Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 991
Introduced by Representative Ivan Howard Guintu 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced that based on the 2020 Census of 
Population and Housing (2020 CPH), the total population of the Philippines as of 01 May 2020 is at 
109,035,343. The National Capital Region (NCR) has 13,403,551 household population. In 2015, the 
level of urbanization or the percentage of population residing in urban areas in the Philippines was 
recorded by the PSA at 51.2 percent.   
The rapid urbanization of cities and metropolitan areas exerts pressure on the natural 
environment, affordability of housing and services, health, and public safety. Inadequate transportation 
infrastructure, alongside an increase in motor vehicles, results in worsening traffic congestion which 
the Japan International Cooperation Agency estimates to be 3.5 billion daily in economic losses. The 
high carbon footprint of fossil-fueled motor vehicles also poses health and environmental risks which 
has been attributed to 64,000 deaths by air pollution according to the State of Global Air Report 2019. 
The proposed bill will let the Philippines comply with its obligation to adopt the United Nations 
Sustainable Development Agenda to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into our national 
development plans and policies. This is with emphasis to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, 
safe, resilient and sustainable.”  
This measure is the version approved on 3rd reading during the 19th Congress. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
IVAN HOWARD A. GUINTU 
Representative, 1st District of Capiz 
July 1, 2025
5:58 pm


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  991
Introduced by Representative Ivan Howard A. Guintu 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND 
COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Sustainable Cities and 
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Communities Act”. 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall, pursuant to the constitutional mandate 
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to undertake a continuing program of urban land reform and housing which will make available 
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to underprivileged and homeless citizens decent and affordable housing, access to basic 
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services, and adequate employment opportunities, and in consonance with the constitutional 
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guarantees on social justice, general welfare, public health, and ecological balance, recognize 
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the right to the city of all which encompasses the collective access to sustainable resources, 
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meaningful participation in urban planning and governance, and social inclusion. 
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It is likewise declared the policy of the State to promote inclusive, resilient, and 
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sustainable urban development. 
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To these ends, the State shall ensure the inclusive use of urban space for housing and 
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livelihood, improve access to basic services, develop integrated public transportation systems


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and green infrastructures, protect ecosystems, and manage risks to climate change and 
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disasters. 
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Further, the State shall pursue programs to celebrate diversity and cultural heritage, foster 
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creativity, innovation, and participation in urban planning and policy-making, and maintain 
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public order and safety through the prevention of crime, violence and discrimination. 
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SEC. 3. Coverage. – All cities and municipalities, with a majority of barangays classified 
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as urban by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), hereinafter referred to as urban areas, 
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are hereby mandated to align their plans, programs and activities towards the full 
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implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 4. Guiding Framework for Sustainable Cities and Communities. – To fulfill its 
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economic, political and social functions, a local government unit covered under this Act shall 
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conform with and implement plans, programs and activities, guided by Ambisyon 2040, the 
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Philippine Standards for Sustainable Cities and Communities, and the following guiding 
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principles: 
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(a) Inclusive urban circular economy which creates decent jobs with fair wages; 
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supports entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation; ensures safe and non- 
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discriminatory working environments; and promotes resource-efficient industries 
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and consumption; 
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(b) Spatial justice which promotes multiple use of land to prevent forced 
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evictions, displacement, marginalization, and gentrification; and ensures that 
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urban development provides vulnerable and marginalized sectors the access to 
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safe, adequate and affordable housing under different tenurial arrangements, 
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giving priority to on-site resettlement, as well as universal healthcare, accessible 
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education, adeguate infrastructures, sustainable livelihoods, food security and 
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nutrition; and safe and inclusive public spaces that foster social cohesion; 
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(c) Urban renewal which includes slum upgrading to improve housing, 
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infrastructures and services; urban greening, including the promotion of urban 
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agriculture for food security and communal wellness; and the development of 
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inclusive, safe, accessible and enjoyable open spaces and parks; 
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(d) Urban mobility and connectivity which provides for inclusive, safe, accessible, 
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affordable, efficient and sustainable public transportation through the 
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development of adequate transportation infrastructures, utilities and intermodal 
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transportation systems, including non-motorized modes of transportation to 
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strengthen global and urban-rural linkages and management; 
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(e) Digital connectivity through the establishment and maintenance of information 
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and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and fast, secure, stable, and 
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affordable internet connectivity to strengthen global and urban-rural linkages; 
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(f) Urban safety which ensures freedom of all persons, regardless of gender, age, 
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health status, income, nationality, ethnicity, and political, religious or sexual 
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orientation from crimes and all forms of violence and discrimination in the 
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workplace and public spaces; 


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(g) Ecological balance which requires the sustainable management of natural 
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resources; protection and conservation of biodiversity, natural ecosystems and 
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landscapes; proper waste management and sanitation; provision of green 
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infrastructures; and the development and use of renewable energy sources in 
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transportation, industry and households to reduce carbon footprint and improve 
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water and air quality; 
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(h) Disaster resilience and climate change adaptation by capacitating urban areas to 
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adapt to and manage threats and risks posed by climate change and disasters upon 
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the citizenry, especially vulnerable groups, and to facilitate post-disaster 
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rehabilitation and recovery; 
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(i) Cultural diversity which respects, protects, and promotes the diverse livelihoods, 
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customs, memory, identities, expressions, and sociocultural forms of its 
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inhabitants; the preservation of tangible cultural heritage, such as artistic 
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creations, historical sites and monuments; and safeguards intangible cultural 
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heritage, such oral traditions, performing arts, indigenous knowledge and 
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traditional skills, as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces 
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associated therewith; 
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(j) Participatory urban governance which involves political participation in the 
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formulation, implementation, and monitoring of urban policies, and the budgeting 
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of urban programs to promote transparency, effectiveness, and inclusiveness in 
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the engagement of a diverse set of inhabitants and their organizations, especially 
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of urban poor and marginalized groups, upholding communal spirit and 
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supporting community-building; and 
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(k) Alignment of economic, social, and environmental policies between and among 
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national, regional, city, and municipal government units, facilitating the 
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achievement of the goals of each unit. 
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The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), in 
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consultation with relevant government agencies, local government units, civil society 
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organizations, the private sector and the academe, within 180 days from the effectivity of this 
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Act, harmonize existing national housing and urban development plans with this Act and 
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formulate, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), 
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the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the PSA, a National Housing 
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and Urban Development Sector Plan (NHUDSP) to operationalize the goals of this Act, taking 
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into consideration the unique and evolving economic, social and institutional contexts of the 
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country. 
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The NHUDSP shall provide short, medium, and long-term strategic plans to achieve the 
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goals of this Act. 
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The NHUDSP shall also generate estimates and projections to determine present and 
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future demand for infrastructures and services in urban areas, and shall identify policy and 
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program interventions to address challenges to sustainable urban development, and specific 
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periodic targets and indicators and investment requirements thereof. 


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SEC. 5. Targets and Indicators. – In preparing the NHUDSP, the DHSUD, NEDA, 
2 
DILG, and the PSA shall be guided by the principles provided under Section 4 of this Act, as 
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well as the targets and indicators set forth in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 
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and the New Urban Agenda of the United Nations: 
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(a) Urban population living in slums - measured in terms of proportion of urban 
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population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing; 
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(b) Public transport access - measured in terms of proportion of population that has 
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convenient access to public transport, by sex, age, income group, and persons 
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with disability; 
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(c) Sustainable urbanization rates - measured in terms of ratio of land consumption 
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rate to population growth rate; 
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(d) Urban planning and management - measured in terms of proportion of cities with 
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a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management 
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that operate regularly and democratically; 
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(e) Protecting cultural heritage - measured in terms of total public and private 
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expenditure per capita spent on the preservation, protection and conservation of 
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all cultural and natural heritage; 
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(f) Deaths and injuries from disasters - measured in terms of number of deaths, 
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missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 
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population; 
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(g) Economic losses from disasters - measured in terms of direct economic loss in 
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relation to global gross domestic product, damage to critical infrastructure and 
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number of disruptions to basic services, attributed to disasters; 
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(h) Solid waste management - measured in terms of proportion of urban solid waste 
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regularly collected and with adequate final discharge out of total urban solid 
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waste generated; 
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(i) Urban air quality - measured in terms of the annual mean levels of fine particulate 
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matter; 
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(j) Open spaces in cities - measured in terms of average share of the built-up area of 
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cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with 
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disability; 
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(k) Safe spaces in cities - measured in terms of proportion of persons who are victims 
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of physical or sexual harassment, by sex, age, persons with disability, and place 
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of occurrence, in the previous 12 months; 
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(l) Urban and regional planning - measured in terms of proportion of population 
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living in cities that implement urban and regional development plans integrating 
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population projections and resource needs, by size of city; 


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(m)Integrated disaster risk management - measured in terms of adoption and 
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implementation of national disaster risk reduction strategies; 
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(n) Local  disaster  risk  management  -  measured  in  terms  of  adoption  and 
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implementation of local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national 
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disaster risk reduction strategies; 
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(o) Urban economy - measured in terms of percentage of the labor force in the 
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education and Research and Development sectors, and unemployment rate and 
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number of businesses; 
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(p) Innovation-geared education - measured in terms of the number of Science, 
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Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics higher education degree programs 
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being offered by an educational institution in the city; 
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(q) Use of renewable energy - measured in terms of percentage of consumed energy 
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from renewable sources; 
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(r) Universal healthcare - measured in terms of number of in-patient hospital beds 
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and physicians; 
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(s) Food security - measured in terms of percentage of city budget spent on initiatives 
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on urban agriculture; 
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(t) Water and wastewater management - measured in terms of water consumption 
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per capita, percentage of households with access to basic water supply, 
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percentage of treated wastewater that is reused; 
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(u) Access to ICT services - measured in terms of proportion of population that 
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has access to fast, secure, stable, and affordable internet services to cater and 
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accommodate online or digital transactions or services necessary for the conduct 
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of daily activities in the modern society; and 
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(v) Such other targets and indicators as determined by DHSUD, NEDA, DILG, 
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and PSA consistent with the principles that guide sustainable cities and 
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communities as provided in Section 4 of this Act: Provided, That at any time, but 
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not more than once every five years, such targets and indicators may be reviewed 
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or revised as the need arises to conform to changes and new developments 
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brought about by the latest trends in institutionalizing sustainable cities and 
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communities. 
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SEC. 6. Urban Planning and Development. – The DHSUD shall, in coordination with 
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NEDA,  DILG,  and  Department  of  Public Works  and  Highways,  provide  technical 
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assistance to local government units in the integration of the pertinent provisions of this Act, 
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the National Urban Development and Housing Framework, and the NHUDSP in their Annual 
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Development Plans, Annual Investment Plans, Physical Framework Plans, Development 
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Master Plans, Comprehensive Land Use Plans, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management 
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Plans, and similar plans. 


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National agencies and local government units shall ensure the genuine and adequate 
2 
participation in urban, regional, spatial and environmental planning: Provided, That access to 
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information, official records, public records and to documents and papers pertaining to official 
4 
acts, transactions or decisions, and research data related to urban development to enable 
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informed participation in the decision-making shall be made available pursuant to Section 7, 
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Article III of the 1987 Constitution. 
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SEC. 7. Incentives for Sustainable Cities. – The DILG and the Department of Budget 
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and Management shall incorporate the annual targets set by DHSUD, DILG, and NEDA in 
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the awarding of the Seal of Good Local Governance under Republic Act No. 11292, otherwise 
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known as “The Seal of Good Local Governance Act of 2019”. 
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SEC. 8. Public Participation. – National agencies and local government units shall 
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ensure the genuine and adequate participation in urban, regional, spatial and environmental 
15 
planning through the following: 
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(a) Incentives for the private sector - the Department of Finance shall provide 
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incentives to the participation of the private sector in the achievement of the goals 
19 
identified under this Act, in accordance with Republic Act No. 10771, otherwise 
20 
known as the “Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2016”; 
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(b) Capacity building for communities - the DHSUD shall provide technical 
23 
assistance to homeowners’ associations, neighborhood associations, people’s 
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organizations, and other local organizations to empower them as partners in 
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achieving the goals of this act, and enable them to undertake community-level 
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actions towards becoming sustainable communities; and 
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(c) Informed participation - information, education and communication materials 
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shall be developed to make the NHUDSP accessible to all. Every Filipino shall 
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have access to information, official records, public records and to documents and 
31 
papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, and research data 
32 
related to urban development to enable informed participation in the decision- 
33 
making process. 
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SEC. 9. Report to Congress. – The DHSUD, NEDA, and DILG shall submit an annual 
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report on the performance of their respective duties provided for under this Act and the 
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compliance of cities and urban municipalities to the provisions of this Act to the Congress of 
38 
the Philippines, through the Committee on Housing and Urban Development of the House of 
39 
Representatives and the Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement of the 
40 
Senate. 
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SEC. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within six (6) months from the 
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effectivity of this Act, the DHSUD, in consultation with the NEDA, DILG, PSA, League 
44 
of Cities of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, civil society 
45 
organizations, the private sector and the academe, shall promulgate the implementing rules and 
46 
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 11. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act or a portion thereof is 
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declared unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall 
50 
remain in force and effect. 


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SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts 
2 
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
3 
accordingly. 
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SEC. 13. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its publication in 
6 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,