NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Second Regular Session
SENATE
S.B. No. 2524
Dt ?--S ■-/'
24 J^N 23 P3 38
Introduced by SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE BULACAN AIRPORT CITY SPECIAL 
ECONOMIC ZONE AND FREEPORT IN THE PROVINCE OF 
BULACAN, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Economic zones are vital instruments in boosting economic growth and 
generating employment in the host locality and adjacent areas, contributing to the 
overall national growth.
Creating a special economic zone in Bulacan will contribute to the further 
development of the province which is expected to accommodate millions of people 
annually with the completion of the New Manila International Airport in 2027. This 
measure creating the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport is a 
recalibration of the bill filed in the 18th Congress and introduces new provisions and 
safeguards to ensure that the creation and operation of the proposed Bulacan 
Ecozone is within the framework of national development plans, policies, and goals 
and subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations. Specifically, the following are 
included in the measure:
a) 
Specific metes and bounds of the economic zone, covering the domestic and 
international airport, the Airport City to be developed pursuant to Section 6 of 
Republic Act No. 11506, and lands adjacent to the Airport City within the 
territorial jurisdiction of the Municipality of Bulakan. It is also provided that 
subsequent expansion of the territorial coverage of the Bulacan Ecozone shall 
be made through a Presidential Proclamation:
b) 
Governing principles consistent with the mandate of other government agencies, 
as well as existing laws, rules, and regulations. These include the procedure for 
the acquisition of lands distributed under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform


Program and establishment of a cost-sharing scheme for the security of the 
Bulacan Ecozone to address fiscal concerns;
c) 
No specific capital stock for the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and 
Freeport Authority (BACSEZFA) that the national and local governments must 
subscribe to and pay for. To allay fears that local governments may not have the 
necessary resources to capitalize the BACSEZFA, up to 20% of shares may be 
sold to the general public;
d) 
The powers and functions of the BACSEZFA shall be subject to existing laws, 
rules, and regulations to ensure that there is no conflict of interest and that the 
Authority does not take away the regulatory, supervisory, or operating powers 
being exercised by other government agencies;
e) 
All benefits and emoluments of the members of the Board of Directors of 
BACSEZFA shall be subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations, including 
those prescribed by the Governance Commission for GOCCs;
f) 
Fiscal incentives shall be consistent with the Corporate Recovery and Tax 
Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act;
g) 
The BACSEZFA shall be subject to the audit mechanisms under the GOCC 
Governance Act and shall not be exempt from relevant laws, rules, and 
regulations on evaluation by the Commission on Audit; and
h) 
To safeguard public interest, the decision of the Office of the President of the 
Philippines shall prevail in case of any conflict between the BACSEZFA and a 
national government agency in the Executive branch on matters affecting the 
Bulacan Ecozone, other than taxation, national defense, or security, which are 
solely within the purview of government.
The proposed Bulacan Ecozone is estimated to bring in US$200 billion in annual 
export revenues from potential investors from the aviation, manufacturing, technology, 
education, healthcare, and tourism industries.1 It will provide jobs and livelihoods to 
thousands, if not millions, of Filipinos, as well as develop the country’s economy with 
investments and infrastructure. Further, it is seen to complement the construction of 
the New Manila International Airport, which will become one of the most important 
gateways in the country.
For these reasons, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
JOEL^LLANUEVA^'
1 The Manila Times. Ecozone to bring $200-B govt revenues. 06 July 2022. Available at 
https://www. manilatimes.net/2022/07/06/news/reaions/ecozone-to-brinq-200-b-qovt-
revenues/1849893. Accessed on 08 August 2023.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Second Regular Session
SENATE
S.B. No. 2524
of to? Si' •, rt:, -j
24 JAN 23 P3 :38
RECEIVS;
Introduced by SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA
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AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE BULACAN AIRPORT CITY SPECIAL 
ECONOMIC ZONE AND FREEPORT IN THE PROVINCE OF 
BULACAN, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Bulacan Airport City 
Special Economic Zone and Freeport Act.”
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
encourage, promote, and accelerate the sound and balanced industrial, economic, 
and social development of the country. The establishment of a strategically-located, 
master-planned, and value creation-oriented special economic zone shall attract 
legitimate and productive foreign investments that generate employment and increase 
productivity and incomes, thereby enhancing the quality of life of the Filipino people.
CHAPTER II
CREATION OF THE ECONOMIC ZONE AND FREEPORT
SEC. 3. Creation of the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and 
Freeport. - In accordance with the declared State policy and subject to the 
concurrence of the affected local government units (LGUs) of Bulacan, there is hereby 
established a Special Economic Zone and Freeport, hereinafter referred to as the 
Bulacan Ecozone. The Bulacan Ecozone shall cover the domestic and international 
airport, the Airport City to be developed pursuant to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 
11506, and lands adjacent to the Airport City within the territorial jurisdiction of the 
Municipality of Bulakan: Provided, That the lands embraced therein shall be 
contiguous to one another: Provided further, That subsequent expansions of the 
territorial coverage of the Bulacan Ecozone shall be made through a Presidential
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Proclamation: Provided finally, That the acquisition of land by the Bulacan Ecozone in 
areas outside of its territorial coverage shall not automatically expand the same.
SEC. 4. Creation of the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and 
Freeport Authority. - There is hereby created a body corporate to be known as the 
Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Authority, hereinafter 
referred to as the BACSEZFA, which shall manage and operate the Bulacan Ecozone, 
in accordance with the provisions of this Act. The corporate life of the BACSEZFA 
shall expire in fifty (50) years counted from the first year after the effectivity of this Act, 
unless otherwise extended by Congress. It shall be organized within one hundred 
eighty (180) days after the effectivity of this Act.
SEC. 5. Governing Principles. - The BACSEZFA, created under Section 4 of 
this Act, shall manage and operate the Bulacan Ecozone under the following principles:
(a) 
Within the framework and limitations of the Constitution and applicable provisions 
of the Local Government Code, the Bulacan Ecozone shall have a domestic and 
international airport and be developed into and operated as a decentralized, self- 
reliant, and self-sustaining industrial, commercial/trading, agro-industrial, tourist, 
banking, financial, and investment center with suitable residential areas under the 
Airport City;
(b) 
The Bulacan Ecozone shall be equipped with transportation, 
telecommunications, and other facilities needed to attract legitimate and 
productive investments and generate linkage industries and employment 
opportunities for the people of the Municipality of Bulakan and its neighboring 
towns and cities;
(c) 
The Bulacan Ecozone may establish mutually beneficial economic relations with 
other entities or enterprises within the country or, subject to the administrative 
guidance of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine Economic 
Zone Authority (PEZA), and/or the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), with 
foreign entities or enterprises;
(d) 
Subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations, foreign citizens and companies 
owned by non-Filipinos in whatever proportion may set up enterprises in the 
Bulacan Ecozone, either by themselves or in a joint venture with Filipinos in any 
sector of industry, international trade, and commerce within the Bulacan 
Ecozone;
(e) 
The Bulacan Ecozone shall be managed and operated as a separate customs 
territory thereby ensuring the free flow or movement of goods and capital within, 
into, and out of its territory, and shall likewise provide incentives such as tax and 
duty-free importation of raw materials, capital, and equipment to registered 
enterprises located therein. However, exportation or removal of goods from the 
territory of the Bulacan Ecozone to the other parts of the Philippine territory shall 
be subject to customs duties and taxes under the Customs Modernization and 
Tariff Act (CMTA) and other relevant tax laws of the Philippines;


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(f) 
The areas comprising the Bulacan Ecozone may be expanded or reduced when 
necessary through a Presidential Proclamation issued for the said purpose. The 
BACSEZFA, in consultation with the LGUs, shall have the power to acquire either 
by purchase, negotiation or condemnation proceedings, any private land within 
or adjacent to the Bulacan Ecozone for the following purposes: (1) consolidation 
of lands for zone development: (2) acquisition of right of way to the Bulacan 
Ecozone: and (3) expansion of the Bulacan Ecozone: Provided, That the 
acquisition by the BACSEZFA of lands distributed under the Comprehensive 
Agrarian Reform Program shall be subject to clearance from the Secretary of 
Agrarian Reform, after the process of obtaining from and certifying to the 
existence of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent by agrarian reform beneficiaries. 
The Secretary of Agrarian Reform shall issue implementing rules and regulations 
on the process of acquiring agrarian reform lands under this paragraph:
(g) 
Goods manufactured by a Bulacan Ecozone enterprise shall be made available 
for immediate retail sale in the domestic market, subject to the payment of 
corresponding taxes on raw materials and other regulations that may be 
formulated by the BACSEZFA together with the PEZA, the Bureau of Customs 
(BOC), and the DTI. However, in order to protect domestic industries, a Negative 
List of industries shall be drawn up and regularly updated by the Inter-agency 
Investment Promotion Coordination Committee (lIPCC), pursuant to Republic Act 
No. 7042, otherwise known as the Foreign Investments Act, as amended, and 
other relevant laws, rules, and regulations. Enterprises engaged in industries 
included in such Negative List shall not be allowed to sell their products locally:
(h) 
The defense of the Bulacan Ecozone and the security of its perimeter fence shall 
be the responsibility of the National Government in coordination with the 
BACSEZFA and the LGUs: Provided, That for the costs of securing the Bulacan 
Ecozone, the Office of the President, upon the recommendation of the 
Department of Finance (DOF), shall establish a cost-sharing scheme between 
the BACSEZFA and the relevant national government agencies.
SEC. 6. Development Goals of the Bulacan Ecozone. - The BACSEZFA shall 
include in its development goals for the Bulacan Ecozone the construction and 
operation of a domestic and international airport and allied businesses within the 
framework of national development plans, policies and goals. The Chairperson- 
Administrator shall, upon approval by the Board, submit the Bulacan Ecozone plans, 
programs, and projects to the Regional Development Council (RDC) for inclusion and 
inputs to the overall regional development plan.
SEC. 7. Capitalization. - The capital of the BACSEZFA shall consist of:
(a) 
Its assets and such other properties as may be contributed to the BACSEZFA 
by the Government to form part of capital:
(b) 
All capitalized surplus:
(c) 
Any cash contribution by the Government: and
(d) 
Any budgetary outlay allocated and released in favor of the BACSEZFA.


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Thereafter, any sum as may be necessary to augment its capital outlay shall be 
included in the General Appropriations Act to be treated as an equity of the National 
Government. Additional funding shall come from the following:
(a) 
The annual subsidies, appropriations, and/or other assets of the Bulacan 
Ecozone;
(b) 
The proceeds from the rent of lands, buildings, and other properties of the 
Bulacan Ecozone;
(c) 
The proceeds from fees, charges, and other revenue-generating instruments 
which the Bulacan Ecozone is authorized to impose and collect under this Act;
(d) 
The proceeds from bonds which the Bulacan Ecozone is authorized to float both 
domestic and abroad; and
(e) 
The advance rentals, license fees, and other charges which the Bulacan 
Ecozone is authorized to impose under this Act and which an investor is willing 
to advance payment for.
The Board of Directors of the BACSEZFA may, with the authorization of the 
President, and subject to the concurrence and prescribed manner of disposition by 
the Secretary of Finance, sell shares, representing not more than twenty per centum 
(20%) of the capital stock of the BACSEZFA to the general public under such policy 
as the Board and the Secretary of Finance may determine. The National Government 
shall in no case own less than sixty per centum (60%) of the total issued and 
outstanding capital of the BACSEZFA: Provided, That the sale of shares to the public 
shall, in no manner, alter the composition of the BACSEZFA Board.
SEC. 8. Principal Office of the BACSEZFA. - The BACSEZFA shall maintain 
its principal office at the Airport City, but it may establish liaison offices within the 
Philippines as may be necessary for the proper conduct of its business.
SEC. 9. Powers and Functions of the BACSEZFA. - The BACSEZFA shall 
have the following powers and functions:
(a) 
To operate, administer, manage, and develop the Bulacan Ecozone according to 
the principles and provisions set forth in this Act;
(b) 
To register, regulate, and supervise the enterprises in the Bulacan Ecozone in 
an efficient and decentralized manner, subject to existing laws;
(c) 
To coordinate with LGUs and exercise general supervision over the development 
plans, activities, and operations of the Bulacan Ecozone;
(d) 
To undertake, subject to the approval and regulation of relevant government 
agencies wherever applicable, the establishment, construction, operation, and 
maintenance of public utilities, other services, and infrastructure in the Bulacan 
Ecozone such as light and power, shipping, barging, stevedoring, cargo


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handling, hauling, warehousing, storage of cargo, port services or concessions, 
piers, wharves, bulkheads, bulk terminals, mooring areas, storage areas, roads, 
telecommunications, transport, bridges, terminals, conveyors, water supply and 
storage, sewerage, drainage, airport operations in coordination with the Civil 
Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and such other services or 
infrastructure necessary or incidental to the accomplishment of the objectives of 
this Act: Provided, That prior to undertaking the establishment, construction, or 
operation of infrastructure, utilities, or services that it will also regulate, supervise, 
or oversee, the BACSEZFA shall seek and abide by a plan for mitigating potential 
conflicts of interest from the Governance Commission for Government-Owned 
and -Controlled Corporations (GCG): Provided further, That detailed and 
comprehensive reports on compliance with the mitigation plan shall be submitted 
to the GCG, the Office of the President, and the Congress;
(e) 
To construct, acquire, own, lease, operate, and maintain on its own or through 
contracts, franchise, licenses, bulk purchase from the private sector, or permits 
under any of the schemes allowed in Republic Act No. 11966, otherwise known 
as the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines, adequate 
facilities and infrastructure required or needed for the operation and development 
of the Bulacan Ecozone, in coordination with appropriate national and local 
government authorities and in conformity with applicable laws thereon;
(f) 
To approve plans, programs, and projects of the Bulacan Ecozone, to be 
submitted to the RDC for inclusion and inputs to the overall regional development 
plan;
(g) 
To raise or borrow, within the limitation provided by law, and subject to the 
approval of the Monetary Board of the Bangko Central ng Pilipinas (BSP), as the 
case may be, adequate and necessary funds from local or foreign sources to 
finance its projects and programs under this Act and for this purpose, to issue 
bonds, promissory notes and other forms of securities, and to secure the same 
by a guarantee, pledge, mortgage, deed of trust or an assignment of all or part 
of its property or assets;
(h) 
To protect, preserve, maintain, and develop the forests, beaches, coral and coral 
reefs, and maintain ecological balance within the Bulacan Ecozone. The rules 
and regulations of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
(DENR) and other government agencies involved in the above functions shall be 
implemented by the BACSEZFA;
(i) 
To create, operate, or contract to operate such functional units or offices of the 
BACSEZFA as it may deem necessary;
(j) 
To adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal; contract, lease, buy, acquire, own, or 
otherwise dispose of personal and/or real property of whatever nature; sue and 
be sued; and otherwise carry out its functions and duties as provided for in this 
Act;


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(k) 
To issue certificates of origin for products manufactured or processed in the 
Bulacan Ecozone in accordance with prevailing rules of origin and the pertinent 
regulations of the PEZA, the DTI and/or the DOF;
(l) 
To establish one-stop shops for the issuance of all necessary permits, 
clearances, licenses, and other similar certifications to conduct such activities 
intended to improve the ease of doing business within the Bulacan Ecozone, in 
coordination with government agencies having jurisdiction over activities therein: 
Provided, That all government agencies are directed to provide and extend 
utmost and full cooperation to the BACSEZFA in the establishment of such one- 
stop shops;
(m) To provide internal security to the Bulacan Ecozone in coordination with the 
National Government and affected LGU. For this purpose, the BACSEZFA shall 
provide and establish its own internal security and firefighting forces or hire 
others to provide the same. Military forces to be assigned by the National 
Government for national defense purposes shall not interfere in the internal 
affairs of the Bulacan Ecozone and expenditures for these military forces shall 
be borne by the National Government;
(n) 
To exercise such powers, subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations, as may 
be essential, necessary, or incidental to the powers granted to it hereunder, as 
well as those that shall enable it to carry out, implement and accomplish the 
purposes, objectives, and policies of this Act; and
(o) 
To issue rules and regulations within the exercise of its powers under this section, 
subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations.
SEC. 10. Board of Directors of the BACSEZFA. - The powers of the 
BACSEZFA shall be vested in and exercised by a Board of Directors, hereinafter 
referred to as the Board, which shall be composed of the following:
(a) 
The Chairperson, who shall at the same time be the administrator of the 
BACSEZFA;
(b) 
A Vice Chairperson who shall be elected from among the Members of the Board 
of Directors;
(c) 
Members consisting of:
(1) The Socioeconomic Planning Secretary or a designated representative of the 
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA);
(2) The Secretary or a designated representative of the DTI;
(3) The Secretary or a designated representative of the DOF;
(4) One (1) representative from the Province of Buiacan, who shall be a public 
officer;


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(5) One (1) representative from the Municipality of Bulakan, who shall be a public 
officer:
(6) One (1) representative from investors in the Bulacan Ecozone;
(7) One (1) representative from the workers working in the Bulacan Ecozone.
The Chairperson and the members of the Board shall be appointed by the 
President of the Philippines to serve for a term of six (6) years, unless sooner 
separated from service due to death, voluntary resignation, or removal for cause. In 
case of death, resignation, or removal for cause, their replacements shall serve only 
the unexpired portion of the respective terms.
Except for the representatives from the business and labor sectors, no person 
shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines as a member of the Board unless 
he is a Filipino citizen, of good moral character, of proven probity and integrity, and a 
degree-holder in any of the following fields: economics, business, public 
administration, law, management or their equivalent, and with at least ten (10) years 
relevant working experience preferably in the field of management or public 
administration.
All benefits and emoluments of the members of the Board shall be subject to 
existing laws, rules, and regulations, including those prescribed by the GCG.
SEC. 11. Organization and Personnei. - The Board of Directors of the 
BACSEZFA shall provide for its organization and staff. The Board shall appoint and 
fix the remuneration and other emoluments of its officers and employees in 
accordance with existing laws on compensation and position classification. The Board 
shall have exclusive and final authority to promote, transfer, assign, reassign, or 
remove officers of the BACSEZFA, any provision of existing law to the contrary 
notwithstanding. The Chairperson-Administrator shall execute the decisions of the 
Board.
The officers and employees of the BACSEZFA, including all members of the 
Board, shall not engage directly or indirectly in partisan activities nor take part in any 
election, except to vote.
No officer or employee of the BACSEZFA, subject to civil service laws and 
regulations, shall be removed or suspended except for cause, as provided by civil 
service law and regulations.
SEC. 12. Powers and Duties of the Chairperson-Administrator. - The
Chairperson-Administrator shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) 
To direct and manage the affairs of the BACSEZFA in accordance with the
policies of the Board;
(b) 
To establish the internal organization of the BACSEZFA under such conditions
that the Board may prescribe;


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(c) 
To submit an annual budget and necessary supplemental budget to the Board 
for its approval:
(d) 
To submit within thirty (30) days after the close of each fiscal year an annual 
report to the Board and such other reports as may be required;
(e) 
To submit to the Board for its approval policies, systems, procedures, rules, and 
regulations that are essential to the operation of the Bulacan Ecozone;
(f) 
To recommend to the Board the remuneration and other emoluments of its 
officers and employees in accordance with existing laws on compensation and 
position classification:
(g) 
To create a mechanism, in coordination with relevant agencies, for the promotion 
of industrial peace, the protection of the environment, and the advancement of 
the quality of life in the Bulacan Ecozone; and
(h) 
To perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board or which are 
necessary or incidental to the office.
SEC. 13. Legal Counsel. - The BAGS EZRA shall have its own internal legal 
counsel under the supervision of the government corporate counsel. When the 
exigencies of its businesses and operations demand it, the BACSEZFA may engage 
the services of an outside counsel either on a case to case or on a fixed retainer basis.
CHAPTER III
INCENTIVES TO ECOZONE ENTERPRISES/INVESTORS
SEC. 14. Investors Visa. - Any foreign national who invests an amount of two 
hundred thousand US dollars (US$200,000.00), either in cash and/or equipment, in a 
registered enterprise shall be entitled to an investor’s visa: Provided, That the foreign 
national:
(a) 
Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age;
(b) 
Must not have been convicted by final judgment of a crime involving moral 
turpitude;
(c) 
Must not be afflicted with any loathsome, dangerous, or contagious disease;
(d) 
Must not have been confined in an institution for any mental disorder or disability; 
and
(e) 
Must be financially capable as proven by credible and verifiable evidence.
A foreign national shall be granted permanent resident status within the territorial 
coverage of the Bulacan Ecozone while the investment subsists. To prove this, the 
foreign national shall submit an annual report in the form duly prescribed for the 
purpose. Should said investments be withdrawn from the Philippines, the investor’s 
visa issued to said foreign national shall automatically expire or be withdrawn. The
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Bulacan Ecozone may also recommend to the Bureau of Immigration (Bl) the grant of 
visas providing more favorable terms of residency to a foreign national who meets the 
criteria under this section.
The authority to issue visas and work permits shall remain with the Bl and the 
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), respectively: Provided, That the Bl 
and the DOLE shall implement measures to expedite the processing of such visas and 
permits for workers in the Bulacan Ecozone and coordinate with the BACSEZFA for 
the purpose of improving ease of doing business.
SEC. 15. Fiscal incentives. - Registered enterprises operating within the 
Bulacan Ecozone may apply for pertinent fiscal incentives granted under Title XIII of 
the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRO), as amended, and for such other fiscal 
incentives as may be provided by law: Provided, That the grant of fiscal incentives 
shall be subject to Section 292 of the NIRC, as amended.
SEC. 16. Administration, implementation, and Monitoring of incentives. -
In the interest of enhancing transparency in the management and accounting of tax 
incentives in the Bulacan Ecozone, and ensuring the proper administration, 
management, enforcement, implementation, and monitoring of tax incentives, the 
BACSEZFA shall comply with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10708, otherwise 
known as the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act (TIMTA) and its 
implementing rules and regulations, and other rules, regulations, and issuances made 
by the Fiscal Incentives Review Board, pursuant to Chapter III, Title XIII of the NIRC, 
as amended.
The BOC shall set up and establish a customs-controlled area outside the 
premises of the Bulacan Ecozone to facilitate payment of duties and taxes on goods 
entering the Philippine customs territory: Provided, That notwithstanding the limitations 
on this Act, the BACSEZFA and BOC may coordinate and jointly implement measures 
on border protection.
SEC. 17. Banking Rules and Regulations. - Banks and financial institutions to 
be established in the Bulacan Ecozone shall be under the supervision of the BSP and 
subject to existing banking laws, rules, and regulations.
SEC. 18. Remittances. - In the case of foreign investments, a duly registered 
entity or enterprise within the Bulacan Ecozone shall have the right to remit earnings 
from the investment in the currency in which the investment was originally made and 
at the exchange rate prevailing at the time of remittance, subject to the provisions of 
Republic Act No. 7653, otherwise known as The New Central Bank Act, as amended, 
and other relevant laws, rules, and regulations.
CHAPTER IV
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND OTHER ENTITIES
SEC. 19. Supervision and Control. - For purposes of policy direction and 
coordination, the BACSEZFA shall be under the direct supervision and control of the 
Office of the President of the Philippines.


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SEC. 20. Relationship with Local Government Units and the National 
Government. - Except as herein provided, the LGUs comprising the Bulacan 
Ecozone shall retain their basic autonomy and identity. The Municipality of Bulakan, 
and the Province of Bulacan, shall operate and function in accordance with the 
framework of the Constitution, the Local Government Code, and this Act.
Subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations, in case of conflict among the 
BACSEZFA and the LGUs on matters directly and inextricably affecting the Bulacan 
Ecozone, other than taxation, national defense, or security, the decision of the 
BACSEZFA shall prevail. In case of any conflict between a national government 
agency within the Executive Branch and the BACSEZFA on matters directly and 
inextricably affecting the Bulacan Ecozone, other than taxation, national defense, or 
security, the decision of the Office of the President shall prevail.
SEC. 21. Audit. - The Commission on Audit (COA) shall appoint a full-time 
auditor in the BACSEZFA or may assign such number of personnel as may be 
necessary in the performance of its functions. The BACSEZFA shall be subject to the 
audit mechanisms under Sections 24,25, and 26 of Republic Act No. 10149, otherwise 
known as the GOCC Governance Act of 2011. The BACSEZFA shall not be exempt 
from relevant laws, rules, and regulations on evaluation by the COA.
CHAPTER V
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SEC. 22. Interpretation and Construction. - The powers, authorities, and 
functions that are vested in the BACSEZFA are intended to establish national self- 
sufficiency and self-reliance in the advancement of and protection of the national 
integrity, enhancement of national security, and decentralization of governmental 
functions and authority, and promote an efficient and effective working relationship 
among the BACSEZFA, the National Government and the LGUs. Any interpretation of 
this Act shall consider such intentions. In the event of conflict of interpretation and 
provided the intentions cannot be harmonized, the provisions of this Act shall be 
construed in favor of an interpretation that would tend to protect national interest and 
security.
SEC. 23. Applicability Clause. - Insofar as they are consistent with this Act, the 
provisions of Sections 30 to 41 of Republic Act No. 7916, otherwise known as The 
Special Economic Zone Act of 1995, shall likewise apply to the Bulacan Ecozone.
SEC. 24. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DTI, DOF, and NEDA 
shall formulate the implementing rules and regulations of this Act.
SEC. 25. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid 
or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force 
and effect.
SEC. 26. Repealing Clause.-AW laws, decrees, executive issuances, and rules 
and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly.
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SEC. 27. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
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publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
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