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Republic of the Philippines *R ECEIVED y
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES are: 14 SEP 2016
Seventeenth Congress a
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL no 8613
Introduced by Representatives

FRANZ E. ALVAREZ, FREDERICK F. ABUEG, GIL P. ACOSTA SR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to declare the Pag-asa Island and its adjoining islands of Parola, Kota and Panata,
collectively referred to as the Pag-asa Island Cluster in the Municipality of Kalayaan, in the Province of
Palawan which sit well within the territory of the Republic of the Philippines, as a special ecological
tourism zone to promote and develop the Pag-asa Island Cluster as a tourists destination for domestic
and intemational tourists while protecting its natural resources and diverse flora and fauna species. In
addition, it also seeks to declare the islands of Parola, Kota and Panata as protected area under the
National Protected Areas System (NIPAS).

‘The Pag-asa island located 480 kilometers off southwestern Palawan and the second largest island in
the whole of Kalayaan Island Group (Spratlys) in the West Philippines Sea. With its impeccable beauty,
the island is an ideal tourist destination. The rich biodiversity and Filipino heritage of the island truly
reflects the beauty of a paradise that our country should be proud of.

This proposed measure seeks to provide the necessary support to the efforts of the Municipal
Government of Kalayaan by declaring it an ecological tourism area. By this, there shall be created the
Pag-asa Island Ecotourism Cluster Governing Board which shall be chaired by the Governor of Palawan
‘This Board shall rationalize all efforts pertaining to environmental protection and making the tourism
industry a major source of livelihood and an avenue for the generation of employment.

This proposed measure also mandates the Pag-asa Island Ecotourism Cluster Governing Board in
coordination with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to prepare an eco-
tourism master plan to ensure the promotion of tourism, the generation of employment and most
importantly, the protection and preservation of its environment and ecosystem.

This bill also highlights the recent Squth China Sea Arbitration Award of 12 July 2016 of the Permanent
Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague where it declared that the Ayungin Reef (Second Thomas
Shoal), one of the islets of the Municipality of Kalayaan, is located within 200 nautical miles of the
Philippines and China, xxx Second Thomas Shoal form part of the exclusive economic zone and
continental shel of the Philippines.” Moreover, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio,
‘a member of the legal team that prepared of the Philippines case before the PCA, believes that the "the
‘government should push for a peace agreement with China and other claimants in the Spratlys (where
Kalayaan group of islands belong) by declaring the area as an international marine park and protected
area, as originally suggested by American marine Biology professor John McManus".

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

FRANZ E. AKVAREZ RICK FSABUEG GIL. ACOSTA SR.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress

First Regular Segey 3

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representatives
FRANZ E. ALVAREZ, FREDERICK F. ABUEG, GIL P. ACOSTA SR.

AN ACT
DECLARING PAG-ASA ISLAND CLUSTER IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF KALAYAAN,
PROVINCE OF PALAWAN AS AN ECOTOURISM DESTINATION AND PROTECTED AREA,
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote a
sustainable ecotourism industry to attract local and foreign tourists to secure the country's share in the
World tourism market and to make it an avenue for generation of employment while ensuring the
environmental protection and preservation of the area.

SEC. 2. The Pag-asa Island Ecotourism Cluster and Protected Area. The Pag-asa island and its,
adjoining islands of Parola, Kota and Panata are hereby declared an ecotourism destination and the
islands of Parola, Kota and Panata are hereby declared as protected areas under the National
Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS). The Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) shall within ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act, make inventory of the existing flora
and fauna in Pag-asa Island Cluster that shall serve as the basis for the creation of the master plan as
provided in this Act.

For the purpose of this Act, ecotourism shall refer to a form of sustainable tourism within a natural and
cultural heritage area where community participation, protection and management of natural resources,
culture and indigenous knowledge and practices, environmental education and ethics as well as
economic benefits are fostered and pursued for the enrichment of host communities and satisfaction of
Visitors,

SEC. 3, Pag-asa Island Ecotourism Cluster Governing Board. For the purpose of Section 2 of this
‘Act, an ecotourism governing board, to be known as the Pag-asa Island Ecotourism Cluster Governing
Board, is hereby created, The Board shall be composed of the following:

Governor of Palawan as Chairperson;

Representative of the First Legislative District of Palawan;

DENR MIMAROPA Regional Director as Vice Chairperson;

Department of Tourism (DOT) MIMAROPA Regional Director as Vice Chairperson;
Mayor of the Municipality of Kalayaan;

Barangay Chairperson of Pag-asa Island:

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command Commander;

Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) Executive Director:

(One (1) member of an accredited civil society organization (CSO) involved in conservation;
(One (1) tenured science professor of a state university; and

(One (1) representative from the private sector.

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‘The Governing Board shall prepare the rules and regulations necessary for the full implementing by the
concerned local govemment until of the provisions of this Act and shall, as the need arises, amend,
modify or revise such rules and regulations to meet the needs of changing times.

SEC. 4. Pag-asa Island Cluster Ecotourism Master Plan. The Pag-asa Island Ecotourism Cluster
Governing Board, in coordination with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority
(TIEZA), shall within one hundred twenty (120) days from approval of this Act, prepare, develop and
implement the Ecotourism Master Plan to be approved by the President of the Republic of the
Philippines.

SEC. 5. Appropriations. The Secretary of the DOT shall include in the Department's program the
implementation of this Act, and the amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be
taken from the current appropriation of the Department and shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and thereafter.

SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. All laws, rules, regulations, executive orders, presidential decrees or any
other issuance contrary to or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed
repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 7. Separability Clause. It any provision or part of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional, the
remaining provisions which are not affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 8. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette
or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved