Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

ATION UNIT
BILLS AND ii X SERVICE

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 2470

Introduced by Rep. Mohamad Q. Dimaporo
and Rep. Abdullah D. Dimaporo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to establish an arboretum in the Municipality of Tagoloan,
Lanao del Norte that shall include the Mighty Cave Park in it and shall be
known as the Mighty Cave Park Arboretum.

An arboretum is an area devoted to specimen planting of woody plants
which are either trees or shrubs. Distinct from a forest or park, it is in a sense
an outdoor museum of trees. It is a place where many varieties of trees and
shrubs are grown for research, educational, and ornamental purposes where
trees and other woody plants are cultivated for exhibition.

An arboretum plays an important role in the lives of many people and is a
valuable environmental, educational, recreational, and cultural resource for the
country. It plays an important role in the area of conservation and preservation
of endangered species of trees where they can be protected and propagated to
preserve the biological diversity of planet Earth.

Trees help us address climate change by reducing the amount of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. They do this by absorbing carbon dioxide
(CO,), using the carbon (C) to produce sugar for tree growth and releasing the
oxygen (O2) back in the air. As trees grow, they store carbon in their leaves.
Planting more trees surely mitigate the effects of climate change — as long as
the right trees are planted in the right place. An arboretum is such one right
place.


Many services that an arboretum performs for the public at large are too
well known to require elaboration. Perhaps the most important arboretum
function from the academe point of view is to provide an outdoor laboratory for
scientific studies by faculty, students and residents in dendrology, phenology,
botany, environmental studies, photography and other related fields of study.
The arboretum will serve as an educational resource for environmental
stewardship and the promotion of environment consciousness, the history of the
province, the study of trees and other woody plants, and a place of learning and
respite for the people of Lanao del Norte. Hence this bill is filed.

In view of the importance of protecting and conserving endangered tree
species and other woody plants, and having a clean and healthy environment,
the prompt approval of this measure is earnestly requested.

MOHAMAD KE. Q. DIMAPORO ABDULLAH D. DIMAPORO.
First District, Lanao del Norte Second District, Lanao del Norte


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL Nno.24 20

Introduced by Rep. Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo and Rep. Abdullah D.
Dimaporo

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING AN ARBORETUM IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF
TAGOLOAN, LANAO DEL NORTE WITH THE MIGHTY CAVE
PARK IN IT, TO BE KNOWN AS THE MIGHTY CAVE PARK
ARBORETUM AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. Arboretum. ~ There is hereby established an arboretum of
200 hectares in the Municipality of Tagoloan, Lanao del Norte with the Mighty
Cave Park in it, to be known as the Mighty Cave Park Arboretum.

For purposes of this Act, arboretum refers to a reserved area which is
essentially for a well-grown and representative collection of trees or shrubs
species planted and maintained for the purpose of reference, scientific studies
and as a convenient source of seed and herbarium materials.

SEC. 2. Objectives. — The Mighty Cave Park Arboretum shall have the

following objectives:


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a) For scientific purposes and to provide an outdoor laboratory for
scientific studies by faculty and students in dendrology, phenology, botany,
environmental studies, and other related fields of study;

b) For the teaching of Dendrology:

c) As asanctuary for the preservation and conservation of genetic
resources of trees and shrubs, and as a model for environmentally sound
landscape management;

d) For the study of phenology and the reproductive biology of species

) To grow the best of the woody plants and introduce new plants

that can thrive in the localit

f) Provide recreation, enjoyment, promotion of environment
consciousness and study sites for students, visitors and local communities while
preserving the natural beauty and ambience of the arboretum’s protection zone;
and

2) Serve as the habitat for a variety of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and
small mammals, making for an interesting mix of wildlife in the area.

SEC. 3. Site of the Arboretum. — The site of the arboretum shall be
strategically located to include the Mighty Cave Park, which is located in
Barangay Kiazar, Municipality of Tagoloan, Lanao del Norte. The site shall be
situated in an area with available source of water, with good drainage and fertile

soil.


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SEC. 4. Layout and design. The layout and design of the arboretum
should satisfy its objectives and should conform to the following:

a). The trees should be planted in rows following the contour of the land
area;

b). At least five replicates per species should be represented in a
random/fashion design to ensure the security of the species:

c). Each tree species should be numbered, labelled and tagged with
scientific name, common and/or local name, and date and place of collection.
For easy reference, the details of each tree species should be represented in the
plan. In case of mortality, the species should be replanted with the appropriate
species as indicated in the plan.

SEC.5. Planting. The following should be considered:

a). The species to be planted should be of high quality materials. They
should be properly determined around 12 months prior to planting in
consultation with the nearest appropriate office of the DENR.

b). Proper site preparation should be done prior to planting. This includes
brushing/slashing, staking, digging of hole, plowing and/or cultivation. Grasses
and other competing vegetation within at least one meter radius around each
spot must be cleared.

c). Planting should be done at the onset of the rainy season.

SEC. 6. Supervision and Management. — The Mighty Cave Park

Arboretum shall be placed under the overall management and supervision of the


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DENR with an organization to be put in place by the DENR, headed by a
Superintendent and all appointed by the Secretary of the DENR. The
organization shall be named by the DENR Secretary

SEC. 7. Oversight Committee. — An Oversight Committee is hereby
created to oversee and monitor the development and operation of the arboretum
composed of the following: 1). the Secretary of Environment and Natural
Resources or his representative as Chairman; 2). The Provincial Governor of the
Province of Lanao del Norte as Co-Chairman; 3). the Mayor of the Municipality
of Tagoloan, Lanao del Norte, as Vice-Chairman; 4). The President of the
League of Municipal Mayors of Lanao del Norte or the Vice-President thereof
if the Mayor of Tagoloan is the President of the League, as member; and
another member to be appointed by the DENR Secretary from among three (3)
recommendees of the Provincial Governor.

SEC. 8. Donations. The Arboretum may accept donations from
government agencies or units and from private entities, both local and foreign.

SEC. 9. Arboretum Account. — For purposes of the expeditious
implementation of this Act, the finances of the Arboretum shall be deposited in
trust with the Provincial Government of Lanao del Norte, and donations for
specific purposes shall be in separate trust funds.

SEC. 10. Appropriations. — The amount necessary to implement initially

the provisions of this Act shall be taken from the available savings of the


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DENR System. Such sums as may be necessary for the continued operation of
the arboretum shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after

its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation,

Approved,