Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides for the protection and promotion of the 
Filipino people’s right to health. Moreover, the Philippines has adopted the 2030 
Sustainable Development Agenda which aims to end poverty (SDG 1), ensure that 
households have food on their table (SDG 2), reduce inequalities (SDG 10), and build 
sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), among others. Toward this end, the 
government has implemented programs and projects to attain these goals including 
the establishment of a thriving economy supported by a productive agriculture sector. 
Notwithstanding, Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey (RNAS) conducted by the Food 
and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) revealed that Filipinos continue to battle 
hunger and malnutrition. Around 62.1% of Filipino households experienced food 
insecurity amid the Covid-19 pandemic, contributing to the incidence of nutrition 
deficiency and undernutrition.1 Meanwhile, a news report based on a survey 
conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that hunger has worsened 
in the first quarter of 2022. The Philippine population is expected to double in about 
40 years which could only mean more demand for land and food that would further 
magnify hunger and poverty. 
This proposed measure seeks to promote integrated urban agriculture development 
to address food security issues while promoting ecological balance, and encouraging 
alternative income-generating activities in urban areas nationwide. It also provides for 
the utilization of idle lands for urban agriculture purposes according to the principles 
and strategies for urban planning. Urban agriculture as claimed by several studies 
serves a vital role in improving food security by providing healthier substitutes for 
purchased food, especially for poor households. Likewise, it provides people with a 
primary or alternative income source.  
1 https://cpbrd.congress.gov.ph/2012-06-30-13-06-51/2012-06-30-13-36-50/1325-ff2021-35-food-insecurity-
among-families-amid-the-covid-19-pandemic 
August 23, 2022
2:00 pm
3995


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In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 


3
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS “NICK” C. ENCISO VIII 
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”. 
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 shall 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.  
3995


 
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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 the 
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 may 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 


 
5
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 urbanizable 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 (5,000) 
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 


 
6
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: 
- 
If a barangay has a population size of five thousand (5,000) or more; 
- 
If a barangay has at least one establishment with a minimum of one 
hundred (100) employees; 
- 
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 an area by growing crops in vertically stacked layers; such as 
generally done in greenhouses, warehouses, abandoned buildings, shipping 


 
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containers, tunnels, skyscrapers and modern buildings using soilless farming 
techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics or 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 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 aquaculture 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 


 
8
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, nutrient, water and energy management, such as composting, 


 
9
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 urban food systems, 
agriculture and nutrition data, as well as the monitoring and 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 


 
10
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 


 
11
and the provision of incentives, provided for under Republic Act No. 11292, otherwise 
known as "The Seal of Good Local Governance Act of 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; 
 


 
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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 
in to the primary and secondary education curricula, including the establishment 
of school gardens 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. 


 
13
 
k) 
The National Nutrition Council and the Food and 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 in 
the National Convergence Program on Urban Agriculture and Aquaculture shall submit 
annual performance reports to Congress. 
 


 
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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 days (90) 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,