Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Under Article II, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution, the State is
mandated with preserving and conserving the environment, so as to
“protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful
ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.” At the same
time, however, the State cannot ignore how much of an economic driver
tourism has become. For 2000-2008, “[t]he average share of tourism to
GDP [wa]s 7.4 percent”1 and then in 2019,
“the contribution of Tourism
Direct Gross Value Added (TDGVA) to the Philippine economy as measured
by [GDP was ] estimated at 12.7 percent.”2
Hence, to strike a balance, we must promote an ecologically sound
brand of tourism. We already made headway into this with Republic Act No.
9593 (“The Tourism Act of 2009”), with its Section 2 and 3 affirming the
State’s commitment to fostering the growth of tourism without sacrificing
the environment:
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — x x x
[T]he State shall seek to:
x x x
(c) Promote a tourism industry that is ecologically sustainable, responsible,
participative, culturally sensitive, economically viable, and ethically and
socially equitable for local communities;
x x x
(e) Develop the country as a prime tourist hub in Asia, as well as a center of
world
congresses
and
conventions,
by
promoting sustainable tourism
2 “Share of Tourism to GDP is 12.7 percent in 2019,” PSA, June 19, 2020, available at
https://psa.gov.ph/tourism/satellite-accounts/id/162606.
1 “Average Contribution of Tourism to GDP is 7.4 percent from 2000 to 2018,” PSA, June
18, 2020, available at https://psa.gov.ph/tourism/satellite-accounts/id/162601.
July 29, 2022
1:04 pm
2755


anchored
principally
on
the
country’s
history,
culture
and
natural
endowments, and ensuring the protection, preservation and promotion of
these resources; and
x x x
SECTION 3. Objectives. — Pursuant to the above declaration, the State shall
adopt the following objectives:
x x x
(h) Ensure the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology
through
the
promotion
of
activities
geared
towards
environmental
protection, conservation and restoration;
(i)  Develop responsible tourism as a strategy for environmentally sound and
community participatory tourism programs, enlisting the participation of
local communities, including indigenous peoples, in conserving bio-physical
and
cultural
diversity,
promoting
environmental
understanding
and
education, providing assistance in the determination of ecotourism sites
and ensuring full enjoyment of the benefits of tourism by the concerned
communities;
(j) Strengthen the role of tourism councils and encourage the participation
of non government organizations (NGOs), people’s organizations (POs) and
the private sector in initiating programs for tourism development and
environmental protection;
x x x
This bill seeks to secure and build upon the gains attained through
the implementation of R.A. No. 9593. Specifically, this bill aims to prioritize
the welfare of coastal localities, which do want to boost their tourism
activities and revenue while also maintaining and developing the coast as
an ecosystem.
We still remember with much pain just how the Island of Boracay
became the epitome of coastal tourism gone wrong. “In a survey of the
island’s sewerage facilities carried out in February [2018], the vast majority
of residential and business properties – 716 out of 834 – were found to have
no discharge permit and were presumably draining waste water directly
into the sea, according to a report by the official Philippines News Agency.”3
No one wants a repeat of the degradation of Boracay:4
4 Hugh Morris, “What’s happening in Boracay, the island paradise ruined by tourism?,” The
Telegraph, September 13, 2018, available at
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/philippines/articles/boracay-closur
e-when-will-island-reopen/.
3 “Philippines to shut down tourist island Boracay for six months,” Aljazeera, April 5, 2018,
available at
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2018/04/05/philippines-to-shut-down-tourist-island
-boracay-for-six-months/#:~:text=Boracay's%20closure%20ordered%20by%20President,wa
s%20outraged%20by%20environmental%20violations.&text=The%20Philippines%20govern
ment%20will%20be,was%20threatening%20its%20idyllic%20shores..


A decade ago, Boracay certainly was worth visiting. The magazine
Travel+Leisure declared it the best island in the world back in 2012,
thanks largely to the powder soft sand of White Beach. But back in
April [Pres.] Duterte called it a “cesspool”. His verdict came after a
video showing sewage flowing directly into Boracay’s blue waters
went viral. [He] castigated local authorities for permitting unchecked
development and dispatched an emergency government taskforce to
save the island from an ecological catastrophe. Inspectors found over
800 environmental violations. Figures showed that rubbish generated
per person on Boracay was more than three times higher than in the
capital, Manila.
This bill, moreover, is in line with Strategies 2 and 4 of the National
Ecotourism Strategy & Action Plan 2013-2022:5
Strategy
2:
Creating
conducive
environment
for
ecotourism
investments The strategy encourages the participation of private
sector investment in the protection and management of the local
environment and protected areas.
The objectives of this strategy are:
1. To
establish
a
sustainable
investment
framework
for
ecotourism
2. To develop confidence of the business sector on ecotourism
investment
3. To contribute to financial sustainability of protected areas
4. To
encourage
creative
and
innovative
community-based
ecotourism enterprises
Strategy
4:
Promoting
and
developing a culture of ecotourism
Consistent with the strategic directions identified in the NTDP,
creating a culture of ecotourism will further promote environmental
awareness among the host communities and visitors.
The objectives of this strategy are:
1. To foster environmental awareness among host communities, local
government, business sector and visitors.
2. To integrate ecotourism into local tourism plans and programs.
It is for the foregoing premises that the approval of this Bill is
earnestly sought.
ALFRED C. DELOS SANTOS
Representative, Ang Probinsyano Party-List
5 “National Ecotourism Strategy & Action Plan 2013-2022,” Biodiversity Management
Bureau (BMB) – Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and
Department of tourism (DOT), available at
file:///C:/Users/C17080/Downloads/National_Ecotourism_Strategy_and_Action_Plan_201
3-2022.pdf.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING SUSTAINABLE COASTAL TOURISM, PROVIDING
MECHANISMS FOR ITS INSTITUTIONALIZATION, APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
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 “Sustainable
Coastal Tourism Act.”
SECTION
2.
Declaration
of
Policy.
–
The
State
recognizes
the
indispensable role of coastal tourism in promoting rapid and inclusive
growth among coastal provinces and affected local government units. The
State further recognizes the pressure which coastal tourism bears upon
marine and coastal environments. To this end, the State hereby declares it a
policy
to
promote
sustainable
coastal
tourism
to reconcile the social
economic growth from coastal tourism with the people’s right to a balanced
and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony and nature.
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of this Act:
a) Coastal Local Government Unit/Coastal LGU. – LGUs bordering a
coast regardless of income classification;
b) Coastal Recreational Area. – Coastal areas including shores, sand
bars, bays, lagoon mouths, and coastal estuaries within the tidal
zone, which are used by the public for recreational activities such
as swimming, bathing, surfing, skimboarding, snorkeling, and any
other water sports;
c) Council. – The National Council for Sustainable Coastal Tourism
established under this Act;
d) Local Sustainable Coastal Tourism Plans. – Plans to be formulated
by coastal provinces under this Act in consultation with affected
cities, municipalities, and communities.
2755


e) National
Coastal
Recreational
Area
Quality
Framework.
–
Framework to be established by the Council under this Act.
f)
Sustainable Coastal Tourism. – An approach to coastal tourism
which reconciles tourism with environmental stability.
SECTION 4. Establishment of the Council. – The National Council for
Sustainable Coastal Tourism is hereby established. The Council shall be the
policymaking,
standard-setting,
planning,
coordinating,
enforcing,
monitoring, and advisory body of the government on sustainable coastal
tourism. The Council shall be an independent agency attached to the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with a separate budget
under the General Appropriations Act.
SECTION 5. Powers and Functions of the Council. – The Council shall
be empowered to:
a) Formulate
the
National
Coastal
Recreational
Area
Quality
Framework,
which
shall
include,
but
not
be
limited
to,
the
following measurable requirements:
1) Ecological Waste Management;
2) Water Quality and Sanitation;
3) Accessibility;
4) Preventing and Reversing Coastal Degradation;
5) Protection of Emergency Health Services; and
6) Other measurable and reasonable standards pursuant to
the declared State policy of this Act or other related laws
or rules and regulations.
b) Supervise the formulation and implementation of Local Sustainable
Coastal Tourism Plans;
c) Utilize the Sustainable Coastal Tourism Challenge Fund created
under
this
Act
as
an
incentive
for
LGUs
to
implement
the
provisions of this Act;
d) Recognize meritorious and/or extraordinary implementation of this
Act by LGUs through awards;
e) Review,
harmonize,
and
identify
gaps
in
existing
rules
and
regulations on sustainable coastal tourism;
f)
Conduct an inventory and assess the quality of all existing and
potential coastal recreational areas in the country;
g) Compile, use, and provide access to data on coastal recreational
areas,
which
shall
include,
but
not
be
limited
to,
location,
magnitude,
tourist
arrivals,
revenue
from
sustainable
coastal
tourism,
coastal
degradation,
water
quality,
and
sanitation,
accessibility, and habitation of marine wildlife;
h) Research and develop community-based and sustainable coastal
tourism
models
and
promote
their
adoption
among
local
government units;


i)
Receive grants, contributions, donations, endowments, bequests,
or gifts in cash or in kind from local and foreign sources in support
of
the
development
and
implementation
of
climate
change
programs and plans; Provided, That such donations shall not be
used to fund personal services expenditures and other operating
expenses of the Council;
j)
Provide
capacity
building
and
technical
assistance
to coastal
municipalities, cities, and provinces in evaluating, formulating,
and reviewing local sustainable coastal tourism plans;
k) Mobilize non-government, private, and international participation
in local sustainable coastal tourism plans and projects; and
l)
Provide awards and other forms of recognition to coastal provinces
and affected LGUs, which provide good examples of implementing
sustainable coastal tourism.
SECTION 6. Composition of the Council. – The Council shall be
composed of:
a) The DENR Secretary, or his duly authorized representative, as
Chairperson;
b) The Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary, or his duly authorized
representative, as Co-Chairperson;
c) The Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary, or his duly
authorized representative;
d) The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary,
or his duly authorized representative;
e) The Department of Health (DOH) Secretary, or his duly authorized
representative;
f)
The
Department
of
Interior
and
Local
Government
(DILG)
Secretary, or his duly authorized representative;
g) Two (2) representatives from the academe, who shall be experts in
sustainable coastal management and/or related disciplines; and
h) Three
(3)
representatives
from
reputable
non-government
organizations
working
on
sustainable
coastal
tourism.
The
representatives
from
the
academe
and
non-government
organizations shall be appointed by the Council.
SECTION 7. National Sustainable Coastal Recreational Area Quality
Framework. – The Council shall formulate a National Coastal Recreational
Area Quality Framework, herein referred to as “The Framework,” within
ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act. The Framework shall be used
to:
a) Assess the quality of all coastal recreational areas in the country;
b) Guide national government agencies in formulating, implementing,
and monitoring policies, programs, and projects in relation to the
goals of this Act;


c) Guide coastal provinces, coastal cities, and coastal municipalities
in formulating their respective local sustainable coastal tourism
plans.
SECTION 8. Components of the Framework. – The Framework shall
include, but not be limited to, the following measurable components:
a) Ecological Waste Management;
b) Water Quality and Sanitation;
c) Presence of floatable materials, such as plastics, aluminum cans,
and bottles;
d) Accessibility;
e) Preventing and reversing coastal degradation;
f)
Coastal cleanliness and/or visible pollution;
g) Presence of Emergency Health Services;
h) Protection of marine flora and fauna; and
i)
Other measurable and reasonable quality standards pursuant to
the declared state policy of this Act or other related laws or rules
and regulations.
SECTION
9.
National
Inventory
and
Assessment
of
Coastal
Recreational Areas. – Within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act, and
every three (3) years thereafter, the Council shall create a database of
existing coastal recreational areas in the country and assess them using the
Framework.
SECTION 10. Sustainable Coastal Tourism Challenge Trust Fund. –
The Sustainable Coastal Tourism Challenge Fund, hereafter referred to as
“the Fund,” is hereby established. The Council shall use the Fund as an
incentive for LGUs to comply with and implement the provisions of this Act.
The Fund shall be sourced from the equivalent of five percent (5%) of
any annual increase of the revenues collected from the excise tax on
manufactured oils and other fuels. It shall be indicated as a separate line
item under the budget of the Council.
SECTION 11. Role of National Government Agencies. – In addition to
their duties as members of the Council, the concerned agencies shall also
perform the following functions to ensure the successful implementation of
this Act:
a) The DOT shall provide technical and financial assistance to the
Council
and/or
the
coastal
LGU
concerned
in
marketing,
promoting, and developing sustainable coastal tourism projects.
The DOT shall also coordinate with the Philippine Information
Agency (PIA) in formulating and disseminating information against
the collection of flora and fauna in coastal recreational areas;
b) The
DPWH
shall
construct
access
roads
and other essential
infrastructure that are sustainably master planned for coastal


recreational areas, in coordination with the DOT, the DILG, and
the concerned coastal provinces and affected local government
units; Provided, That all infrastructure constructed pursuant to
this Act shall be planned and maintained in an environmentally
sustainable manner;
c) The DOTr shall assist in the provision of transportation services for
coastal recreational areas, in coordination with the DOT, the DILG,
and the concerned coastal provinces and affected local government
units;
d) The DENR and its attached agencies shall provide technical and
financial
assistance
to
the
Council
and/or
the
coastal
LGU
concerned in monitoring the status of flora and fauna in coastal
recreational areas and maintaining their assistance;
e) The DOH and the DENR – Environmental Management Bureau
shall formulate and enforce water quality and sanitation standards
for coastal recreational areas. The DOH shall also provide technical
assistance to coastal provinces and affected local government units
in monitoring such standards in coastal recreational areas; and
f)
The DILG, in coordination with the Council, shall take the lead in
raising awareness of sustainable coastal tourism among coastal
provinces and affected local government units.
SECTION 12. Local Sustainable Coastal Tourism Plans. – Coastal
LGUs shall formulate and implement their respective Local Sustainable
Coastal Tourism Plans, herein referred to as “the plan,” to ensure the quality
of coastal recreational areas within their jurisdiction. The plans shall
include, but not be limited to:
a) Promotion and marketing of sustainable coastal recreational areas
in their jurisdiction;
b) Provision of proper and well-equipped waste management facilities
which can accommodate 50% more than the total number of waste
produced by the coastal area in a day;
c) Provision of facilities for coastal tourism, including the acquisition
of equipment, regulation and supervision of business concessions,
and security services for such facilities;
d) Clean-ups of coastal recreational areas;
e) Banning tourists and locals from collecting samples of flora and
fauna found in coastal recreational areas;
f)
Collection of tourism access fees from coastal recreational areas;
Provided, That all amounts collected pursuant to this provision
shall accrue to the city or municipal government from which it was
collected and which shall be accounted for in accordance with
existing government rules and regulations; Provided, further, That
all the amounts collected shall be used by the LGU to implement
the provisions of this Act;
g) Inspection and regulation of water quality and sanitation in coastal
recreational areas;


h) Construction
and
maintenance
of
sustainably
planned
and
maintained access roads near coastal recreational areas;
i)
Enforcement of easement zones, as provided in Presidential Decree
No. 1067, s.1976, otherwise known as the Water Code of the
Philippines;
j)
Provision of emergency health services;
k) Dismantling
of
structures
that
prevent
access
to
coastal
recreational areas; and
l)
Moratorium on mining of sand and other minerals in or near
coastal recreational areas.
Local
sustainable
coastal
tourism
plans
shall
integrate
the
measurable indicators used in the National Coastal Recreational Area
Quality Framework. Coastal LGUs shall consult affected communities in
formulating their respective plans.
SECTION 13. Appropriations. – The amounts necessary to implement
this Act shall be taken from the current budget of the Department of
Environment and National Resources. Thereafter, such amounts necessary
to effectively carry out the provisions of this Act shall be included in the
annual General Appropriations Act.
SECTION 14. Penalty for Non-Compliant LGUs. – Local government
officials who fail to formulate and implement their Local Sustainable Coastal
Tourism Plan shall be charged with the penalty of dereliction of duty as
defined under Chapter IV, Section 6 of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise
known as the “Local Government Code of 1991.”
SECTION 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The DENR, DOT,
DOTr, DPWH, DOH, and DILG shall promulgate the implementing rules and
regulations of this Act within ninety (90) days from its effectivity.
SECTION 16. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act is
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected by
such declaration shall remain in force and effect.
SECTION
17.
Repealing
Clause.
–
All
laws,
executive
orders,
administrative orders, and rules and regulations inconsistent with this Act
are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
SECTION 18. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.
Approved,