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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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SENAT~ 0 
S.B. No. _b_2 
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Introduced by Senator LOREN LEGARDA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The vital role of trees - in the midst of recurring landslides, loss of soil cover, 
water deficiency in watershed areas, soil erosion, loss of 1;Jiodiversity and essential 
ecosystems as well as global warming, among others - is still not given the attention, 
much less the protection it rightly deserves from Government. 
Data from the Department of EnviroruneRt and Natural Resources (DENR) 
Forest Management Burequ (FMB) and the National Mapping and Resources 
Information Authority (NAMRIA) showed that of the country's total land area of about 
30 million hectares, our forest cover is only 7.2 million hectares. The ideal should be at 
least 12 million hectares or 48 % of the total land area. 
This measure seeks to empower the youth, as effective catalysts for change as 
well as the academe, as the best medium to disseminate information, as they adopt or 
create forest SaJ1ctuaries or gardens both in urban areas as well as in the countryside. 
With more than twelve million students in the public school sector plantinK trees the 
whole year round, the country's forests can surely be revived in the shortest time 
possible. 
In light of the foregoing considerations, the immediate passage of this measure is 
sought. 
' 
~' 
~OR~RDA 
Senator 


_~ell~b' ' 
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13 JlJl -8 AS :19 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHIliPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
RECEI 
SENAT~ 
S.B. No. 520 
Introduced by Senator LOREN LEGARDA 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR URBAN AND COUNTRYSIDE GREENING IN THE 
PHILIPPINES THROUGH MANDATORY TREE PLANTING AND ADOPTION OF . 
A FOREST SANCTUARY BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Title.·- Thi~ Act shall be known as the "Forest Sanctuaries Act of 
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2013." 
. 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - Recognizing the vital role of trees and plants in 
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ecological stability, it is hereby declared the national policy to ensure sufficient greenery 
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in urban and countryside areas and to promote the right of the people to a balanced and 
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healthy ecology. 
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SEC. 3. Scope. - This Act shall apply to all bara,ngays, municipalities, cities and 
8 . provinces, particularly in all public parks and public .school grounds in urban and rural 
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areas;' idle public lands, unless otherwise identified to be used for other purposes; and 
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privately-owned land whose proprietors voluntarily subject their properties to the 
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pmvisions of this Act, upon the creation of appropriate agreements with the schools 
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implementing this Act. 
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SEC. 4. Objectives. - Pursuant to the policy declared herein, it is the objective of 
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this Act: 
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(a) To build, adopt, develop and maintain forest parkS or sanctuaries by public 
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elementary and secondary schools; 
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(b) To require the planting of trees and shrubbery as well as provision of 
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,financiai, physical 'and technical support by national agencies and local government 
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units; 
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(c) To promote environmental consciousness by encouraging active participation 
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in tree-planting activities in the community, especially among students, youth, other 
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civic action groups, and tJ:te academe; and 
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(d) To protect trees from harmful human activity and increase the country's 
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forest cover. 
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SEC. 5. National Forest $ancluary Committee - A National Forest Sanc:tuary 
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Committee is hereby created with the Secretary of the Department of Education 
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(DepEd) as Chairman and the respective secretaries of the Department of Environment 
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and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Interior 
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and, Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) as members. 
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The National Forest Sanctuary Committee shall promulgate the pertinent rules 
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and regulations as may be necessary to fully implement the objectives and purposes of 
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this Act not later than ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act. 
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The National Forest Sanctuary Committee shall convene every 'quarter to hear 
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the reports or performance from the Regional Committees. 
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SEC. 6. Specific Functions of the Executive Department. The DENR shall provide the 
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technical, scientific, and physical support in: 1) determining of the suitable species of 
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trees and provision of seeds or saplings to be planted in existing forest/mangrove 
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sanctuaries or areas where a forest/mangrove sanctuary or urban garden is to be 
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established; 2) classifying and determining of existing forest/mangrove sanctuaries, 
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proposed forest/mangrove sanctuaries and urban gardens; and 3) tree-planting 
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activities. 
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The Local Government Units (LGUs) : The LGUs shall (1) In partnership with the 
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DENR and DA, aid in the determination of suitable areas for the proposed 
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forest/mangrove sanctuaries/urban gardens; (2) Mobilize all concerned local agencies 
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and communities to ensure prompt and effective implementation of this Act in all 
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public schools within their jurisdiction; (3) Mobilize non-government organizations, 
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foundations and' other private entities or corporations to provide financial, physical or 
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other kinds of support for the implementation of this Act; and (4) Effect the 
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apprehension for the consequent prosecution .of" all persons violating the penal 
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proVisions of this Act; 
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The DILG shall coordinate all local government units to ensure prompt and 
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effective implementation of this Act; 
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,The DOt shall assist in the conceptualization and site-evaluation and cooperate 
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in the maintenance or creation of forest/mangrove sanctuaries and urban gardens and 
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prOVide additional funding from its resources; 
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The DA shall <lid in determination of suitable areas for the proposed 
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forest/mangrove sanctuaries/urban garden$ and provide the technical and scientific 
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support i.e. the necessary tools, equipment, and manpower to effect the implementation 
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of this Act; and 
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The DepEd, as lead agency of this Act, shall coordinate all tree-planting activities 
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of all public elementary and" higR schools and integrate the tree-planting activities into 
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the school curriculum to promote environmental consciousness. It shall also undertake 
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relevant projects for the promotion of these activities. 
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SEC. 7. Tree-planting Guidelines - Tree planting in duly qualified areas shall 
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comply with the following guidelines: 
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(1) Considering the classification and condition of the soil and the total land area 
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of the site, suitable species of forest trees or fast-growing trees shall be planted in the 
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identified areas; 
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(2) In cases where multiple tree,s can be planted, the trees should be planted in 
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clusters not more than four (4) meters apart from one another; 
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(3) The DepEd and DENR shall facilitate and supervise all the tree-planting 
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activities and the consequent maintenance of the same within its jurisdiction, The 
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government agencies concerned shall perform their duties and responsibilities as 
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indicated in Section 6 of this Act, 
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SEC. 8, Prohibited Acts - All forest/mangrove parks or sanctuaries or urban 
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gardens established under this Act shall be protected and maintained by all concerned 
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public schools, the DENR, DepEd and other government agencies, and local 
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governments, These forest/mangrove sanctuaries shall not be cut or destroyed, except 
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when the cutting and destroying of the same is necessary for public safety, 
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SEC. 9, Penalties - Any person found guilty of violating Section 8 of this Act shall 
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be punished with imprisonment of not less than six (6) months to not more than one (1) 
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year or a fine of not less. than Three Thousand Pesos (P3,000,00) to not more than Ten 
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Thousand Pes~s (P10,000,00), or both imprisonment and fine, at the discretion of the 
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court. 
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SEC. 10, Submission of Reports. The National Forest Sanctuary Committee shall, 
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'within ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act, submit periodic reports to both 
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houses of Congress of the Philippines. 
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SEC. 11. Funding - The fund needed for the implementation of this Act shall be 
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'taken from any available appropriation in the General App~opriations Act (GAA) of the 
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year of its implementatiQn; Provided, that funds for this purpose shall also be included 
23 ,in every annual GAA; Provided further, that there shall be equitable and proportionate 
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appropriations of funds' annually for this purpose for all barangays, municipalities, 
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cities and provinces, In addition, adequate portions of financial grants and concessional 
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loans extended by foreign governments and multilateral agencies every year, the 
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amount to be determined by the President( shall be allocated to augment the annual 
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appropriations until this Act is fully implemented. 
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SEC. 12, Separability Clause, All laws, decrees, rules and regulations, or parts 
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thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby rep~aled or modified accordingly, 
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SEC. 13. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect upon its publication in at 
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least two (2) newspapers, of general circulation, 
Approved, 
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