Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bit no. 11062

Introduced by Rep. Ray T. Reyes

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The United Nations, through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has
stated that extreme weather events have “multiplied” in 2020, and are likely to become more
frequent, widespread, and intense.

Five of the deadliest typhoons to have hit the Philippines have happened since 2003,
while the ten most destructive in terms of damage have happened within the last 15 years.
The destruction left by typhoons within the past ten years alone has left thousands dead, and
scores of families homeless, with billions of pesos worth of damage to public infrastructure,
private properties, and agriculture.

The Institute for Economics and Peace lists the Philippines as one of the countries
most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Given its geographic location in the typhoon
belt, the Philippines is hit by an average of 20 typhoons per year. The rise in global
temperatures has resulted in higher-category hurricanes and torrential rain which can cause
swollen waterways resulting in massive flooding.

Apart from stronger typhoons which cause storm surges and heavier rainfall, the melting
of ice caps puts coastal communities at risk due to the rise of sea levels. The Province of
Batangas consists of 34 cities and municipalities, with 14 of these municipalities and 1 city
being located along the coast. These were heavily impacted by floods due to Typhoon Kristine
in October this year.

This bill seeks to establish flood prevention, control, defense, and management system
in the Province of Batangas to mitigate and adapt to the effects of flooding caused by extreme
weather events through the creation of infrastructure that can mitigate flooding and reduce its
effects on the population, cultural heritages, and economy, while balancing environmental and
ecological stability.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

=
Representative, Anakalusugan Party-List


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House eit no. 11062

Introduced by Rep. Ray T. Reyes

‘AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED FLOOD PREVENTION,
CONTROL, DEFENSE AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE PROVINCE OF
BATANGAS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Comprehensive and Integrated
Batangas Flood Prevention, Control, Defense and Management System”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ Itis the policy of the State to:

a) Uphold the constitutional rights of the people to life and property;

b) Provide the necessary public goods such as flood-control infrastructure to limit the
effects of water-related risks stemming from natural and manmade disasters;

©) Protect the rights of the people while promoting environmental consciousness and
sustainability;

4) Protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness
among the people to effectively carry out the programs and projects of the government
essential for the growth and health of the nation, especially in times where the country
experiences natural or manmade disasters, calamities, risks and security threats;

e) Adopt a disaster risk reduction and management approach that is complete,
comprehensive, integrated and proactive in lessening the socio-economic and
environmental impacts of disasters including extreme weather events, and promote
the involvement and participation of all sectors and all stakeholders concerned, at all
levels;

f) Recognize and strengthen the capacities of local government units (LGU) and
‘communities in mitigating and adapting to, responding to, and recovering from the
impact of disasters;

9) Institutionalize the policies, structures, coordination mechanisms and programs with
continuing budget appropriation on disaster risk reduction from the national
goverment down to local levels towards building a disaster-resilient nation and
‘communities;


‘Towards this end, this Act aims to establish a comprehensive and integrated Flood Prevention,
Control, Defense and Management System in the Province of Batangas to mitigate flooding
caused by extreme weather events and other factors, and adopt thereto.

‘SECTION 3. Flood Control, Prevention, Management and Defense System. - There shall
be established a Batangas Interagency Project Management Office headed by the
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), in coordination and consultation with the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of the Interior and
Local Government (DILG), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of
Human Settlements and Urban Development (OHSUD), the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council (NEDA), the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP),
local government units within the Province of Batangas, and accredited civil society groups
and indigenous peoples groups and/or communities representing residents of the Province of
Batangas that shall undertake the construction of a Flood Prevention, Control, Defense and
Management System.

The Batangas Project Management Office shall identify and determine the projects that shall
be constructed in line with the purposes of this Act, embodied in a comprehensive flood
management plan for the Province, such as, but not limited to: pumping stations, rainwater
harvesting facilities, water catchment and drainage systems.

SECTION 4. Operating and Guiding Principles. - In establishing the Batangas Flood
Prevention, Control, Defense and Management System, the Batangas Interagency Project
Management Office shall adhere to the principles of safety, resilience, and sustainability.

As far as practicable, the Batangas Interagency Project Management Office shall secure the
residents of Batangas from floods while:

a) Ensuring the residents’ access to adequate, affordable and safe housing and
resettlement;

b) Providing residents access to safe, affordable, accessible, ecofriendly and sustainable
transport systems and improving road safety;

©) Enhancing inclusive, ecofriendly and sustainable urbanization;

d) Protecting and safeguarding the cultural and natural heritage of the Province in a
manner consistent with Republic Act No. 10066, otherwise known as the National
Cultural Heritage Act of 2009;

) Significantly reducing the number of deaths and the number of people affected by
floods and water-related disasters;

) Substantially decreasing the direct economic losses caused by flood and water-related
disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations;

9) Supporting positive economic, social and environmental linkages between urban, peri-
urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning;

h) Supporting local government units and indigenous communities within the Province of
Batangas, through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable,
ecofriendly and resilient flood prevention, control, defense and management
infrastructures; and

i) Respecting the rights of the indigenous peoples communities to their ancestral
domains/lands, to free and prior consent, to indigenous knowledge systems and


political structures, and such other rights as provided under Republic Act No. 8371,
otherwise known as the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997, where infrastructure
projects of the DPWH undertaken in accordance with this Act shall directly or indirectly
affect or involve areas inhabited and/or considered sacred by indigenous
peoples/communities,

SECTION 5. Appropriations. - The amount needed for the implementation of the
construction of the Batangas Flood Prevention, Control, Defense and Management System
shall be included in the annual general appropriations of the DPWH under the General
Appropriations Act. Such funds may be augmented through loans, in accordance with the
provisions of the law on government borrowing from financial institutions.

This project may also be funded through a Public-Private Partnership in accordance with laws,
rules and regulations governing such partnerships.

SECTION 6. Submission of Reports. - Within ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act,
and at the end of every calendar quarter thereafter, the Secretary of Public Works and
Highways shall submit progress reports to the Senate and the House of Representatives on
the implementation of this Act.

‘SECTION 7. Separability Clause. — If, for any reason, any provisions of this Act are declared
to be unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions thereof which are not affected
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

‘SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations,
and other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,