NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 1955
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23 mar “2 Pl:03
RtCEiVLD BV;
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, JR.
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE DELINEATION OF THE SPECIFIC FOREST LIMITS OF 
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Forests are highly valuable lands which offer countless benefits to the general 
population. Apart from being major sources of food, water and other basic needs, 
forests nurture natural systems which mitigate harsh impacts of climate change 
(principally as carbon sink) and shelter biodiversity and various life forms. It is 
therefore important that forest lands be conserved and protected if we wish to sustain 
life on this planet, not only for our sake, but also for the future generations.
Article XII, Section 4 provides that "Congress shall, as soon as possible, 
determine, by law, the specific limits of forest lands and national parks, marking clearly 
their boundaries on the ground. Thereafter, such forest lands and national parks shall 
be conserved and may not be increased nor diminished, except by law. The Congress 
shall provide for such period as it may determine, measures to prohibit logging in 
endangered forests and watershed areas." Several attempts to realize this 
Constitutional mandate have been made over the years. The delineation of forest limits 
was included thrice in the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative Executive 
Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), and the measure was approved on Third and 
Final Reading in the House of Representatives during the 15th, 16th and 17th 
Congresses, but remained pending before the Senate.


This measure seeks to realize such a directive and provide the enabling law and 
definite legal authority for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
(DENR) to finally carry out the delineation and delimitation through the establishment 
of permanent boundary monuments of forest lands.
This measure intends to ensure effective protection, conservation and 
development of forest lands and its resources through permanent and clear 
demarcation and proper identification. It aims to resolve conflicts and confusion arising 
from unclear and indefinite forest boundaries, and avoid incorrect and unproductive 
land use.
The measure is also part of the priority legislative agenda of the updated 
Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 in ensuring ecological integrity, clean 
and healthy environment.
In view of the urgent need to save our forests from continued decline due to 
rapid urbanization, the immediate passage of this bill is recommended.
BONG REVILLA, JR.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No. 1955
(©fficr of tiji’ 
ftill'll
23 mar “2 PI :03
Rl-CEIVtO BY;
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, JR.
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE DELINEATION OF THE SPECIFIC FOREST LIMITS OF 
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Forest Land Limits Act."
2 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to conserve, protect
3 
and develop the forest resources of the country in order to attain ecological balance,
4 
preserve valuable ecosystems, prevent environmental degradation and promote
5 
sustainable development for the present and future generations. To achieve these
6 
ends. Section 4 of Article XII of the Constitution mandates Congress to determine by
7 
law the specific forest lands and national parks, marking clearly their boundaries on
8 
the ground.
9 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
10 
a. "Agricultural iandd' refer to alienable or disposable lands of the public domain
11 
which have been the subject of the land classification system and declared as
12 
not needed for forestry purposes;
13 
b. "Deiimitatiod' refers to the establishment of permanent boundary monuments
14 
of forest land through land survey in accordance with existing standards and
15 
practices;
16 
c. "Deiineatiod' refers to the conduct of site investigation, field reconnaissance
17 
and assessment, and staking of boundaries among forest lands, national parks


1 
and agricultural lands verified in the field in accordance with the criteria set
2 
forth under Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
3 
Administrative Order No. 2008-24;
4 
d. ''Forest' refers to a land with an area of more than half (0.5) hectare and with
5 
tree crown cover or equivalent stocking level of more than ten percent (10%).
6 
The trees should be able to reach a minimum height of five (5) meters at
7 
maturity in situ. It consists of either closed forest formations, where trees of
8 
various stories and undergrowth cover more than forty percent (40%) of the
9 
ground, or open formations where continuous vegetation cover more than ten
10 
(10%) but less than forty percent (40%) of the ground. Young natural stands
11 
and all plantations established for forest purposes are included in this definition;
12 
e. "Forest reservation^' refers to forest lands which have been reserved by the
13 
President of the Philippines for any specific purpose or purposes;
14 
f. "Production forest iandd' refer to forest lands available for timber and
15 
agroforestry production, range lands for 
grazing and other forest land special
16 
uses;
17 
g. "ProtectedAred' refers to identified portions of land or water that are set aside
18 
by reason of their unique physical and biological significance, and are managed
19 
to enhance biological diversity 
and protected 
against destructive human
20 
exploitation;
21 
h. "Protection of forest iandd' refers to all areas within the forest lands devoted
22 
primarily for the protection and conservation of forest resources to ensure
23 
environmental stability, conservation of biological diversity, improvement of
24 
ecosystem functions and services, and provision of ecological and economic
25 
benefits. All mossy and primary or old growth forest and natural beach, key
26 
biodiversity areas, areas regardless of slope and vegetation cover which are
27 
highly erodible or too rocky for establishment of production forests, developed
28 
for the principal objective of establishing vegetative cover to prevent erosion,
29 
conserve water and nurture wildlife, peat swamps, freshwater swamps, and
30 
marshes, existing natural mangroves, all areas along the bank of the rivers and
31 
streams, and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire length
32 
and within the zone of three (3) meters in urban areas, twenty (20) meters in


1 
agricultural areas, and forty (40) meters in forest areas, along their margins
2 
which are subject to the easement of public use in the interest of recreation,
3 
settlements, navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage, shall also be
4 
subclassified as protection forest lands. All extractive activities, including cutting
5 
of trees and mining, are banned in these protection forest lands: Provided, That
6 
the provisions of Republic Act 8371, or the "Indigenous People's Rights Act of
7 
1997' and Republic Act 7586, or the "National Integrated Protected Areas
8 
System of 1992', as amended by Republic Act 11038, or the "Expanded
9 
National Integrated Protected System Act of 2018," shall be respected;
10 
i. "Tenured migrant communities refer to communities within forest lands which
11 
have actually and continuously occupied such areas for five (5) years before
12 
the designation of the same as forest lands in accordance with this Act, and are
13 
solely dependent therein for subsistence.
14 
Sec. 4. Forestlands. - The following shall constitute the forest lands:
15 
a. All lands of the public domain already classified as forest land as per existing
16 
land classification maps issued by the DENR;
17 
b. All permanent forest reserves proclaimed as such by the President or declared
18 
by law; and
19 
c. Such areas within the unclassified lands of the public domain that were
20 
assessed and delineated by the DENR in accordance with pertinent laws, rules
21 
and regulations and which may hereafter be classified as forest land by the
22 
DENR.
23 
Sec. 5. Determining the Specific Limits of Forest Lands. - The following
24 
guidelines and procedures shall be followed in determining the specific limits of forest
25 
lands in the country:
26 
a. The previously-established land classification (LC) survey lines per province
27 
with their respective technical descriptions (TDs) and maps shall be the basic
28 
data and information that will be used as reference material in undertaking the
29 
validation, assessment and delineation process.
30 
b. All completed assessment and delineation reports for a given province shall be
31 
endorsed to the National Review and Evaluation Committee created under
32 
Section 6 hereof for final approval.


1 
c. The same process shall be followed for other provinces with ongoing
2 
assessments and delineation activities until such time that all the boundaries of
3 
forest lands of the whole country shall have been delimited: Provided, That all
4 
assessments, validations and delineations shall be completed not later than one
5 
(1) year after the passage of this Act.
6 
Sec. 6. National Review and Evaluation Committee. - Pursuant to the
7 
Constitutional mandate embodied in Section 4, Article XII thereof, and in view of the
8 
urgent need to establish the permanent limits of the forest lands of the country, a
9 
National Review and Evaluation Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee,
10 
is hereby created to process, evaluate and approve all completed assessment and
11 
delineation reports referred to in the immediately preceding section. The Committee,
12 
in its evaluation and approval of the said reports, shall adhere strictly to existing
13 
established laws, policies, rules, regulations and guidelines pertinent thereto.
14 
The Committee shall be composed of the following:
15 
a. Secretary of the DENR as Chairperson;
16 
b. Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as Vice-
17 
Chairperson;
18 
c. Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as
19 
Member;
20 
d. Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) as Member;
21 
e. Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) as Member;
22 
f. Chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) as
23 
Member; and
24 
g. Secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development
25 
(DHSUD) as Member.
26 
The assessment and delineation reports as approved by the Committee shall
27 
be adopted as constituting the final boundaries of forest lands covered by the reports.
28 
The Committee shall submit to Congress the approved assessment and delineation
29 
reports for each province which shall thereafter form part of its official records.
30 
Sec. 7. Demarcation and Delimitation of Final Forest Land Boundary. -
31 
Immediately after the passage of this Act, the final forest line determined and
32 
established by the DENR shall be adopted as the final forest land boundary of the


1 
country and all monuments established shall be deemed permanent. Maps of the final
2 
forest land boundary prepared by the DENR shall be attached as an integral part of
3 
this Act as reference.
4 
Sec. 8. Permanency of the Specific Forest Lands Limits. - The perma nent forest
5 
lands established pursuant to this Act shall not be diminished nor reduced except by
6 
an Act of Congress. The DENR, in coordination with relevant government agencies,
7 
shall see to it that the forest cover and vegetation therein shall be protected, preserved
8 
and enhanced.
9 
Sec. 9. Sub-ciassification of the Permanent Forest Lands. - The DENR shall
10 
undertake the sub-classification of permanent forest lands into protection forests and
11 
production forests.
12 
Sec. 10. Recognition of the Rights of the Indigenous Cultural
13 
Communities/Indigenous Peoples and Tenured Migrant Communities. - In the ground
14 
delineation of the permanent forest limits, the occupation by indigenous cultural
15 
communities/indigenous peoples and tenured migrants shall be recognized and
16 
respected consistent with the provisions of Republic Act No. 7160 or the ''Local
17 
Government Code of 1991," Republic Act No. 8371 or the "Indigenous Peoples Rights
18 
Act (IPRA) of 1997," and Presidential Decree No. 705, as amended, or the "Forestry
19 
Code of the Philippines."
20 
Sec. 11. Accessibility of Record to the Public. - All records and information
21 
pertaining to the specific forest limits delineated pursuant to this Act shall be made
22 
available to all local government units (LGUs), other government agencies, and to the
23 
general public.
24 
Sec. 12. Land Classification Conflict Adjudication Board. - A Land Classification
25 
Conflict Adjudication Board, hereinafter referred to as the Board, is hereby created to
26 
resolve controversies arising from land classification as a result of the delimitation of
27 
forest lands pursuant to this Act. The Board shall be composed the following:
28 
a. Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) as Chairperson;
29 
b. Administrator of the Land Registration Authority (LRA) as Member;
30 
c. Representative from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) as Member;
31 
d. Representative from a reputable College of Forestry as Member; and
32 
e. Representative from the private sector as Member.


1 
Sec. 13. Powers and Functions of the Adjudication Board. - The Board shall
2 
have the following powers and functions:
3 
a. Adjudicate cases on land conflicts and adverse claim before it for resolution;
4 
b. Summon witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony and require submission
5 
of reports;
6 
c. Compel production of books and documents and answers to interrogatories;
7 
and
8 
d. Issue subpoena duces tecum, writs of possession, writs of execution and other
9 
writs to enforce its order and decisions.
10 
In any proceeding before the Board, the Rules of Evidence prevailing in courts
11 
of law or equity shall not be controlling and it is the spirit and intention of this Act that
12 
shall govern. The Board shall use all reasonable means to ascertain the facts in each
13 
case speedily and objectively. The findings of fact of the Board shall be conclusive and
14 
binding on the parties and its decision or order shall be final and executory.
15 
A petition for review on certiorari may be filed by the aggrieved party with the
16 
Supreme Court within thirty (30) days from receipt of the order or decision of the
17 
Board.
18 
Sec. 14. Monitoring, Evaiuation and Reporting System. - To attain the
19 
objectives of this Act, a field monitoring, evaluation and reporting system shall be
20 
adopted by DENR to provide up-to-date information on the state of the country's forest
21 
lands after their delineation and ensure that these lands are protected and conserved.
22 
Sec. 15. Appropriations. - DENR shall include 
in their program the
23 
implementation of this Act, the initial funding of which shall be charged against the
24 
current year's appropriations of the Department and thereafter shall be included in
25 
the annual General Appropriations Act.
26 
Funds for the implementation of the provisions 
of this Act shall be
27 
supplemented from any available official development assistance (ODA) and from joint
28 
projects between agencies of the Philippines and an assisting country. LGUs shall also
29 
allocate counterpart funds to be taken from their national tax allotment (NTA) and
30 
other LGU income for the delineation of the forest limits within their respective
31 
territorial jurisdictions.


1 
Sec. 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) - Within ninety (90) days
2 
from the effectivity of this Act, DENR shall issue the corresponding IRR for the effective
3 
implementation of this Act.
4 
Sec. 17. Separability Clause. — If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
5 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall
6 
remain in force and effect.
7 
Sec. 18. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
8 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or
9 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended
10 
accordingly.
11 
Sec. 19. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
12 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in
13 
the Philippines.
Approved,