MANILA — A monthly P3,000 pension and insurance coverage for indigent, elderly, and disabled farmers has been proposed in the House of Representatives.

Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez introduced House Bill 7663, or the Comprehensive Farmers’ Pension and Social Protection Act, emphasizing that a pension and insurance program for qualified farmers is vital to provide financial security, reduce poverty, and ensure a decent standard of living in later years.

“Because many farmers face low, variable incomes and often work past traditional retirement age due to financial necessity, pensions offer a guaranteed, regular income source, reducing their dependence on family members or the need to sell off assets to cover living expenses,” Romualdez said.

Under the bill, the Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., would implement the pension program, offering both the monthly P3,000 pension and basic life and disability insurance for farmers not covered by SSS or GSIS.

The bill also mandates that beneficiaries, or their household members, can claim benefits directly through accredited banks, cooperatives, or remittance centers. Basic life insurance is capped at P50,000, while accident and disability assistance is limited to P25,000 per claim. Funding for the program will be included in the annual budgets of the DA and DSWD.

The bill defines an elderly farmer as anyone aged 60 and above who is not receiving a pension from SSS, GSIS, or any private retirement system. A disabled farmer is described as “a farmer with a medically certified physical or mental impairment, permanently or temporarily incapacitated for the performance of farm work in which he/she was habitually engaged.”

An indigent farmer is defined as someone officially recognized as such by their local government unit, based on data collection supervised by the Philippine Statistics Authority under the Community-Based Monitoring System Act (RA 11315). A farmer is broadly described as “any individual primarily and directly engaged in crop production, livestock raising, aquaculture, or other agriculture-related work, whether as landowner, tenant, or agricultural worker.”

The bill also includes penalties for fraud. Those found to have defrauded the government under the program could face imprisonment of one month to one year, a fine of P10,000 to P100,000, or both. Public officers found guilty would additionally face temporary disqualification from holding office, along with administrative and criminal sanctions.