THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINE 
First Regular Session 
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S. No. 2 
Introduced by Senator S. R. OsmeAa 111 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In the past, reforestation had been directed to putting trees in public lands 
and in forest plantations. In most of the programs, communities were involved as 
reforestation contractors and not the direct stakeholders. 
There are about 20 million people estimated to be living in the upland. 
There are still vast tracts of alienable and disposable lands in the uplands that 
are currently degraded and are in grasslands that have been abandoned for 
pasture. These areas need to be rehabilitated by planting trees in farms through 
agroforestry, where the people earn a living while reforesting the mountains. 
The Philippine Agroforestry Education and Research Network (PAFERN) 
is composed of 31 members schools (SCUs) that have an existing agroforestry 
education and related activities or have the potential to engage in agroforestry 
extension and development services. These HEl’s/SUCs also have student 
populations that could be mobilized for the promotion of planting and growing 
trees among farms in the upland communities. 
This bill seeks to tap the direct involvement of the HEls/SCUs, its 
students, communities and other agencies in reforesting the uplands through 
agroforestry. This is an innovation over the plantation forestry and contract 
forestry and contract reforestation approach as this will provide educational and 
institutional response into the problem of deforestation. In addition, it is expected 
to establish/strengthen the partnership of the SCU with community-based 
organization and local government in promoting agroforestry as means of forest 
restoration and increasing the availability of timber in the market. With 
agroforestry, trees are grown with agricultural crops, thus farmers will have 
livelihood and at the same time help in providing environmental services such as 
watershed functions, agro-biodiversity, carbon sequestration, among others. 
In view of the foregoing, passage of this bill is earnestly requested. 
SERGIO OSMENA 
Senator 
LL 
111 


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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
1 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator S. R. OsmeAa 111 
AN ACT 
AUTHORIZING 
THE 
HIGHER 
EDUCATION 
INSTITUTIONS 
IN 
THE 
PHILIPPINES TO 
UNDERTAKE A TEN YEAR AGROFORESTATION 
PROGRAM, PROVIDING MECHANISMS OF 
IMPLEMENTATION AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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ARTICLE I. 
TITLE AND POLICIES 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Ten Year 
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Higher Educafion Agroforesfafion Development Head Acf of 2004" 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Stafe Policies. - 
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a. The State in pursuance to the constitutional mandate of conserving the 
patrimony of the nation shall enhance the agroforestation of the degraded 
ecological setting (the uplands, lowlands, and coastal resources) by authorizing 
relevant State Universities 
(SCUs) and other Higher Education Institutions 
(HEls) to undertake a ten (IO) year Agroforestation Development Program 
starting first at their unutilized/ idle land resources and expanding to adjacent 
communities. 
b. The State shall likewise ensure through this Act, the Operationalization 
of Section 8 (5) of R.A. 7722 (The Higher Education Act of 1994) which gives 
power to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to direct or redirect 
purposive research and development by institutions of higher learning to meet 
the needs of agro-industrialization and development. 


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ARTICLE II. A TEN- YEAR HIGHER EDUCATION AGROFORESTATION 
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 
SEC. 3. Purpose, Scope and 
a. For purposes of this Act, a ten-year HEAD program shall be established 
with the assistance of other government and non-government agencies or 
organizations that may be identified by the HEI, who shall act as the lead unit in 
planning, implementing and evaluating the program in accordance with the 
following objectives: 
e veloprnen f- 
Section 3.a. 
1. To enhance the agroforestation of degraded ecosystem in selected 
areas of the country particularly the idle/ unutilized land resources of Higher 
Education Institutions and their adjacent communities in collaboration with other 
government and non-government institutions: 
2. To translate the HEls. Agroforestry Research and Development into 
agroforestry entrepreneurial technologies and promote agro-industrialization 
development, conservation of the environment, poverty reduction and socio- 
economic upliftment of the affected people and communities; 
3. To upgrade the HEls and improve the delivery of quality of higher 
education in their respective service areas through a sustained agroforestry 
income generating projects. 
b. All HEls particularly the SUCs who are members of the Philippine 
Agroforestry Education and Research Network (PAFERN) having an existing 
agroforestry education and related activities or have the potential to engage in 
agroforestry extension and development services shall be the priority under this 
program. Other HEIs who may apply and submit a project proposal to undertake 
agroforestation in collaboration with an organization/agency, NGOs andlor local 
government units to adopt a community maybe covered and supported under this 
Act. 
ARTICLE Ill. MECHANISM OF IMPLEMENTATION 


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Article 4. Organization and Management 
a. The CHED through the HEAD Taskforce to assist within the duration of 
this program, shall administer this program and be responsible in the effective 
over-all implementation 
of this Act. 
It shall organize the 
necessary 
instrumentalities, sets policies of the program and submit progress and 
completion reports to congress. The budgetary support for the operational 
expenses of the Task Force shall be drawn from the Higher Education 
Development Fund administered by the CHED under Section I O  of R.A. 7722 
and its personnel services shall be from the regular appropriation of CHED. 
b. Upon approval of this Act, the CHED and the identified HEls shall 
mobilize itself to organize the implementation of this Act and all other 
preparations, planning and other activities concomitant to the implementation of 
the program shall be charge to their respective institutional current operational 
expenditures. 
c. 
All the HEIs approved to be included and funded in this program shall 
develop a ten (I 0) year detailed implementation rolling plan in agroforestation 
and submit reports to the CHED and their accomplishments indicating the impact 
of the program on conservation, environment and socio-economic upliftment of 
the affected people and the communities. 
SEC. 5. Funding Mechanisms. - 
a. In support of this Act the following funding mechanism shall be 
allocated: 
I .  Effective on the calendar year, 2005, all SCUs under the PAFERN shall 
be allocated an amount of P I  ,000,000 additional budgetary grants annually for 
the next ten years to implement the program which shall be treated as a 
revolving trust fund for the organization, implementation and business operation 
of the agroforestation program. 


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2. Other HEls having agroforestry related activities approved to be part of 
this program shall also receive a grant of not more than PI,OOO,OOO and yearly 
thereafter based on their proposed project to be treated as revolving trust fund. 
SEC. 5. Funding Mechanis 
a) In support of this Act the following funding mechanism shall be 
allocated : 
1. Effective on the calendar year, 2005, all SCUs under the PAFERN 
shall be allocated an amount of P I  ,000,000 additional budgetary grants annually 
for the next ten years to implement the program which shall be treated as a 
revolving trust fund for the organization, implementation and business operation 
of the agroforestation program. 
2. Other HEls having agroforestry related activities approved to be part 
of this program shall also receive a grant of not more than P I  ,000,000 and yearly 
thereafter based on their proposed project to be treated as a revolving trust fund. 
3. All income generated and interest earnings shall be used as follows: 
fifty (50) percent shall accrue to the funds for the sustenance of the project 
and/or expansion activities and the remaining fifty (50) percent of the support of 
the HE1 in improving its facilities1 equipment/operation in the delivery of quality 
education. The focus of which shall be determined by its governing boards. 
4. The appropriations of this fund shall be included in the Annual General 
Appropriations Act continuously for ten (IO) years effective on the fiscal year 
2005 until 2015 to be taken from any development funds allocated for agriculture, 
natural resources and environment. 
5. Other sources of fund may be tapped by the HEls from NAPC, 
Quendancor, local and foreign donors, the internal revenue allotments of LGUs 
involved in this program and from the partnership with the private industry. 
SEC. 6. HHs Governing Boards Approval. - The detailed strategic 
and operational plans and its effective implementation as well as the hiring of 
staff, experts and consultants shall upon the recommendation of the President of 


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Approved, 
HEI, be approvedldecided upon by the respective governing boards of the HEls 
in accordance to their corporate powers as defined in Section 4 of R.A. 8292. 
SEC. 
7. 
Repealing Clause. - All existing laws, decrees, rules, 
regulations, executive orders and other administrative issuances and parts 
thereof inconsistent with the provision of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act shall 
be held unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions hereof which are not affected 
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SEC. 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect upon its approval.