Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has filed a bill proposing a ₱3,000 monthly pension and life, accident, and disability insurance for farmers.
Romualdez said House Bill 7663 aims to provide financial security for elderly farmers, who are “often among the poorest in society with limited access to formal, consistent income.”
“Because many farmers face low and unstable earnings and often work past retirement age out of necessity, pensions offer a guaranteed income source, reducing their dependence on family members or the need to sell assets,” he added.
The measure, titled the “Comprehensive Farmers’ Pension and Social Protection Act,” is co‑authored by Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.
The bill defines an elderly farmer as someone aged 60 and above who is not receiving any pension from the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), or private retirement systems.
A disabled farmer is one medically certified as permanently or temporarily unable to perform farm work. Indigent farmers are those classified as such by their local government units (LGUs) under the Community-Based Monitoring System Act.
A farmer is defined as any individual directly engaged in crop production, livestock raising, aquaculture, or related agricultural work, whether as landowner, tenant, or worker.
Under the proposal, the Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., will implement the program.
It will provide a ₱3,000 monthly pension and basic life and disability insurance for farmers not covered by SSS or GSIS. Claims may be processed through accredited banks, cooperatives, or remittance centers.
The bill sets basic life insurance at ₱50,000 and accident or disability assistance at up to ₱25,000 per claim. Funding will be included in the annual budgets of the DA and DSWD.
The measure also mandates the creation of a national database of elderly, indigent, and disabled farmers.
Fraud related to the program will be punishable by one month to one year of imprisonment, a fine of ₱10,000 to ₱100,000, or both. Public officials found liable will face temporary disqualification from office, in addition to administrative and criminal sanctions.
