Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _________
Introduced by 4Ps Partylist Representative
JONATHAN CLEMENT M. ABALOS II
EXPLANATORY NOTE
One of the immediate impacts of the covid pandemic was food insecurity.
Food unavailability was rampant in urban areas because of the sudden halt in all
kinds of mobility, including the transport of agricultural products from the different
regions in the country. It took weeks for the government to put the necessary
mechanisms in place to ensure that food became available for the general public.
Despite the issues encountered then, there was a realization that urban areas
should be able to feed their people especially when a similar thing like the pandemic
happens in the future. Hence, this bill seeks to achieve sustainable food production
and food security in urban areas by developing idle or abandoned government or
private lands and ensuring that in the designs and development of living spaces,
adequate spaces for community gardens or vertical farms are considered provided.
The bill was approved by the House of Representatives in the 18th Congress
and was duly transmitted to the Senate. It is being refiled for consideration in the
19th Congress.
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
JONATHAN CLEMENT M. ABALOS II
Representative, 4Ps Partylist
September 1, 2022
4:42 pm
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _________
Introduced by 4Ps Partylist Representative
JONATHAN CLEMENT M. ABALOS II
AN ACT
PROMOTING INTEGRATED URBAN AGRICULTURE IN URBAN AREAS
NATIONWIDE TO ADDRESS FOOD SECURITY AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Integrated Urban
Agriculture Act of 2020".
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State shall promote and protect the
fundamental right of every person to adequate food and freedom from hunger.
Recognizing the challenges to food security and ecological balance in urban areas,
the State shall optimize the use and productivity of urban land resources and spaces
to support sufficient and sustainable food production. Towards this end, the State
shall promote the development of modern, cost-effective, space-efficient, and
environmentally-safe agriculture technologies in urban areas to contribute in
achieving sustainable food production and food security, promoting agro-ecology,
ensuring public and mental health and thus improving the quality of life of urban
populations. In doing so, the State should prioritize the conservation of the
country's genetic biodiversity, and endemic and heirloom flora and fauna as a
strategy for climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resiliency.
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Accordingly, the State shall ensure the integration of principles, strategies and
technologies on urban agriculture in urban planning and instill a love of farming
among urban dwellers most especially the youth.
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act:
(a) Agro-ecology refers to a scientific discipline and set of practices that studies
how
different
components
of
the
agroecosystem
interact,
and
seeks
sustainable farming systems that optimize and stabilize yields. It applies
ecological concepts and principles to manage interactions among plants,
animals, humans and environment for food security and nutrition;
(b) Community Gardens refer to any piece of land cultivated by group of people
using either individual or shared plots on public or private land with the
consent of the owner, to produce edibles, such as herbs, vegetables, fruits or
ornamentals, as a form of sustainable land use system for economic and
societal
development.
Community
gardens
maybe
be
found
in
neighborhoods and schools, or connected to institutions such as hospitals or
located on the grounds or roofs of shared housing, such as tenements and
apartment complexes;
(c) Food Forest Gardening refers to multi-layered crop farming or a low
maintenance and sustainable method of food production that is based on
woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines
and perennial vegetables which yields are directly useful to humans. It also
refers to a system of agro-forestry that creates diverse, productive, healthy,
ecologically sound and sustainable system of land use;
(d) Food security refers to a situation wherein all people have access to sufficient,
safe, nutritious food, at all times, to maintain a healthy and active life;
(e) Food system refers to a complex web of activities involving the production,
processing, transport, and consumption of food. Issues concerning the food
system include the governance and economics of food production, its
sustainability, the degree to which we waste food, how food production
affects the natural environment, and the impact of food on individual and
population health;
(f) Good
Agricultural
Practices
refer
to
the
practices
that
address
environmental, economic, and social sustainability for on-farm processes and
which result in safe and quality food and non-food agricultural products;
(g) Idle lands refer to non-agricultural lands in urban and urbanize able areas on
which no improvements have been made by the owner, as certified by the
city, municipal or provincial assessor. Idle government lands refer to lands
owned by any government entity that have been idle and have not been used
for the purpose for which they have been reserved for the past ten (10) years;


(h) Indoor farming refers to controlled environment agriculture which aims to
optimize plant growth to house vertical farming techniques in greenhouses,
warehouses, abandoned buildings, shipping containers, tunnels, skyscrapers
and
modern
buildings
using
soilless
farming
techniques
such
as
hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics;
(i) Integrated urban agriculture refers to the development paradigm that
encompasses principles, management technologies, and the policies relating
to the practice and application of agricultural and fisheries production of
food and goods in urban areas;
(j) Peri-urban areas refer to areas where urban and rural features and processes
meet, interact and intertwine, usually located between city and countryside.
Peri-urban areas are semi-dense clusters with a density of at least three
hundred (300) inhabitants per square kilometer and a population of five
thousand (5000) or more, but are neither contiguous with nor within two (2)
kilometers of an urban area;
(k) Protected agriculture refers to the use of technologies that enclose crops to
harvest higher yields, safer, cleaner and of better quality even out of season
by modifying the natural environment and protect crop against the elements
which include high temperature, excessive rainfall, humidity, wind, birds,
insects;
(l) Social preparation refers to the series of activities designed to prepare the
underprivileged and homeless families to cope with the changes brought
about by government development projects;
(m)
Soilless agriculture refers to the method of growing plants that do not
rely on the soil as a source of nutrients and water; common methods are
hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics;
(n) Urban areas refer to classification as may be made by the Philippines
Statistics Authority (PSA) which under PSA Resolution No. 01, Series of
2017-098, covers any of the following:
(i)
If a barangay has a population size of five thousand (5,000) or more;
(ii)
If a barangay has at least one establishment with a minimum of one
hundred (100) employees;
(iii)
If a barangay has five (5) or more establishments with a minimum of
zero (0) employee, and five (5) or more facilities within the two
(2)-kilometer radius from the barangay hall;
(o) Urban planning refers to multi-disciplinary art and science of analyzing,
specifying, clarifying, harmonizing, managing and regulating the use and
development of land and water resources, in relation to their environs, for the
development of sustainable communities and ecosystems in urban and
urbanizable areas;


(p) Urbanizable areas refer to sites and lands which, considering the present
characteristics and prevailing conditions, display marked and great potential
of becoming urban areas within the period of five (5) years; and
(q) Vertical farming refers to the methods or practices of increasing the number
of plants grown in the area by growing crops in vertically stacked layers;
such as generally done in greenhouses, warehouses, abandoned buildings,
shipping containers, tunnels, skyscrapers and modern buildings using
soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics.
SECTION 4. Coverage. — This Act shall cover idle or abandoned government or
private lands, buildings, shipping containers, subdivisions or villages, public
housing, open spaces in all urban, peri-urban, and urbanizable areas in the country;
and all the available land resources and buildings in schools, state or private
universities and colleges, military camps suitable for growing crops and raising
poultry, livestock and aquaculture: Provided, That, the utilization of idle lands for
urban agriculture purposes shall not be used as grounds for the eviction of informal
settler families occupying the lands; Provided further, That, the raising of poultry and
livestock shall be limited to urbanizable areas and all livestock raising shall be
subject to health and safety standards and regulations issued by the Department of
Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), and other
relevant government agencies.
SECTION 5. Urban Farming. - Local government units (LGUs) shall identify and
develop idle government and private lands and buildings, without prejudice to the
rights of owners of private lands, buildings and open spaces, within their
jurisdiction, for full or partial conversion solely to community gardens, food forest
gardens, indoor farms, and/or vertical farms to support food security and
community nutrition; Provided, That, food forest gardens and urban farms adopting
agro-ecological principles shall be the priority form of urban agriculture wherever
applicable and feasible; Provided further, That, spaces allocated for urban agriculture
and agriculture shall not be prime lots. All LGUs, in coordination with the
Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Cooperative Development Authority
(CDA), shall capacitate neighborhood associations and people's organizations, and
facilitate the organization and registration of community-based cooperatives, to
undertake community gardening and establish community farmers' markets.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit or extinguish the rights of owners to
their private lands and spaces without their consent or without their receipt of just
compensation in case of expropriation.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) shall
ensure that the design and development of subdivision, condominium and public


housing projects have provisions for adequate spaces for community gardens, food
forest gardens, greenhouse agriculture, roof gardens, indoor farms and vertical
farms. Towards this end, the DHSUD, in coordination with the DA, shall capacitate
homeowners’ associations to undertake community gardening and vertical farming.
The DA shall provide the necessary technical assistance and support services,
including the provision of seeds and seedlings and gardening tools, access to loans
from
government
financial
institutions,
and
training
workshops
that
shall
capacitate various stakeholders. It may assist in the design, establishment,
promotion and regulation of indoor and vertical farming machineries and facilities
to ensure the full productivity of community gardens, school gardens, food forest
gardens, greenhouse farms, roof gardens and indoor and vertical farms. The DA
shall ensure that the technical assistance it provides is consistent with Philippine
Good Agricultural Practices (PHILGAP) or a set of standards and regulations
ensuring food quality and safety, facilitation of market access, establishment of
community farmers’ markets and reduction in non-compliance with issuances
regarding permitted pesticides and other contamination hazards, as provided
under Republic Act No. 10611, otherwise known as the “Food Safety Act of 2013”,
and relevant laws.
The DA, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST),
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of
Energy (DOE), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) shall
also undertake the establishment of rainwater harvesting facilities in compliance
with Republic Act No. 6716, entitled, “An Act Providing for the Construction of
Water Wells, Rainwater Collectors, Development of Spring and Rehabilitation of
Existing Water Wells in All Barangays in the Philippines”, renewable energy
systems and solid waste management systems, including waste-to-energy facilities,
to provide sustainable supply of water, energy and compost to community gardens,
food forest gardens and urban farms.
SECTION 6. Urban Agriculture and Aquaculture in Urban Planning. —The
DHSUD, in coordination with the DA, shall ensure the integration of concepts and
principles of urban agriculture and its relationship to other processes in the food
system in urban planning. Accordingly, the DHSUD and DA shall promote
sustainable, smart and organic food production systems that harness the benefits of
new technologies and methods in soil nutrients, water and energy management,
such as composting, rainwater harvesting and utilization of renewable energy. The
DHSUD shall also ensure the rational use of land resources in urban planning to
promote sustainable peri-urban interface, as well As for the spatial requirements of
supply chain management and logistics, to strengthen urban-rural foodshed
linkages.


Towards these ends, the DHSUD shall promulgate guidelines for the harmonization
of the comprehensive land use plans and zoning ordinances of LGUs with urban
agriculture policies, frameworks, strategies and standards.
All LGUs are hereby mandated to incorporate urban agricultural development in
their respective Annual Development Plans, Annual Investment Plans, Physical
Framework
Plans
and
Development
Master
Plans, including the hiring of
agriculturists and agricultural and biosystems engineers to carry out urban
agriculture program.
Likewise, LGUs, with the assistance of the DA, Department of Interior and Local
Government (DILG) and the Department of Information and Communications
Technology (DICT), shall establish and maintain a digital information system to
facilitate the efficient collection, management and analysis of food systems,
agriculture and nutrition data, as well as the monitoring of evaluation of LGU
performance, vis-à-vis the food system, agriculture and nutrition targets, to inform
local planning, policy-making and programming bodies, and to ensure open public
access to data.
SECTION 7. Urban Agriculture/Aquaculture Education. — The Department of
Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Educations (CHED), with the
technical assistance of the DA, shall integrate urban agriculture in the academic
curriculum for elementary, secondary and tertiary level students of both public and
private academic institutions offering courses in Agriculture, Practical Arts, Home
Economics and other subjects related to agriculture. A course curriculum on
gardening shall be developed and included in the regular curriculum of elementary
and secondary education. Instructional materials shall likewise be developed
utilizing
advanced
techniques
of crop and food animal production, urban
agriculture and farming, and cultivating awareness and appreciation of genetic
biodiversity, heirloom and endemic flora and fauna, and agro-ecological principles.
The DepEd, with the assistance of the DA, shall strengthen the implementation of
its Gulayan sa Paaralan Program in elementary and secondary schools. The
establishment of school gardens shall be encouraged to ensure continuous supply of
vegetables for school feeding, in accordance with Republic Act No. 11037, otherwise
known as the “Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act.”
For universities and colleges, urban agriculture shall form part of the required
period of time spent by students in the National Service Training Program.
A plan for the utilization or maximization of space occupied by schools shall be
formulated specifically for urban agriculture purposes.


SECTION 8. Urban Agriculture Awareness Campaign. - The DILG, National
Nutrition Council, and LGUs are mandated to formulate policies on urban farming
in consonance with the provisions of this Act and be at the forefront of
community-based education and awareness campaigns. For this purpose, LGUs
shall mobilize existing structures and local bodies such as the provincial, city and
municipal
agricultural
offices,
the
provincial,
city, municipal and barangay
agriculture and fishery councils, the provincial, city, municipal and barangay
federation of Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and the youth sector represented in any
local special body under LGUs.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall integrate urban
agriculture and community nutrition in the seminar-workshops and training
programs to educate qualified household-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang
Pilipino Program (4Ps).
SECTION 9. Research and Development. - The DA and the DOST, as well as
relevant state universities, government research and development institutions, and
the private sector, shall intensify research on methods and technologies to support
urban
agriculture,
including
the
development and operation of sustainable
demonstration urban community gardens, food forest gardens, greenhouse, indoor,
roof and vertical farms.
SECTION 10. Incentives. — Compliance by subdivision and condominium
developers and owners with Section 5 of this Act may qualify them for incentives
provided for under Republic Act No. 10771, otherwise known as the “Philippine
Green Jobs Act of 2016”, subject to the rules and regulations promulgated by the
Department of Finance and the DHSUD.
The commitment and performance of LGUs in the implementation of this Act shall
be included in the criteria for the awarding of the Seal of Good Local Governance
and the provision of incentives, provided for under Republic Act No. 11292,
otherwise known as the “Seal of Good Local Governance 2019.”
Loans extended by government and private banks to participating individuals,
corporations and partnerships shall be treated as compliance with Republic Act No.
10000, otherwise known as “The Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of 2009.”
SECTION 11. Inter-Agency Coordination. — There is hereby established a National
Convergence Program on Urban Agriculture and Aquaculture. The DA is hereby
designated
as
the
Lead
Implementing
Agency
and
the
Secretariat
of
the
Convergence
Program.
The
following
agencies
shall
perform
duties
and
responsibilities in order to develop and sustain concerted action to promote urban
agriculture:


(a) The DA shall provide technical assistance and support services to LGUs,
community-based cooperatives, homeowners’ associations, neighborhood
associations
and
people's
organizations
to
ensure
the
viability
and
cost-effectiveness of urban agriculture projects and through its Bureau of
Agricultural
and
Fisheries
Engineering,
shall
provide
the
design,
specifications, establishment strategies, promotion, regulation and technical
assistance in the fabrication of production models of indoor farming, vertical
farming, and other urban agriculture machineries, equipment and facilities;
(b) The DHSUD shall encourage the integration of urban agriculture principles,
policies, strategies, frameworks and standards in the design and development
of subdivisions and condominium projects. The DHSUD shall ensure such
integration in public housing projects and in the preparation or updating of
development and investment plans, CLUPs and zoning ordinances of LGUs.
The
DHSUD
Shall
also promulgate the necessary rules and monitor
compliance therewith. The DHSUD shall provide assistance to homeowners’
associations to strengthen their capacity to undertake urban agriculture or
aquaculture projects in their neighborhoods and communities;
(c) The DILG shall monitor the compliance of LGUs with the provisions of this
Act in order to determine their qualification for the incentives provided under
Republic Act No. 11292;
(d) The DepEd shall integrate the principles and practice of urban agriculture
using advanced crop production techniques like soilless agriculture, indoor
farming or vertical farming to include modern methods of irrigation and
automated systems into the primary and secondary education curricula,
including the establishment of school garden under the Gulayan sa Paaralan
Program. The DepEd shall ensure the adequate capacity building programs
such as training-workshop, hands-on training or immersion program of
teachers and the development of appropriate instructional materials such as
educational video and manual for this purpose;
(e) The DOST shall conduct research on modern, cost-effective methods and
technologies to support urban agricultural production, as well as post-harvest
handling of surplus produce from urban agriculture projects;
(f) The DTI shall provide technical assistance in processing and packaging of
surplus produce from urban agriculture and aquaculture projects and ensure
access of local government units, cooperatives, homeowners’ associations,
and people's organizations to markets;
(g) The DOF shall administer the grant of incentives under Section 10 of this Act
to qualified persons based on their compliance with Section 5 of this Act;
(h) The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall ensure adequate
funding for the functions and programs provided for by under this Act;
(i) The CHED shall develop and implement curriculum on capacity building
programs such as training-workshop, hands-on training or immersion


program and related standards and instructional materials in support of
urban agriculture;
(j) The
DPWH
in compliance with RA 6716 is mandated to undertake
construction of water wells, rainwater collectors, development of springs and
rehabilitation of existing water wells in all barangays in the Philippines,
taking into consideration the population, hydrologic conditions, costs of
project development and operations, financial and economic factors, and
institutional arrangements.
(k) The National Nutrition Council and the Food and the Nutrition Research
Institute shall assist the DepEd in identifying the crops to be cultivated in
school farms and in preparing nutritious food, pursuant to standardized
menus to ensure child nutrition provided for under Republic Act No. 11037,
and in developing the modules on nutrition.
(l) The CDA shall provide guidance and assistance to LGUs in the development
of cooperatives within their jurisdiction;
(m)
The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor shall undertake social
preparation activities to encourage participation and empower poor and
underprivileged
communities
from
the
preparation
and
planning
to
implementation and evaluation of urban development projects; and,
(n) The Philippine Information Agency shall undertake a nationwide information
campaign, utilizing all forms of media, to raise awareness and encourage
participation of the public in the implementation of this Act, in close
coordination with other cultural agencies such as the National Commission
for Culture and Arts (NCAA) and the Film Development.Council of the
Philippines (FDCP).
(o) The Council for the Welfare of Children shall integrate urban agriculture in
the formulation of programs and measures providing dynamic leadership in
ensuring a child-friendly and child sensitive society.
(p) The National Youth Commission, as the Philippine government's sole
policy-making
body on youth affairs and consistent with its role in
coordinating and implementing programs designed to help the youth become
more aware of the issues surrounding them, shall include an appreciation of
urban agriculture.
SECTION 11. Performance Report to Congress. — The DA and partner agencies
and National Convergence Program on Urban Agriculture and Aquaculture shall
submit annual performance reports to Congress.
SECTION 12. Appropriations. — The funds necessary to carry out the initial
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the respective budget of
concerned agencies for the current year. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary


for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual
General Appropriations Act.
SECTION 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within ninety (90) days
from the effectivity of this Act, the agencies under the National Convergence
Program on Urban Agriculture and Aquaculture shall promulgate the necessary
implementing rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this act.
SECTION 14. Separability Clause. — If any part or provision of this Act is held
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected
shall continue to remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 15. Repealing Clause. — All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules and
regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified
accordingly.
SECTION 16. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved.