EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SEN
S. No.
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20 HAY-4 P4:0l
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
RECEIVED SY:....
AN ACT
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK ON RESILIENT 
HOUSING AND HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Explanatory Note
The right to adequate housing is an essential human right. Article 1, 
Paragraph 1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 
includes housing in the components of the right to an adequate standard of living: 
"The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of 
everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, 
including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous 
improvement of living conditions."
The constant barrage of typhoons which enter the Philippines annually is a 
major challenge to the right to adequate housing. Eight to nine typhoons strike the 
country every year, costing billions in terms of destroyed property and foregone 
productivity. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as "Yolanda") cost 
approximately $15 billion.
The case of Yolanda is instructive, as it shows the government's inability to 
guarantee the right to adequate housing immediately after a typhoon. In an inquiry 
in aid of legislation on the matter, the Senate Committee on Public Works in the 16th 
Congress found that bunkhouses constructed by the Department of Public Works and


Highways were substandard.1 Furthermore, the Committee stated that "the 
bunkhouses (were) not in compiiance with the internationai standards in buiiding 
transitionai houses."
This biii provides a simpie remedy. The proposed measure mandates the State 
to undertake, in cooperation with the private sector, a comprehensive and continuing 
Resilient Housing and Human Settlements Program, which shall lay out a clear and 
concrete plan to ensure that Filipinos who will experience disasters will be quickly 
rehabilitated in safe, secure, and sustainable housing, with attendant basic services 
and access to livelihood. This bill is part of the legislative agenda of the Philippine 
Legislator's Committee on Population and Development Foundation.
Immediate approval of this measure is eagerly sought.
jf GRACE POE
1 Senate of the Philippines (16th Congress). Committee Report No. 30. On Senate Resolutions 
No. 436 and 439. Retrieved from https://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/1916916292l.pdf


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
of tijf &r(r?tai'p
SENATE
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
RECEIVED SY:
AN ACT
INSTITUTING A NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK ON RESILIENT 
HOUSING AND HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Resilient Housing and
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Human Settlements Act of 2020."
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Principles and State Policies. — Pursuant to Article 2,
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Sections 5 and 11 of the Philippine Constitution which states that the maintenance of
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peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and the promotion of
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the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings
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of democracy; the State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees
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full respect for human rights.
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To protect, promote, and fulfill the right to adequate housing as a component
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of the people's right to an adequate standard of living—concomitant with the goal of
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enhancing the resiliency of communities to disasters—the State shall undertake, in
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cooperation with the private sector, a comprehensive and continuing Resilient
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Housing and Human Settlements Program, which shall, among other things, lay out a
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clear and concrete plan to ensure that Filipinos who will experience disasters will be
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quickly rehabilitated in safe, secure, and sustainable housing, with attendant basic
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services and access to livelihood.
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As a state party to United Nations International Covenant on the Economic,


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Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we 
will pursue Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient 
and sustainable) and the Rights-Based Approach.
Pursuant to Article 13, Section 16 of the Philippine Constitution, the right of 
the people and their organizations to effective and reasonable participation at all 
levels of social, political, and economic decision-making shall not be abridged. The 
State shall, by law, facilitate the establishment of adequate consultation mechanisms.
It is the policy of the State to complement and supplement the provisions of 
the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (Republic Act 
No. 10121), and in consonance with the Climate Change Act of 2009 (as amended by 
Republic Act No. 10174) and other existing iaws related to climate change adaptation 
and DRRM in relation to upholding the people's constitutional rights to life and 
property by addressing the root causes of vulnerabilities to disasters and building the 
resilience of local communities to climate change impacts; and in terms of 
mainstreaming ciimate change adaptation in development processes such as policy 
formulation, budgeting, and governance particularly with respect to housing and land 
use, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to work for the attainment of a more 
inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable human settlements.
Towards this end, the government shall pursue a comprehensive, rights-
based, gender-responsive, participatory and sustainable approach to resilient human 
settlements.
This Act declares the following as guiding principles:
a) The Right to Adequate Housing according to the ICESCR covers the following 
elements, accessibility; affordabiiity; habitability; security of tenure; cultural 
adequacy; resiliency; suitability of location; access to essential services such 
as health and education; and respect for safety standards aimed at reducing 
damage in cases of future disasters;
b) The State bears the primary responsibility for protecting the people, 
infrastructure, and other nationai assets from the impact of disasters and will 
mobilize adequate and make efficient use of existing resources, including 
financial, scientific, and technological means in nurturing resiliency;


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c) The building/achievement/fulfillment of resilient human settlements requires 
that responsibilities be shared by the national and local government units and 
relevant national authorities, sectors, stakeholders and communities. This 
entails the development and strengthening of institutions, mechanisms and 
capacities at all levels, ip particular at the community level that can 
systematically contribute to building resiliency. Convergence of resources and 
involvement of various stakeholders are essential to the supply of housing and 
infrastructure in the overall context of sustainable development and resilient 
human settlements;
d) Ensure accountability and transparency of all sectors to monitor and 
evaluate programs and initiatives;
e) Uphold gender equity and equality, cultural diversity and the rights of 
vulnerable groups such as children, elderly and, people with disabilities when 
planning for resilient and sustainable settlements development.
Sec. 3. General Objectives. - This Act seeks to:
a) Provide a framework for resilient housing and human settlements;
b) Guide various stakeholders to take well-planned, concerted, transparent, 
inclusive, livable, safe, resilient, sustainable, and pro-poor housing initiatives in 
the best possible manner;
c) Strengthen the participation of all sectors especially communities and civil 
society in the planning of resilient housing and human settlements;
d) Build synergy, convergence and integration of housing-related and livelihood 
intervention for the attainment of resilient and sustainable human settlements;
e) Foster policy and program coherence related to poverty alleviation, income 
generation and employment, and delivery channels to achieve the overall 
objective of housing for all and the attainment of resilient and sustainable 
development of human settlements;
f) Support innovation and research and development into new, indigenous, low- 
cost resilient and sustainable human settlements;
Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall
mean:


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a) Adequate housing - defined as that which affords its occupants the following 
conditions:
1. legal security of tenure, including protection against forced evictions;
2. available services and infrastructure (access to water; energy for cooking, 
heating, and lighting; sanitation and washing facilities; food storage; and 
waste disposal (solid, septage and sewerage); communication and 
information; sufficient road networks especially for emergencies and so 
on);
3. affordable housing costs and financing options such that the attainment of 
other basic needs is not threatened;
4. habitability in the sense of adequate spaces, security, physical safety, and 
protection from cold, damp, heat, rain, wind, structural hazards, and 
disease vectors;
5. sufficient accessibility that disadvantaged or vulnerable groups such as 
persons with disabilities, elderly, children and women are not left without 
shelter appropriate to their particular needs;
6. a physical location allowing proximate access to employment and livelihood 
options, health care services, schools, child-care centers, and other social 
facilities and avoiding risks from pollution sources;
7. available, resilient, environmentally-friendly and appropriate construction 
materials, settlements design and process with respect to the expression of 
cultural and religious identity and geographical location;
8. compliance with safety and resilience standards aimed at minimizing 
damage from future disasters.
b) Adequate open spaces - which includes roads, green spaces, areas for 
persons with disabilities, elderly, children and materials recovery facilities.
c) Climate-resilient housing- Refers to housing that is equipped and structurally- 
designed to resist, absorb and accommodate the effects of climate hazards 
like heat waves, extreme weather variabilities without significant changes to 
its basic functions.
d) Comprehensive Resilient Housing Program for Disaster Survivors — Refers to


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the delivery of resources and activities in the rehabilitation and reconstruction 
of damaged and destroyed housing and development of other new permanent 
housing options for persons and families affected by disasters. It shall follow 
humanitarian standards for their protection and their rights to adequate 
housing through the provision of safe, habitable emergency and transitional 
shelter during displacement and permanent housing that meets the basic 
standards of adequacy and decency. Providing for a comprehensive, multi­
sectoral, inter-agency, and community-based approach to post-disaster 
housing rehabilitation, reconstruction, and recovery.
e) Gender equity and equality - Refers to the principle asserting the equality of 
men and women and their right to enjoy equal conditions realizing their full 
human potentials to contribute to and benefit from the results of development, 
and with the State recognizing that all human beings are free and equal in 
dignity and rights. Gender equity refers to the policies, instruments, programs, 
services, and actions that address the disadvantaged position of women in 
society by providing preferential treatment and affirmative action. Such 
temporary special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between 
men and women shall not be considered discriminatory but shall in no way 
entail as a consequence the maintenance of unequal or separate standards.
f) Land-Use Planning- the process undertaken by national and local government 
authorities, communities, private sector, and civil society to identify, evaluate, 
and decide on different options for the use of land, including consideration of 
long-term economic, social and environmental objectives and the implications 
for different communities and interest group, and the subsequent formulation 
and promulgation of plans that describe the permitted or acceptable uses. 
People's Plan - a resettlement option and community development plan 
formulated by POs, with or without the support of NGOs, LGUs and NGAs
g) Post-Disaster Recovery- the restoration and improvement where appropriate, 
of facilities, livelihood, and living condition of disaster-affected communities, 
including efforts to reduce disaster risk factors and enhancing resiliency, in 
accordance with the principles of "build back better," as defined in Republic


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Act No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act 
of 2010.
h) Resilience - the capacity of a system, community or society exposed to 
hazards to resist, adapt, and transform to an acceptable level of functioning 
and structure. This is determined by the degree to which the system is 
capable of organising itself to increase this capacity by learning from 
experiences for better future protection and to improve risk reduction 
measures.
Sec. 5. National Framework for Resilient Housing and Human Settlements. - 
This is the National Framework for Resilient Human Settlements (hereinafter referred 
to as the Framework) to be formulated by the Housing and Urban Development 
Coordinating Council (HUDCC) within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act in 
coordination and in partnership with the following:
a) The HUDCC and its attached agencies;
b) National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA);
c) Climate Change Commission (CCC);
d) Office of Civil Defense (OCD);
e) Government Service Insurance Service System (GSIS);
f) Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD);
g) Department of Science and Technology (DOST);
h) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
I) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
j) Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);
k) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
l) Department of Budget and Management (DBM);
m) Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);
n) Office of Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP);
o) National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP);
p) National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC);
q) Insurance Commission (IC);
r) Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP);


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s) Built environment and disaster-resilient housing design experts;
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t) Academe;
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u) Civil society;
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v) Communities and other concerned public and private entities.
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The Framework shall serve as the basis for measures or mechanisms for post-
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disaster housing and resiliency planning, research and development, extension,
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monitoring and evaluation of programs, projects, and activities to protect vulnerable
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communities from the adverse effects of climate change and disasters.
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The Framework shall describe how the State and all relevant stakeholders can
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work together to achieve adequate and resilient housing for all, including and most
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especially those affected by disasters; and chart the new direction that our national
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and local housing programs and efforts must take in order to make human
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settlements and communities more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
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The Framework shall include, but not limited to, the following components:
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a) National Resilient Housing Agenda, which shall be derived from the threats,
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hazards, and vulnerabilities identified; adaptation needs and requirements;
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risk and resiliency assessment for the Philippine housing sector;
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b) National and local resilient housing priorities; outline the most efficient and
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cost effective housing projects that will best meet the short-term and long-
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term resilient housing needs of individuals and households;
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c) National Standards for Resilient Housing Design and Construction;
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d) National Post-Disaster Housing Recovery Strategy, which shall focus on
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how best to restore, rehabilitate, redevelop, and revitalize disaster-
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impacted communities; restoring livelihoods; effectively preventing the
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recurrence of disasters and harnessing conditions for future development;
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e) Promotion of local government rehabilitation and recovery plans;
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f) Rules and Guidelines for Post-Disaster Housing Rehabilitation,
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Reconstruction, and Relocation;
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g) Comprehensive Resilient Housing Program for Disaster Survivors;
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h) Investment and financing requirements;
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i) Institutional arrangements, including public-private partnership; national


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government roles; local government support functions; and private sector 
responsibilities;
j) Implementation arrangements;
k) Reporting, monitoring, and evaluation.
Sec. 6. Monitoring ofCompiiance with this Act. - HUDCC shall take the lead to 
periodically monitor the compliance with this Act. Other agencies will participate in 
the monitoring such as attached agencies of HUDCC; DILG; Office of Civil Defense; 
NEDA; and CCC. There shall be a mechanism for civii society to participate in the 
monitoring process.
Sec. 7. Joint Congressionai Oversight Committee. — There is hereby created a 
Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to monitor the implementation of this Act. 
The Oversight Committee shali be composed of five (5) Senators and five (5) 
Representatives to be appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, respectively.
The Oversight Committee shall be co-chaired by a Senator and a 
Representative to be designated by the Senate President and the speaker of the 
House of Representatives, respectively. Its funding requirement shall be charged 
against the appropriations of Congress.
Sec. 8. Annuai Report. - The HUDCC shall submit to the President, Senate 
President and House Speaker not later than March 30 of every year following the 
effectivity of this Act, or upon the request of the Congressional Oversight Committee, 
a report giving a detailed account of the status of the implementation of this Act, a 
progress report on the implementation of the National Resilient Housing and Human 
Settlements Action Plan, policy gaps, and recommended legislation, where applicable 
and necessary. LGUs shall submit annual progress on the Implementation of their 
respective local action plan to HUDCC within the first quarter of the following year.
Sec. 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation 
of this Act shall be charged against the current appropriation of the HUDCC. 
Thereafter, the amount needed for the continued implementation of this Act shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 10. Impiementing Ruies and Reguiations. - Within ninety (90) days from


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the effectivity of this Act, the key shelter agencies shall, upon consultation and 
coordination with the pertinent government agencies, LGUs, private sector, NGOs, 
POs, build environment expert and professionals, promulgate the necessary rules and 
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act: Provided, That failure to 
issue rules and regulations shall not in any manner affect the executory nature of the 
provisions of this Act.
Sec. 11. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any provision or part of this 
Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not 
affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
Sec. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, 
issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with any provision of 
this Act are hereby modified, amended, or repealed accordingly.
Sec. 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,