Bill on young farmers gets nod from NEDA

Pangasinan 4th District Rep. Christopher De Venecia expressed his elation over NEDA’s endorsement for the immediate passage of his bill, the Magna Carta of Young Farmers, which is aimed at recognizing, protecting, fulfilling, and promoting the well-being of young farmers, aged 15 to 35.

“I strongly believe that the government should encourage young people to engage in agriculture by establishing mechanisms for the promotion and protection of their rights, given the fact that the average age of Filipino farmers is 57-59 years old,” De Venecia said.

Acknowledging NEDA’s endorsement of his bill, De Venecia said, “I thank the NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) for lending its gravitas to this cause, and for its high-level advice to my fellow policy makers to pass the Magna Carta of Young

Farmers immediately.”

As the country’s premier socioeconomic planning body, NEDA is considered the authority in macroeconomic forecasting and policy, analysis and research.

During its recent briefing in Congress in line with the medium term socioeconomic blueprint, the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 20172022, NEDA Deputy Director General Rosemarie G. Edillon has eyed at least a dozen bills, including the Magna Carta of Young Farmers as priority legislations in the last three years of the Duterte administration to boost economic growth.

The Magna Carta of Young Farmers recognizes the strategic role of young farmers by providing a policy framework that will afford them a sense of pride so that they will opt to stay in the farms, make a decent living from agriculture and secure the food sufficiency of the country.