FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 2994 
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Introduced by Senator Ralpb G. Recto 
Explanatory Note 
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The 1987 Constitution provides that Congress shall determine by law the specific limits 
of forest lands and national parks, which shall thereafter be conserved and may not be increased 
nor diminished. 
According to latest government statistics, half of the country's total land area or roughly 
15 million hectares is classified as forest land. Lands classified under forest land are further 
disaggregated into different categories, such that only 3.27 million hectares out of the 15 million 
hectares are classified as forest reserves. However, the lack of demarcation separating the lands 
classified as forest reserves from other classes may have resulted to an inaccurate picture as to 
the actual size of the country's forest lands, as some may have been encroached by various 
adjacent land developments or have been reclassified due to existing laws. 
In order to mitigate further encroachment, the Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources (DENR), as of August of 2011, has completed the delineation and assessment of 
54,642 kilometers, out of about 66,000 kilometers of forest lines, covering 61 of the country's 80 
provinces. By the end of this year, the DENR is expected to complete the said activity. 
However, in order to strengthen DENR's efforts in the delineation and assessment of the 
country's remaining forest lands, an enabling law is necessary to provide a legal framework to 
preserve the remaining forest resources and protect these lands from utilization for purposes 
other than preserving the flora and fauna. 
With the threat of further encroachment of the country's remaining forest lands at hand, it 
is imperative for government to secure the country's remaining forest resources from further ruin 
due in part to uncontrolled development and urban expansion. 
This measure seeks to define the scope of forestlands, as well as provide guidelines in 
determining the specific limits of forestlands. For this purpose, a National Review and 
Evaluation Committee, headed by the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, shall be 
created to process, evaluate and approve all completed assessment and delineation reports 
referred to the said Committee. The DENR shall, upon determination of final forest lines, delimit 
and establish boundary monuments on the ground. Forestlands delineated under this legislation 
shall be conserved and may not be increased nor decreased, except by law. 


In order to resolve controversies arising from land classification as a result of the 
delimitation of forestlands, a Land Classification Conflict Adjudication Board shall also be 
created under this Bill. 
To attain ecological balance, preserve valuable ecosystems, prevent environmental 
degradation and promote sustainable development for the present and future generations, 
approval of this Bill is earnestly sought. 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 2994. 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto 
AN ACT 
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OCT 12 P 1\ :31 
PROVIDING FOR THE DELINEATION OF THE SPECIFIC FOREST LIMITS OF THE 
PUBLIC DOMAIN AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representative of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the "Final Forest Limits 
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Act of2011". 
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SEC, 2, Declaratioll of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to conserve, protect and 
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develop the forest resources of the country in order to attain ecological balance, preserve 
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valuable 
ecosystems, 
prevent environmental degradation and 
promote 
sustainable 
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development for the present and future generations. To achieve these ends, Section 4 of 
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Article XII of the 1987 constitution mandates Congress to determine by law the specific 
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limits of forestlands marking clearly their boundaries on the ground. 
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SEC, 3. Defillitioll of Terms. -
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a) 
Agricultural lands - refer to alienable or disposable lands of the public domain 
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which have been the subject of the land classification system and declared as not 
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needed for forest purposes; 
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b) 
Delimitation survey - refers to the establishment of land classification 
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boundaries, and the monumenting thereof following ground survey; 
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c) 
Delineation -
refers 
to 
the conduct of site investigation, 
field 
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reconnaissance and assessment, and staking of boundaries between forestlands, 
national parks and agricultural lands verified in the field in accordance with the 
criteria set forth under Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
Administrative Order No. 2008-24; 
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d) 
Forestlands -
refer to all lands of the public domain already classified as 
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forestland as per existing land classification maps issued by the 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) including all 
permanent forest reserves proclaimed as such by the President or declared by 
law, and such areas within the unclassified lands of the public domain that 


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were assessed and delineated by the DENR in accordance with pertinent laws, 
rules and regulations; and 
e) 
Protected Area- refers to identified portions of land and/or water set aside by 
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reason of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to 
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enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human 
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exploitation. 
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SEC. 4. What Constitutes the Forestlands. - The following shall constitute the 
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forestlands, to wit: (a) all lands of the public domain already classified as forestland as per 
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existing land classification maps issued by the Department of Environment and Natural 
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Resources (DENR); (b) all permanent forest reserves proclaimed as such by the President or 
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declared by law; and ( c) such areas within the unclassified lands of the public domain 
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that were assessed and delineated by the DENR in accordance with pertinent laws, rules 
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and regulations. 
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SEC. 5. Guidelines in Determining the Specific Limits of Forestlands. - The 
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following guidelines and procedures shall be followed in determining the specific limits of 
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forestlands in the country: 
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a) 
The previously-established Land Classification survey lines per Province with 
their respective technical descriptions (TDs) and maps shall be the basic data and 
information that will be used as reference material by the Regional 
Assessment and Delineation Teams (RADT), the Regional Assessment and 
Delineation Committee (RADC), and the National Assessment and 
Delineation Committee created under Department of Environment 
and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 2008 -24 dated December 
8, 2008, in undertaking the validation, assessment and delineation 
process/activity. 
b) 
All completed assessment and delineation reports for a given province which are 
found to be in order by both the Regional and National Assessment and 
Delineation Committees shall be endorsed to the National Review and 
Evaluation Committee as created herein to be headed by the DENR Secretary for 
its final approval. 
c) 
The same process shall be followed for other provinces with on-going 
assessments and delineation activities until such time that all the 
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boundaries of forestlands of the whole country shall have been delimited: 
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Provided, That all assessments, validations and delineations shall be completed 
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not later than one (1) year after the passage of this Act. 
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SEC. 6. Creation of the National Review and Evaluation Committee. - In recognition of the 
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Constitutional mandate as embodied in Section 4, Article XII thereof, and in view of the 
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urgent need to fast track the establishment of the permanent limits of the forestlands of the 
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country as it affects the national interest, a National Review and Evaluation Committee is 
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hereby created to process, evaluate and approve all completed assessment and delineation 
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reports referred to in the immediately preceding Section. The Committee, in its evaluation 
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and approval of the said reports, shall adhere strictly to existing established laws, policies, 
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rules, regulations and guidelines pertinent thereto. 
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The Committee shall be composed of the following: 
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a) Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources -
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Chairman; 
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b) Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority - Vice 
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Chairman; 
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c) Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government - Member; 
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d) Secretary of the Department of Agriculture - Member; 
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e) Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform - Member; 
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f) 
Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council -
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Member; and 
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g) President of the League of Provinces - Member. 
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Upon approval of the assessment and delineation reports as herein specified, the 
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Committee shall submit the same to Congress which shall thereafter form part of its 
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official records. The assessment and delineation reports as approved by the Committee 
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shall be adopted as constituting the final boundaries of the forestlands covered by the said 
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report. 
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SEC. 7. Demarcation and Delimitation of Final Forestland Boundary. -
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Immediately after the final forest line has been detelmined following the guidelines 
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prescribed in Section 5 hereof, the DENR shall delimit and establish the permanent 
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boundary monuments on the ground. 
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SEC. 8. Permanency of the Specific Forest Limits. - The permanent forestlands 
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established pursuant to this Act shall be conserved and may not be increased nor 
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diminished except by law. The DENR, in coordination with all agencies and branches of 
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government shall ensure that the forest cover and other resources therein shall be protected 
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and enhanced. 
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SEC. 9. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting System. - To attain the objectives 
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of this Act, a field monitoring, evaluation and reporting system shall be adopted by the 
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DENR Secretary to regularly keep track of the state of the country's forestlands after 
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their delimitation. Toward this end, at the opening of each session of Congress, the DENR 
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shall submit a report to the President on the status of the forestlands for transmission to 
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Congress. 
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SEC. 10. Creation of an Adjudication Board to Resolve Controversies on Land 
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Classification Conflicts - A Land Classification Conflict Adjudication Board is hereby 
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created to resolve controversies arising from Land Classification as a result of (he delimitation 
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of forestlands pursuant to this Act. The Board shall be composed of the following: 
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The DENR Secretary as Chairman 
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Members: 
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Secretary of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); 
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Secretary of Department of Justice (DOJ); 
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Director-General of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); 
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Administrator of National Mapping and Resources Information Administration 
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(NAMRIA); 
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Representative from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP); 
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Chairman ofthe Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council; and 
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President of the League of Provinces. 
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The Board shall have the following powers and functions: 
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1. 
Adjudicate cases on land conflicts and adverse claim brought before it for 
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resolution; 
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2. 
Summon witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony and require submission of 
reports; 
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Compel production of books and documents and answers to interrogatories; 
and 
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Issue subpoena duces tecum, writs of possession, writs of execution and other 
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writs to enforce its orders and decisions. 
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SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within three (3) months from 
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the effectivity of this Act, the DENR Secretary shall issue the corresponding 
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Implementing Rules and Regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 12. Appropriations. - The Congress shall appropriate funds necessary to 
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delimit and establish the permanent boundary monuments on the ground as mandated in 
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Section 7 hereof. 
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SEC. 13. Separability Clause. - If any portion of this Act is declared 
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unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
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provisions not affected thereby. 
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SEC. 14. Repealillg Clause. - All laws, decrees, letters of instruction, executive 
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orders, rules and regulations and other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act 
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are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication 
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in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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