Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

193

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative Dante Sotelo Gare

EXPLANATORY NOTE

As early as 1990, a systematic approach to urban agriculture was introduced in Quezon City with
its Urban Agriculture Program conceptualized by the Bureau of Agricultural Research. The
program aimed to develop technologies on the raising and use of crops, livestock, and fish in the
urban setting. To date, the Department of Agriculture (DA) continues to strengthen its urban
agriculture program, which aims to address the food needs in the urban areas that cushion the
impact of the Covid-19 pandemic

The bill's main objective is to promote the development of modem, cost-effective, space-efficient,
and environmentally-safe agriculture technologies in urban areas to achieve sustainable food
production and food security, ensure adequate nutrition and public health, and improve the quality
of life of urban populations.

‘The proposed law covers idle or abandoned government or private lands, subdivisions or villages,
public housing, open spaces in all urban, peri-urban and urbanizable areas in the country; and all
available and appropriate land resources in state or private universities and colleges, and military
camps suitable for growing crops and raising poultry. livestock and aquaculture;

The program can be implemented in coordination with the Local Government Units (LGUs),
national government agencies, particularly the DA and its attached agencies, Department of Human
Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Department of Education (DepEd) and the
‘Commission on Higher Education (CHED), non-government organizations, the private sectors, and
the academe,

The law also entitles subdivision and condominium developers who comply with the urban
agriculture practices provided for in Sec 5 of the Act, to avail of the incentives provided for under
Republic Act No. 10771, otherwise known as Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2016. And, provides
that loans relating to urban agriculture activities extended by government and private banks to
participating individuals, corporations and partnerships shall be considered as compliance to
Republic Act No. 10000, otherwise known as the Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of 2009.

It is high time to institutionalize the said program, and augment considerable allocation under the
DA to jump stay the implementation of the same. Thus, I urge Congress that immediate
consideration ik je proposed law shall be prioritized.

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'f SOTELO GARCIA
Union

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL xol193

Introduced by Representative Dante Sotelo Garcia

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."

SEC. 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
modem, cost-effective, space-efficient, and environmentally-safe agriculture technologies in
urban areas to contribute in achieving sustainable food production andfood
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. And, instill a love of farming
among urban dwellers, most especially the youth.

Accordingly, the State shall ensure the integration of principles, strategies and
technologies on urban agriculture in urban planning

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms.As used in this Act:

(@) Agro-ecology refers to a scientific discipline and set of practices that studies how
different components of the agroccosystem interact, and seeks sustainable farming
systems that optimize and stabilize yields. it applies ecological concepts and

es to manage interactions between plants, animals, humans and the

‘onment for food security and nutrition;



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(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 omamentals, 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, but not limited to, 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;

stemrefers to acomplex web of activities involving the production,
ing, 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;

() Good Agricultural Practicesrefer 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 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,
aquaponies, and aeroponics;

(i) Integrated urban agriculturerefers 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;

() Peri-urban areastefer 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 300 inhabitants per square

lometer and a population of 5,000 or more but are neither contiguous with nor
in two (2) kilometers of an urban area;



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(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 (high temperature,
excessive rainfall, humidity, wind, birds, insects, etc.); also known as greenhouse
agriculture;

(1) 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 technologies proving that soil is not crucial to
‘grow plants; a method when plants do not rely on the soil as a source of nutrients
and water; common methods are hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics;

(n) Urban areas shall refer to any of the following, per PSA Resolution No. 01, Series
of 2017-098:
- Ifa barangay has a population size of 5,000 or more;
- Ifa barangay has at least one establishment with a minimum of 100 employees:
- Ifa barangay has 5 or more establishments with a minimum of 0 employee, and
5 or more facilities within the two-kilometer radius from the barangay hall;

(0) 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) Urbanizableareas 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; generally
done in greenhouses, warehouses, abandoned buildings, shipping containers,
tunnels, skyscrapers and modem buildings using soilless farming techniques such
as hydroponics, aquaponics or aeroponics.

SEC. 4. Coverage.This Act shall cover idle or abandoned government or private
lands,buildings, shipping containers, subdivisions/villages, public housing, open spaces in all
urban, peri-urban and urbanizable areas in the country; and all available land resources and
buildings in Sci 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 said lands; Provided furtherThat, 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.



SeocoudsHswn—

SEC. 5. Urban Farming. Local government units shall identify and develop idle
governmentand/or 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
conversionsolely 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; Providedfurther, That, spaces allocated for
urban agriculture and aquaculture shall not be prime lots. LGUs, in coordination with the
Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), shall
capacitate neighborhood associations and people’s organizations,and/or we the
organization and registration of community-based cooperatives, to undertake
communitygardeningand establish community farmers’ markets.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit or extinguish the rights of owners to their
private land/s and space/s 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/or vertical farms. Towards this end, the DHSUD,
in coordination with the DA, shall capacitate homeowners’ association to undertake
community gardening and/or 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-workshop to capacitate various stakeholders, and 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 provision of technical assistance 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 or the Food Safety Act of 2013 and relevant laws.

‘The DA, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology, Department
of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Energy, and the Department Of
Public Works And Highwaysshall also undertake the establishment oftainwater harvesting
facilities in compliance with Republic Act No. 6716, 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.

SEC. 6. Urban Agriculture/Aquaculturein Urban Planning. The DHSUD, in
coordination with the DA, shall ensure the integrationof concepts and principles ofurban
agriculture and its relationship to other processes in the food system in urban
planning. Accordingly, the DHSUD and DA shall promotesustainable, 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, 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

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spatial requirements ofsupply chain management and logistics to strengthen urban-
ruralfoodshed linkages.

‘Towards these ends, the DHSUD shall promulgateguidelines for the harmonization of
‘Comprehensive Land Use Plans and zoning ordinances of local government units with urban
agriculture policies, frameworks, strategies and standards.

LGUs are hereby mandated to incorporate urban agricultural development in their
respective Annual Development Plans, Annual Investment Plans, Physical Framework Plans,
and Development Master Plansincluding the hiring of Agriculturists and Agricultural and
Biosystems Engineers to carry out urban agriculture program.

LGUs, with the assistance of the DA, Department of Interior and Local Government
and the Department of Information and Communications Technology, shall establish and
maintain adigital information system to facilitate the efficientcollection, management and
analysis of urban food system, agriculture and nutrition data, as well as monitoring and
evaluation of LGU performance vis-a-vis food system, agriculture and nutrition targets, to
inform tocal planning, policy-making andprogramming, and to ensure open public access to
data.

SEC. 7. Urban Agriculture/Aquaculture Education.The Department of Education
and the Commission on Higher Educations, with the technical assistance of the Department
of Agriculture, 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/or 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 Department of Education, with the assistance of the Department of Agriculture,
shall strengthen the implementation of Gulayan sa Paaralan Program in clementary and
secondary schools, establishing school gardens to ensure continuous supply of vegetables for
school feeding, in accordance with Republic Act No. 11037, entitled ‘An Act
mnalizing a National Feeding Program for Undernourished Children in Public Day
Kindergarten and Elementary Schools to Combat Hunger and Undernutrition among
ino Children and Appropriating Funds Therefor’.

For universities and colleges, urban agriculture shall form part of the re
time spent by students in the National Service Training Program or the Citizens’
Training. A plan for the utilization or maximization of space occupied by schools shall be
formulated specifically for urban agriculture purposes.

SEC. 8. Urban Agriculture Awareness Campaign. The DILG, The National Nutrition
Council, and Local Government Units (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 barangay, municipal, city and provincial federation of
‘SK and the youth sector represented in any local special body under LGUs.


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The Department of Social Work And Development shall integrate urban agriculture and
community nutrition in the seminar-workshops and training programs to educate qualified
houschold-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P3).

SEC. 9. Research and Development. The DA and the Department of Science and
Technology, 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.

SEC. 10. Incentives. Compliance by subdivision and condominium developers and/or
‘owners with Section 5 of this Act may qualify them for incentives provided for under
Republic Act No. 10771 entitled ‘An Act Promoting the Creation of Green Jobs, Granting
Incentives and Appropriating Funds Therefor’ subject to rules and regulations promulgated
by the Department of Finance and the DHSUD.

The commitment and performanceof LGUs in the implementation of this Actshall 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, entitled ‘An Act
Establishing and Institutionalizing the Seal of Good Local Governance for Local Government
Units, and Allocating for this Purpose the Seal of Good Local Governance Fund”.

Loans extended by government and private banks to participating individuals,
corporations and partnerships shall be treated as compliance to Republic Act No. 10000,
entitled ‘An Act Providing for an Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Credit and Financing
System through Banking Institutions’.

SEC.11Inter-Agency Coordination. There is hereby established a
NationalConvergence Program on Urban Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture 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 Department of Agriculture shall provide technical assistance and support
services to local government units. community-based cooperatives, homeowners’
associations, neighborhood associations and people’s organizations to ensure the
viability and cost-effectiveness of urban agriculture projectsand through its Bureau
of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), 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 Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) shall
encourage the integration of urban agriculture principles, policies, strategies,
frameworks and standards in the design and development of subdivisions
andcondominium projects.The DHSUD shall ensure such integration in public
housing projectsand in the preparation or updating of development and investment
plans, CLUPS and zoning ordinances of LGUs. The DHSUD shall also promulgate

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the necessary rules and monitorcompliance therewith.The DHSUD shall
provideassistanceto homeowners’ associations to strengthen their capacity to
undertake urban agriculture/ aquaculture projects in their neighborhoods and
communities

c) The Department of Interior and Local Government shall monitor the compliance of
LGUs with the provisions of this Act in order to determine their qualification for
incentives provided for under Republic Act No. 11292;

d) The Department of Ei (DepEd) shall integrate the principles and practice of
turban agriculture using advanced crop production techniques like soilless
agriculture, indoor farming/vertical farming to include modem methods of irrigation
and automated systems into primary and secondary education curricula, including
the establishment of school gardens under the Gulayan at Paghahayupan sa
Paaralan Program. 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;

€) Department of Science and Technology shall conduct research on modem, cost
effective methods and technologies to support urban agricultural production, as well
as post-harvest handling of surplus produce ftom urban agriculture projects;

f) Department of Trade and Industry shall provide technical assistance in processing
and packaging of surplus produce from urban agriculture/ aquaculture projects and
ensure access of local government units, cooperatives, homeowners’ associations,
and people’s organizations to markets;

2) Department of Finance shall administer the grant of incentives under Section 9 of
this Act to qualified persons based on their compliance to Section 5 of this Act;

h) Department of Budget and Management shall ensure adequate funding for the
functions and programs provided for by under this Act;

i) The Commission on Higher Education 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 Department of Public Works And Highways (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) National Nutrition Council and The Food And Nutrition Research Institute shall
assist the DEPED in identifying the crops to be cultivated in schools farms and in
preparing nutritious food, pursuant to standardized menus to ensure child nutrition


provided for underRepublic Act No. 11037, and in developing the modules on
nutrition.

1) The Cooperative Development Authority 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.

©) 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, but
not limited to, NCCA AND FDCP.

p) 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 where every child fully enjoys his/her rights.

q) The National Youth Commission, as the Philippine government's sole policy-making body
fon 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.

SEC. 11. Periodic report to Congress. The Department of Agriculture and partner
agencies in the National Convergence Program on Urban Agriculture/Aquaculture shall
submit annual performance reports to Congress.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within six (6) months from the
effectivity of this Act, the agencies under the National Convergence Program on Urban
Agriculture/Aquacultureshall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations to
implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 15. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules and
regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly.


BUNA

SEC. 16. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,