ordanes.
“The program shall consists of a comprehensive set of objectives, targets, and a holistic approach to providing sickness, maternity, disability, retirement, death, and funeral benefits to farmers and fisherfolks,” he added.
Ordanes says the workers in agricultural sector are considered as the backbones of the economy, and thus need to be taken care of.
He lamented the existing condition of the farmers and fisherfolks whom he said remain the poorest and the most vulnerable members of the society.
“Their work is characterized by seasonal employment, exposure to climate risks, inadequate access to financial resources, which collectively contribute to their economic insecurity, especially in old age,” Ordanes said in the explanatory note of HB No.10740.
“As such, this bill aims to meet the unique needs of the country’s agricultural workers. It aims to ensure financial security in old age by providing a regular and reliable pension upon retirement as part of acknowledging their lifelong contribution to the nation’s food supply and economic stability,” he added.
Once the bill is enacted, it would be the PCIC and the SSS that would join forces to fulfill the objective of the law.
As to the budget for the pension, he said the amount necessary to carry out the initial implementation will come from the savings of the national government—and later, from 10 percent of the total amount of duties collected from the importation of agricultural products.
"The PCIC and the SSS shall collaborate with and secure the technical assistance of the
DA in all stages of implementation of this Act. The DA shall ensure the objectives of the Program are met and shall evaluate and monitor the Program’s contribution to the productivity," the measure read.