EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

1853

House Bill No.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to mandate each city or municipality to create, within its jurisdiction, a
River Development Authority to preserve, protect and develop the rivers, river systems and
natural waterways.

The Philippines has numerous principal rivers and river systems from Batanes to
Tawi-Tawi. Many are vanishing or dying, however, due to deadly chemicals or non-
biodegradable waste being dumped on these rivers or waterways. Thus, the threat of
extinction and degradation.

While a number of laws for the preservation and rehabilitation of rivers have been
enacted, enforcement by local government units is weak. The government must concentrate
its resources and capabilities on creating a central agency in each local government unit to
implement the laws and promote the development of rivers, river systems and natural
waterways.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Mu,

RUFUS B. RO! EZ


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus
1853

House Bill No. 59°

AN ACT
MANDATING EACH CITY OR MUNICIPALITY TO CREATE A RIVER DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY FOR THE PRESERVATION, PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ALL
RIVERS, RIVERSYSTEMS AND NATURAL WATERWAYS WITHIN ITS JURISDICTION,
DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR.

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

SECTION 1. Each city or municipality is hereby mandated to create a River Development
Authority, hereinafter referred to as the Authority, for the preservation, protection and
development of all rivers, river systems and natural waterways within its jurisdiction.

SEC. 2. The Authority shall execute the powers and functions herein vested and conferred
upon it in such manner as will, in its judgment, aid to the fullest possible extent in carrying
out the purposes set forth in this Act. The Authority shall have the following functions:

a) Prepare a master plan to preserve, protect, develop and exploit all rivers, river
systems and natural waterways;

b) Conduct engineering surveys of rivers, river systems and natural waterways,
assessing and monitoring water quality, pinpointing pollution sources and identifying the
rivers that need to be developed for exploitation and rehabilitation:

c) Initiate and facilitate planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of
pertinent projects with positive impact on environment and development, including dredging,
widening and deepening of river channels and improvement of river alignments:

d) Prioritize rivers positively identified for development and rehabilitation, and on the
basis thereof, prepare a river-specific plan of operation for the improvement, development
and rehabilitation of environmentally degraded rivers;

e) Initiate funding arrangements with local and foreign donors, to finance priority
development projects and provide direct funding of minor initiatives expected to create a
positive impact on the environment in the projected area;

f) Develop information materials to ensure a high decree of environmental awareness
in government agencies, organizations and the general public;

9) Make recommendations to the proper agencies offering financial support,
technical and physical assistance about the level of priority to be accorded river systems
development and rehabilitation projects:

h) Coordinate and integrate such projects or operations of local government,
agencies, public corporations and, where clearly necessary and feasible, those of private
entities, as will bear directly upon the plans and activities of the Authority so as to make


possible an intensive development and rehabilitation of the rivers, river systems and natural
waterways in the country within the context of the master plan;

i) Set up a compact and well-trained staff for effective liaison and consultation or joint
planning and implementation with government and private entities;

j) Make an annual report to the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government of its
activities, including those done in collaboration with the various government and private
entities engaged in the implementation of the projects and programs, which shall include,
among others, a comparison of the development and rehabilitation targets as set for the year
ending and the extent to which actual accomplishments measure up to such targets, and the
appropriate administrative and legislative recommendations.

SEC. 3. The Authority shall have a Board Directors composed of eleven (11) members as
follows:

City or municipal council majority floor leader, as Chairman;

City or municipal council minority floor leader,

Chairman of the city or municipal council Committee on Public Works;

Chairman of the city or municipal council Committee on Appropriations;

City or municipal engineer;

City or municipal and development officer;

City or municipal administrator;

DENR representatives; and

Three (3) members representing the private sector to be appointed by the city or
municipal mayor.

ryeseaoge

No member of the Board shall, during his term, be financially interested, directly or
indirectly, in any contract entered into by the Authority or in any special privileges granted by
the Authority. All contracts entered into in violation of this provision shall be null and void.
SEC. 4. The Board shall exercise the following powers and functions:

a) Formulate, prescribe, amend and repeal rules and regulations to govern the
conduct of operation of the Authority;

b) Appoint the necessary staff of the Authority and to fix their compensation in
accordance with the existing laws;

¢) Suspend, remove or otherwise discipline for just cause any staff member
appointed by the Board;

d) Recommend the annual and supplemental budgets of the Authority;

) Render annual reports to the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and
to the city or municipal mayor and such special reports as may be requested; and

) Do such other acts and perform and such other functions as may be necessary to
carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 5. The Secretary of the Interior and Local Government shall issue the necessary rules
and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SEC. 6. The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be charged to the
appropriations of the Department of Interior and Local Government. Thereafter, such sum as



may be necessary for its continued operation shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 7. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,