Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2957

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE NOEL “BONG” N. RIVERA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 was the worst volcanic eruption that occurred in
the 21" Century. It has brought tremendous damages to Central Luzon killing more than seven
hundred people and left more than two hundred thousand homeless. Practically, all the
communities in the vicinity had been buried by the rampaging lahar that caused numerous people
to seek refuge in the once forested areas, specifically the Sitios from the different barangays of
Anupul, San Nicolas, San Roque and Lourdes, all in the Municipality of Bamban, Province of
Tarlac, which, since 1991, had served as resettlement areas for the affected residents, namely
Sitio Mainang, Sitio Dapdap, also in Barangay San Nicolas, Municipality of Bamban, Tarlac.
These parcels of public lands under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) have been vastly improve with numerous public infrastructures to
provide comfort and convenience to residents therein. Since the affected residents could no
longer return to their original domicile, there is a need to award the lands to the vietims of Mount
Pinatubo so they cannot be evicted from the land, which they have been occupying since 1991

It is therefore the paramount objective of this important piece of legislation to reclassify
the aforementioned public lands located in the Municipality of Bamban, Province of Tarlac as
alienable and disposable public lands and directing the DENR to conduct a cadastral survey to
determine the technical description or metes and bounds and appropriate measurement for the
eventual titling of the lands to be awarded to the actual occupants. The government also stands to
earn from this undertaking as the owners will pay the appropriate real property taxes for the
lands they are occupying,

In Municipal Resolution No. 139, Series of 2017 of the Municipality of Bamban,
Province of Tarlac, it likewise requests the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to
reclassify the aforementioned Public Lands.

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

NOEL “BONG” N. RIVERA


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2957

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE NOEL “BONG” N. RIVERA

“AN ACT
RECLASSIFYING CERTAIN PARCELS OF LAND OF PUBLIC DOMAIN LOCATED
IN SITIOS FROM THE DIFFERENT BARANGAYS OF ANUPUL, SAN NICOLAS, SAN
ROQUE AND LOURDES, ALL IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF BAMBAN, PROVINCE
OF TARLAC FROM UNCLASSIFIED FOREST LANDS INTO ALIENABLE AND
DISPOSABLE LANDS”

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

SECTION 1. The parcel of lands of public domain located in Sitios from the different
Barangays of Anupul, San Nicolas and Lourdes, Municipality of Bamban, Province of Tarlac are
hereby reclassified and declared as alienable and disposable lands open to disposition for
residential and other productive purposes and to private rights

SEC. 2. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is hereby
directed to undertake a relocation survey of the subject parcel of lands of public domain to
determine the technical description or metes and bounds and appropriate measurement.

The DENR shall issue the rules and regulations to implement this Act.

SEC. 3. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, which are inconsistent
with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,