Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session
oy 71
House Bill No. =

Introduced by REP. AUGUSTO BOBOY SYJUCO.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines is well endowed of natural resources, both land and
water. But because of human activities that abuse and neglect the beauty and
wealth of our nature, we now face the problem of imbalanced ecosystem. Such
problem is the denudation of our forests and destruction of our mountains which
can be attributed to unregulated loggings and the practice of slash-and-burn
farming. This problem is contributory to the various calamities the country has
been experiencing for the past years that brought destructive landslides and
flashfloods causing major devastation to lives and properties.

It is time that we care about our environment and the future of the next
generation. This measure seeks to revive Arbor Day by vesting in the local
government units with their component barangays the responsibilities of
celebrating Tree Planting Day annually. This bill encourages the beautification of
the communities while promoting healthful and greener environment. The bill
further promotes the participation of students, out of school youth, government
employees and the private sector in protecting the environment.

With the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly requested.

AUGUSTO BOBOY SYJUCO
2 District, Province of Iloilo


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

971

House Bill No.

Introduced by REP. AUGUSTO BOBOY SYJUCO.

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THE REVIVAL OF ARBOR DAY BY VESTING IN
PROVINCIAL, CITY AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS WITH THEIR
COMPONENT BARANGAYS THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CELEBRATING
THE DAY FOR TREE PLANTING AS AN ANNUAL EVENT

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. In order to emphasize the imperative necessity for maintaining
proper ecological balance, for encouraging the beautification of communities and
creating more healthful environments, it is hereby mandated that all provinces,
cities and municipalities with their component barangays shall be required to
revive, by appropriate proclamation of their respective local chief executives, an
Arbor Day at an appropriate fixed date every calendar year as shall be deemed
suitable according to the proper time and season for planting trees in the
respective provinces and their respective component municipalities or cities
concerned. Although adoption of uniform dates for every province and its
component municipalities and the cities shall be encouraged, varying dates for
Arbor Day celebrations may be permitted in order to afford flexibility in planning
and in implementing tree-planting programs to adjust to the proper time and period
of the year most suited to the trees selected to be planted, and as local budgetary
allotments shall allow.

SEC. 2. In implementing the intents of this Act, there shall be created in
every province, city and municipality an Arbor Day Celebrations Committee, the
composition of which shall be selected or designated by the local chief executive
concerned. The members of said committee shall preferably consist of officers
based in the locality, representing, but not limited to

(a) The local sanggunian;

(b) The local Environment and Natural Resources Office; -

(c) The Department of Environment and Natural Resources;
(d) The Department of Education;

(e) The Department of the Interior and Local Government;
(f) The Department of Agriculture;

(g) The Department of Agrarian Reform;


(h) The Department of Public Works and Highways;

(i) The Department of Tourism;

(j) The Philippine National Police;

(k) The Armed Forces of the Philippines;

(!) The Philippine Coconut Authority;

(m) Civic organizations;

(n) Youth organizations;

(0) Liga ng mga barangays; and

(p) Media associations.

SEC. 3. In order to assure active participation of students, out-of-school
youths and employees of the government and private sectors, the Arbor Day
designated every calendar year by each and every local government unit may be

declared as a public holiday and such declaration may be embodied in the
appropriate proclamation that local chief executives are in this Act authorized to
do.

SEC. 4. The local sanggunian shall promulgate the rules and regulations,
including the allocation of resources pertinent to the implementation of this Act at
their respective local government level. For information and monitoring purposes,
the respective local government units shall submit to the Department of the Interior
and Local Government (DILG), copy furnished the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR), the official date of the specified Arbor Day.

SEC. 5. The DILG, in coordination with the DENR, shall promulgate the
rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect immediately upon its approval.

Approved,