Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. 77182

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Public parks in a city is of unparalleled necessity and even more so in a country
like the Philippines. Where majority of our citizens have to live with an uptight budget and
inability to afford a very high-end lifestyle, the availability of free recreational facilities is,
to say the least, paramount for people to live a simple yet happy life.

Public parks serve as a favorable venue for people, especially the indigents, to
enjoy recreational activities. Students may utilize available free spaces for their
extracurricular activities like dance or drama practices, Our elders will have a reason to
wake up early in the morning to do some walking exercises. These parks can serve as a
place where all individuals from different walks of life to meet, socialize, play, or just to
have fun. It can also be the a favorable place to rest, ponder, or express one’s artistic
side. Public parks may also serve as a venue to assemble people for important social,
commercial and political events.

Since public parks are meant for all - rich and poor, children and adults, men and
women alike - without any distinction or discrimination, it fosters a democratic influence
and somehow promotes equality.

Furthermore, when people of the same interests, hobbies or talents converge in
one place, a sense of belonging is immediately created and more likely than not, these
formed groups will lead to the further betterment of each other's craft. In other words, a
public park may encourage the unison of random people sharing the same passion. In
effect, public parks afford people a great opportunity to cultivate talents, friendship and
harmony in the society.


Ours is a nation with people whose primary objective is to survive each day and
ensure that there is food on their plate. Therefore, our people barely have enough time
and reason to relax, enjoy, and do other things that can in fact help them develop their
full potential.

We may not realize it but encouraging our hardworking people to spend some time
alone or with their families even for just a couple of hours in a week to do whatever they
enjoy will help them develop a sense of balance in life, Aside from this, allowing them to
gather and socialize or to express and hone their hobbies or talents, undeniably leads to
their individual development and well-roundedness.

Having citizens who are well-rested, content, fulfilled, and with a high sense of self-
worth inevitably contributes to the nation’s development as a whole. Public parks, no
matter how indirectly, provides a venue for this ideal goal.

Nonetheless, this very significant potential role of public parks in the promotion of
social and national development will be defeated if these parks are not easily accessible
to the public. It is usually a disincentive for the people to go to, much less frequent these
free places, no matter how beautiful and great parks are, if it would mean that they would
have to travel for several minutes or hours and spend so much for entrance fees or
transportation costs. Hence, equally vital and important is the presence of nearby and
easily accessible public parks.

This is where the importance of establishing at least one public park in every city

comes into play and it is for this reason that the approval of this bill is strongly
recommended.

Bago L SMRE“T


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. 7782

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

AN ACT PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE PUBLIC PARK IN EVERY CITY

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “City Park Act of 2020.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. Its the policy of the State to provide the public
an accessible venue or forum where they can enjoy, gather, socialize and do other
recreational activities that will foster individual development, friendship, and group
harmony amongst one another.

SECTION 3. Establishment of One Park in Each City. Every city government is
hereby mandated to provide and maintain a secured and safe leisure park accessible to
the public for free.

Each city park shall be open to the public for at least eight (8) hours a day, seven
days a week, but in no case shall be accessible to the public beyond twelve o'clock
(12:00) midnight.

SITE REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 4. Ocular inspection and Site Visit. Before selecting or acquiring a
site where the public city park shall be erected, the City Mayor and City Engineering Office
shall conduct an ocular inspection thereof and ensure that, as much as practicable, the
potential park site is located on the central part or heart of the city.


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The park site shall be selected and evaluated in accordance with the regulations
prescribed by the DPWH and plans therefor shall be approved by the same.

SECTION 5. Site and Plans to be Approved by the DPWH. A building shall not
be acquired or erected for use as a public park until the site is selected and evaluated in
accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPW) and the plans therefor are approved by the same.

OFFICIAL PLAN

SECTION 6. Official Plan Must Be Certified. For the purposes of this Section,
“official plan" means a plan that is certified by the Regional Director of the DPWH to be
as such.

SECTION 7. Copies of the Official Plan. The official plan shall be submitted to
the DPWH. One (1) copy thereof shall be deposited in the Office of the City Mayor, and
another shall always be kept in the Administration Office of the public city park.

SECTION 8. Public Inspection. Copies of official plans must be available for
public inspection during regular business hours and any person may obtain a copy of an
official plan on payment of a fee prescribed by the local goverment unit or the
administration committee maintaining the public park.

SECTION 9. Eminent Domain. For the purpose of erecting, developing, widening
or relocating the city park as the case may be, any private lands, properties, highways
and/or roads may be acquired by the local government unit concemed for the purpose of
doing all work necessary to the functional operation of the city park, provided that due
compensation shall be made to the owners thereof.

SECTION 10. Widening and/or Relocating the City Park. The local government
unit may widen, relocate, or otherwise alter the boundaries of the city park upon a
reasonable finding that the same is necessary either due to over-crowdedness (for
widening) or due to the increasing crime rate in the area (for relocation) or for whatever
ground or basis the local government unit deems reasonable and proper.

UTILITIES

SECTION 11. Water system. The Sanggunian of a city may enter into an
agreement with any municipality or person, natural or juridical, owning or operating a
waterworks system for the supply of water for the city public park.


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SECTION 12. Sewerage System. The Sanggunian of a city may enter into an
agreement with a private entity (i.e. corporation) or with any city or municipality for
connecting the city public park with the sewerage system of such city or municipality.

SECTION 13. Electricity. The Sanggunian of a city may enter into an agreement
with any person for the supply of electricity for light, heat or power purposes at the city
public park.

FACILITIES

SECTION 14. Playground and/or Children-Friendly Facilities. The city public
park must have a portion where a playground or any child-friendly facility is to be erected
for the use of toddlers and children. These facilities shall likewise be open to the public
free of charge.

SECTION 15. Environmental-Friendly Facilities. The city public park must as
much as practicable, adopt and/or use environmental-friendly facilities, equipment and/or
system in the operation of the said public park.

SECTION 16. Garbage Disposal. The respective administration offices of the city
parks must adopt and implement a garbage segregation scheme that must be maintained
at all times.

STAFFING

SECTION 17. Administration Committee. The city mayor shall appoint members
of the City Park Administration Committee who shall manage the operation of the city
public park, The City Park Administration Committee shall consist of five (5) members;

SECTION 18. Executive Director. The Administration Committee shall elect from
among its members an Executive Director of the city park who shall act as its chairman
who shall be responsible for the general supervision and management of the city park,
and shall have the power to prescribe regulations for observance by the public subject to
the approval of the Administration Committee.

SECTION 19. Park Officers. The Administration Committee may hire as many
park officers as it deems necessary to ensure that the rules and policies of the public park
are being maintained or followed. These park officers shall assist the public visiting the
city park and shall handle their needs, inquiries and/or immediate grievances. These park
officers shall be delegated or assigned post in strategic stations within the premises of
the park. They shall likewise performs other functions as may be delegated by the
Administration Committee.


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The number of park officers that may be hired by the Administration Committee
shall depend on the area size of the park and the number of people who regularly visit
the same.

SECTION 20. Administrative Staff. The Administration Committee may hire as
many administrative staff or personnel as it deems necessary for the efficient operation
of the public park who shall be responsible for the paper works of the Administration
Office. The Committee may delegate additional clerical tasks to the administrative staff
which should always be necessary and desirable for the operation of the public park.

SECTION 21. Maintenance and Utility. The Administration Committee may hire
as many maintenance and utility personnel as it deems necessary for the upkeep and
cleanliness of the public park.

SECTION 22. Security. The Administration Committee may hire as many
watchmen as it deems necessary for the effective guarding of the public park day and
night. Provided that at least one (1) guard per work shift shall be assigned or posted at
the entrance gate of the public park and at least one (1) guard per work shift shall be
designated as a roving guard who shall maintain the peace and order within its premises
and shall ensure the safety of the visiting public.

LEASE PERMITS

SECTION 23. Grant of Building Lease within the Premises of the Park. The
Executive Director may, in his discretion and with the approval of the Administration
Committee, grant leases for buildings for terms not exceeding ten (10) years in said park
for the accommodation of the visiting public;

SECTION 24. Grant of Other Commercial Leases. The Executive Director may
grant a permit authorizing a person or organization to sell merchandise, to advertise, or
to otherwise engage in service-type of business within the premises of the public park for
a reasonable fee. Provided that the merchandise, advertisement, or service to be
provided to the public within the premises of the park are of wholesome nature and are
suitable or safe for the visiting children to see or witness.

CHARGES ALLOWED AGAINST THE VISITING PUBLIC

SECTION 25. Prohibition Against Collection of Entrance Fees. No entrance
fee shall be charged against or collected from any person before he or she can be allowed
access to the park.


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SECTION 26. Allowed Fees and Charges. With the prior approval of the
Administration Committee, the Executive Director may make regulations prescribing a
fee, rate, or charge payable by the visitors of the said park for the following:

(a) The exclusive use of a portion of the park.
(b) The holding of a private event in any portion of the park.

(c) Penalties and fines to be prescribed by the Executive Director for
violation of any regulation being implemented within the premises of the
park, provided that these regulations are made available and known to
the public upon entering the public park.

In light of this, the Administration Committee may post the said rules and
regulations in a bulletin board placed in conspicuous places in the park or it may
opt to distribute printed handouts to every visitor thereof.

However, an offending visitor must be given a first warning by any park
officer or security personnel of the public park. A second attempt of disobedience
or defiance, whether intentional or not, shall entail the imposition of the respective
penalty and/or fine.

PROHIBITIONS

SECTION 27. Sleeping. No person shall enter or be allowed to enter the public
park after the operating hours of the same. In addition, sleeping in the premises of the
park after its operating hours shall likewise be prohibited.

SECTION 28. Squatting and/or any Private Construction. No person shall be
allowed to establish a make-shift dwelling within the premises of the public park. A person
must not construct, install, erect or place any structure, improvement or work of any nature
in the said park except as otherwise authorized under this Act by virtue of a valid permit
issued by the Executive Director.

SECTION 29, Dumping. Transporting or depositing any garbage, refuse,
domestic and/or industrial waste in any park is prohibited.

RIGHTS

SECTION 30. Rights and Interest Vested in the Government. As a general
rule, every right, title, and interest in any structure, improvement or installation in the


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public park belongs to the local government unit except as otherwise provided by a park
use permit or resource use permit.

SECTION 31. No Private Rights Except by Permit. A person or party must not
be permitted to acquire any property right in the city park except under a valid permit as
issued by the Executive Director and as provided for in this Act.

OFFENSES AND PENALTIES

SECTION 32. General Penalty. A person who contravenes any provision of this
Act is liable to a fine of up to P10,000.00 or a term of imprisonment of not more than one
(1) year or both at the discretion of the court.

SECTION 33. Continuing offense. When a contravention of this Act or the
regulations prescribed by the Executive Director continues for more than one (1) day, the
person is guilty of a separate offence for each day on which the contravention continues.

FINAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 34. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The DPWH, in coordination
with the DILG and local government units, shall promulgate the implementing rules and
regulations for the effective and immediate implementation of this Act.

SECTION 35. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, letters of
instructions, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act
are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 36. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act is judicially declared
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions of this Act not affected thereby shall
be continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 37. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
following its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

APPROVED.