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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S.No. 7 Sf) 
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Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto 
Explanatory Note 
The 1987 Constitution provides that Congress shall detennine by law the specific limits 
of forest lands and national parks, which shall thereafter be conserved and may not be increased 
nor diminished. 
According to latest government statistics, half of the country's total land area or roughly 
15 million hectares is classified as forest land. Lands classified under forest land are further 
disaggregated into different categories, such that only 3.27 million hectares out of the 15 million 
hectares are classified as forest reserves. However, the lack of demarcation separating the lands 
classified as forest reserves from other classes may have resulted to an inaccurate picture as to 
the actual size of the country's forest lands, as some may have been encroached by various 
adjacent land developments or have been reclassified due to existing laws. 
In order to mitigate further encroachment, the Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources (DENR), as of September 7, 2012, has completed the delineation and assessment of 
79,245 kilometers of forest lines for submission to the National Assessment and Delineation 
Committee. 
However, in order to strengthen DENR's efforts in the delineation and assessment of the 
country's forest lands, an enabling law is necessary to provide a legal framework to preserve the 
remaining forest resources, protect, manage and utilize these lands for purposes consistent with 
sustainable development. With the threat of further encroachment over remaining forest lands at 
hand, it is imperative for government to secure forest lands from further ruin due in part to 
uncontrolled development and urban expansion. 
This measure seeks to define the scope of forestlands, as well as provide guidelines in 
determining the specific limits of forestlands. For this purpose, a National Review and 
Evaluation Committee, headed by the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, shall be 
created to process, evaluate and approve all completed assessment and delineation reports 
referred to the said Committee. The DENR shall, upon detennination of final forest lines, delimit 
and establish boundary monuments on the ground. Forestlands delineated under this legislation 
shall be conserved and may not be increased nor decreased, except by law. 
In order to resolve controversies arising from land classification as a result of the 
-delimitation of forestlands, a Land Classification Conflict Adjudication Board shall also be 
created under this Bill. 
To attain ecological balance, preserve valuable ecosystems, prevent environmental 
degradation and promote sustainable development, approval ofthis Bill is earnestly sought. 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'13 
JUL 16 !\ 9 :39 
SENATE 
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s.No.786 
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Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE DELINEATION OF THE SPECIFIC FOREST LIMITS OF THE 
PUBLIC DOMAIN AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representative of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known and cited as the "Final Forest Limits 
2 
Act of2013". 
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to conserve, protect and 
4 
develop the forest resources of the country in order to attain ecological balance, preserve 
5 
valuable ecosystems, prevent environmental degradation and promote sustainable development 
6 
for the present and future generations. To achieve these ends, Section 4 of Article XII of the 
7 
1987 Constitution mandates Congress to determine by law the specific limits of forest lands and 
8 
national parks marking clearly their boundaries on the ground. 
9 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
10 
a) Agricultural lands refer to alienable or disposable lands of the public domain which 
11 
have been the subject of the land classification system and declared as not needed for forest 
12 
purposes; 
13 
b) Delimitation survey refers to the establishment of land classification boundaries, and 
14 
the monumenting thereof following ground survey; 
15 
c) Delineation refers to the conduct of site investigation, field reconnaissance and 
16 
assessment, and staking of boundaries between forestlands, national parks and agricultural lands 
17 
verified in the field in accordance with the criteria set forth under Department of Environment 
18 
and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 2008-24; 
19 
d) Forest lands refer to all lands of the public domain already classified as forest land as 
20 
per existing land classification maps issued by the Department of Environment and Natural 
21 
Resources (DENR) including all permanent forest reserves proclaimed as such by the President 
22 
or declared by law, and such areas within the unclassified lands of the public domain that were 
23 
assessed and delineated by the D ENR in accordance with pertinent laws, rules and regulations; 
24 
e) Production forest refers to a forest area designated primarily for production of wood, 
25 
fiber, bio-energy andlor non-wood forest products; 


1 
f) Protected Area refers to identified portions of land and/or water set aside by reason of 
2 
their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and 
3 
protected against destructive human exploitation. 
4 
g) Protection forest refers to a forest whose value lies in the regulating of stream flow and 
5 
the prevention of erosion and avalanches rather than in its timber; and 
6 
h) Tenured migrant refers to forest occupants who have actually and continuously 
7 
occupied a portion of the forest and is solely dependent therein for subsistence. A forest occupant 
8 
is understood to be "solely dependent therein for subsistence" when everything indispensable for 
9 
survival for the household, including food, clothing, shelter and health, comes only from the 
10 
utilization of resources from the forest. 
11 
Sec. 4. What Constitutes the Forest Lands. - The following shall constitute the 
12 
Forest lands, to wit: 
13 
(a) all lands of the public domain already classified as forestland as per existing land 
14 
classification maps issued by the DENR; 
15 
(h) all permanent forest reserves proclaimed as such by the President or declared by law; 
16 
and 
17 
(c) such areas within the unclassified lands of the public domain that were assessed and 
18 
delineated by the DENR in accordance with pertinent laws, rules and regulations and 
19 
which may hereafter be classified as forest land by the DENR. 
20 
Sec. 5. Guidelines in Determining the Specific Limits of Forest Lands. - The following 
21 
guidelines and procedures shall be followed in determining the specific limits of forestlands in 
22 
the country: 
23 
a) The previously-established Land Classification (LC) survey lines per province with 
24 
their respective technical descriptions (TDs) and maps shall be the basic data and 
25 
information that will be used as reference material in undertaking the validation, 
26 
assessment and delineation process. 
27 
b) All completed assessment and delineation reports for a given province shall be 
28 
endorsed to the National Review and Evaluation Committee as created herein to be 
29 
headed by the Secretary of the DENR Secretary for final approval. 
30 
c) The same process shall be followed for other provinces with on-going assessments and 
31 
delineation activities until such time that all the boundaries of forest lands of the whole 
32 
country shall have been delimited: Provided, That all assessments, validations and 
33 
delineations shall be completed not later than one (1) year after the passage ofthis Act. 
34 
Sec. 6. Creation of the National Review and Evaluation Committee. - In recognition of 
35 
the Constitutional mandate as embodied in Section 4, Article XII thereof, and in view of the 
36 
urgent need to establish the permanent limits of the forest lands of the country, a National 
37 
Review and Evaluation Committee is hereby created to process, evaluate and approve all 
38 
completed assessment and delineation reports referred to in the immediately preceding Section. 


,. 
1 
The Committee, in its evaluation and approval of the said reports, shall adhere strictly to existing 
2 
established laws, policies, rules, regulations and guidelines pertinent thereto. 
3 
The Committee shall be composed of the following: 
4 
a) Secretary ofthe DENR as Chairman; 
5 
b) Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority as Vice 
6 
Chainnan; 
7 
c) Secretary of the Department ofInterior and Local Government as Member; 
8 
d) Secretary of the Department of Agriculture as Member; 
9 
e) Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform as Member; 
10 
f) Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council as 
11 
Member; 
12 
g) Chairman of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) as Member; and 
13 
h) President of the League of Provinces as Member. 
14 
Upon approval of the assessment and delineation reports as herein specified, the 
15 
Committee shall submit the same to Congress which shall thereafter form part of its official 
16 
records. The assessment and delineation reports as approved by the Committee shall be adopted 
17 
as constituting the final boundaries of the forest lands covered by the said report. 
18 
Sec. 7. Demarcation and Delimitation of Final Forest Land Boundary. - Immediately 
19 
after the final forest line has been determined following the guidelines prescribed in Section 5 
20 
hereof, the DENR shall delimit and establish the permanent boundary monuments on the ground. 
21 
Sec. 8. Permanency of the Specific Forest Limits. - The permanent forest lands 
22 
established pursuant to this Act shall not be diminished nor reduced except by an Act of 
23 
Congress. The DENR, in coordination with all agencies and branches of government, shall 
24 
ensure that the forest cover and vegetation therein shall be protected, preserved and enhanced. 
25 
Sec. 9. Sub-classification of the Permanent Forest Lands. - The permanent forest lands 
26 
shall be further sub-classified as follows: (a) protection forests; and (b) production forests. 
27 
After due consultation with the local government units (LGUs), concerned communities, 
28 
and other stakeholders, the DENR shall undertake the sub-classification of the permanent forest 
29 
lands. 
30 
Sec. 10. Recognition of the Rights of the Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous 
31 
Peoples and Tenured Migrant Communities. - In the ground delineation of the permanent forest 
32 
limits, the occupation by indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples and tenured 
33 
migrants shall be recognized and respected consistent with the provisions of Republic Act No. 
34 
7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, Republic Act No. 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples 
35 
Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, and Presidential Decree No. 705, as amended, or the Forestry Code 
36 
of1975. 


" 
1 
Sec. 11. Accessibility of Record to the Public, - All records and information pertaining to 
2 
the specific forest limits delineated pursuant to this Act shall be made available to all local 
3 
government units (LGUs), other government agencies, and to the general public. 
4 
Sec. 12. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting System. - To attain the objectives of this 
5 
Act, a field monitoring, evaluation and reporting system shall be adopted by the DENR Secretary 
6 
to regularly keep track of the state of the country's forestlands after their delimitation. Toward 
7 
this end, at the opening of each Session of Congress, the DENR shall submit a report to the 
8 
President on the status of the forestlands for transmission to Congress. 
9 
Sec. 13. Creation of the Adjudication Board to Resolve Controversies on Land 
10 
Classification Conflicts - A Land Classification Conflict Adjudication Board, herein referred to 
11 
as the Board, is hereby created to resolve controversies arising from land classification as a result 
12 
of the delimitation of forest lands pursuant to this Act. The Board shall be composed of the 
13 
following: 
14 
(a) Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) as Chairman; 
15 
(b) Administrator of the Land Registration Authority as Member; 
16 
(c) Representative from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) as Member; 
17 
(d) Representative from a reputable College of Forestry as Member; and, 
18 
(e) Representative from the private sector as Member. 
19 
Sec. 14. Powers and functions of the Adjudication Board. - The Board shall have the 
20 
fonowing powers and functions: 
21 
1. Adjudicate cases on land conflicts and adverse claim brought before it for resolution; 
22 
2. Summon witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony and require submission of 
23 
reports; 
24 
3. Compel production of books and documents and answers to interrogatories; and 
25 
4. Issue subpoena duces tecum, writs of possession, writs of execution and other writs to 
26 
enforce its orders and decisions. 
27 
In any proceeding before the Board, the Rules of Evidence prevailing in courts oflaw or 
28 
equity shall not be controning and it is the spirit and intention of this Act that shan govern. The 
29 
Board shall use an reasonable means to ascertain the facts in each case speedily and objectively 
30 
and without regard to technicalities of law or procedure, all in the interest of due process. In any 
31 
proceeding before the Board, the parties may be represented by legal counsel. 
32 
The findings of fact of the Board shan be conclusive and binding on the parties and its 
33 
decision or order shan be final and executory. 
34 
A petition for review by certiorari and question of law may be filed by the aggrieved 
35 
party with the Supreme Court within thirty (30) days from receipt of the order or decision of the 
36 
Board. 
37 
Sec. 15. Appropriations. - The Secretary of the DENR shan include in the Department's 
38 
budget program the implementation of this Act, the initial funding of which shan be charged 


• 
1 
against the current year's appropriations of the Department and thereafter included in the annual 
2 
General Appropriations Act. 
3 
Funds for the implementation of the provisions of this Act may also be supplemented 
4 
from any available Official Development Assistance (ODA) and from joint projects between 
5 
agencies ofthe Philippines and an assisting country. 
6 
Local government units may also allocate counterpart funds to be taken from their 
7 
Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and other LGU income for the delineation of the forest limits 
8 
within their respective territorial jurisdictions. 
9 
Sec. 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within three (3) months from 
10 
the effectivity of this Act, the DENR Secretary shall issue the corresponding Implementing 
11 
Rules and Regulations for the effective implementation ofthis Act. 
12 
Sec. 17. Separability Clause. - If any portion of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the 
13 
same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other provisions not affected thereby. 
14 
Sec. 18. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, letters of instruction, executive orders, 
15 
rules and regulations and other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby 
16 
repealed or modified accordingly. 
17 
Sec. 19. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
18 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the 
19 
Philippines. 
20 
Approved,