REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
QUEZON CITY

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by AGRI PARTYLIST Representative Orestes T. Salon

Bayanihan is an age-old concept that has defined the Filipino people's sense of
community.

The voluntary and even joyful sharing of burdens captured by our greatest artists in
images of the bahay kubo being carried on a community's shoulders or communal preparations
during festivities may not be the form by which we associate bayanihan now. Nevertheless, the
spirit of voluntarism is alive and well. This is evident not only with the existence of groups such
as Gawad Kalinga that stresses shared responsibility in providing houses and livelihood for the
poor.

Rather, voluntarism is increasingly exhibited with every calamity that hits the nation.
Filipinos pool resources together to help others in need. Even distance has not diminished the
effectiveness of this spirit, with many of our fellows utilizing technology to help though they
may be physically absent.

This same spirit drives this bill. Through this legislation, the institutionalization of
voluntarism as a strategy for local development and nation-building is sought. It is hoped that
this bill will spur each local community to rediscover the values that have defined our race and
use these as tools to uplift the general welfare.

ORL

Rep. Orestes T. Salon
AGRI Partylist


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 7 9 8

Introduced by AGRI PARTYLIST Representative Orestes T. Salon

AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN NATION-BUILDING THROUGH THE
INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF STRATEGIC VOLUNTEERISM BASED MULTI-
SECTORAL PUBLIC — PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK, IN ALL LOCAL
GOVERNMENT UNITS AND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTRY,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Filipino Volunteerism in Nation —

Building (VNB)” or “Bayanihan Sa Bagumbayan (BSB) Act.”

See. 2. Declaration of Policy. (a) It shall be the policy of the State to promote the
participation of the various sectors of Filipino society in public and civic affairs, adopt and
strengthen the practice of volunteerism as a strategy in national and local development, and to
inculcate the “Bayanihan spirit” as a way of life.

(b) The State recognizes and respects the vital role of civil society organizations
(CSOs) which include, among others, non-government organizations NGOs), volunteer
service organizations (VSOs) and people organizations (POs), as effective conduits in
hamessing people power to promote and achieve nation-building through a strategic

volunteerism multi-sectoral public-private partnership approach.


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(©) The State shall ensure the institutionalization of a committed, participative,
and sustained partnership among the local government units (LGUs), congressional districts,

and the private sector in the process of community-building through volunteerism.

Sec. 3. Statement of Goals and Objectives. — Pursuant to the foregoing policy, the
government shall pursue the following goals and objectives:
a. To provide a framework for a strategic multi-sectoral public-private partnership
through volunteerism;
b. To institutionalize volunteerism as a strategy for local development; and
c.  C. To establish a coordinating mechanism to harmonize national and local

volunteering efforts.

Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be defined
as follows:

a. Accreditation refers to the formal recognition by LGUs of CSOs, for the purpose
of registering, certifying and enabling them to participate in the VNB program.

b. Civil society organizations refers to NGOs, POs, cooperatives, trade unions,
professional associations, faith-based organizations, media groups, indigenous people’s
movements, foundations and other citizen groups formed primarily for social and economic
development to monitor government programs and projects, engage in policy discussions,
and actively participate in collaborative activities with government.

c. Congressional District refers to a territorial division which under the 1987
Philippine Constitution is entitled to elect one member to the Philippine House of

Representatives;


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d. Volunteer refers to an individual or group who, for reasons arising from socio-
developmental, business and corporate orientation, commitment or conviction, contribute
time, service and resources whether on full-time or part-time basis to a just and essential
social development cause, mission or endeavor in the belief that the activity is mutually
meaningful and beneficial to public interest as well as to themselves;

e. Volunteer service organization refers to a local or foreign group that recruits,
trains, deploys and supports volunteer workers to programs and projects implemented by
itself or by other organizations or any group that provides services and resources, including
but not limited to, information, capability building, advocacy and networking for the
attainment of common good; and

f. Volunteerism refers to an act involving a wide range of activities, including
traditional forms of mutual aid and developmental interventions that provides an enabling and
empowering environment, both on the part of the beneficiary receiving and the volunteer
rendering the act, undertaken for reasons arising from socio-developmental, business or
corporate orientation, commitment or conviction for the attainment of the public good and

where monetary or other incentives or reward are not the primary motivating factors.

See. 5. VNB Mission ~ Vision. National Government Agencies (NGAs), LGUs, and the
volunteer sector shall be committed to the VNB mission and vision, which shall hamess the
spirit of volunteerism as stimulus for local development and as a way of life for each Filipino
in recognition of the time-honored tradition of “Bayanihan” that has evolved to include the
participation of organized groups and institutions as volunteer partners of government in local
development and governance. The LGUs and congressional districts shall also perform

critical roles in mobilizing, harmonizing, and sustaining volunteering efforts.


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The VBN Program shall support the above stated sectors in the following areas of
governance: (a) community building through shelter and other infrastructure support; (b)
community, child, youth, and maternal health; (c) child and youth education; (d) community
entrepreneurship; (¢) food sufficiency ; (f) gender equality and women empowerment; (g)
peace efforts; (h) cultural preservation and promotion; (i) eco-tourism; (j) environmental

preservation and protection; and (k) micro-finance and livelihood.

See. 6. VBN Key National and Cooperating Agencies. ~ To harmonize and facilitate the
support of various government agencies in the implementation of the VBN, the following
NGAs, including their concemed bureaus/attached agencies, shall take lead roles in the
following key areas: the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the
review and implementation of VNB socio-welfare projects and activities; the Housing and
Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) in the approval of the VNB local
shelter plan and coordination of all shelter agencies for the provision of support to the VNB
program; the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the coordination of
LGUs with local VNB projects; the Department of Finance (DOF) in the promulgation of
guidelines for the availment of tax exemption and other related incentives and benefits and
for the oversight of their implementation and supervision; and the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) in overseeing and monitoring of the budget utilization of concerned lead
or cooperating government agencies in the implementation of the VNB program.

Other government agencies shall provide the necessary support for the VNB program,
namely: Office of the President (OP), National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Land Registration
Authority (LRA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Technical Education and Skills

Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department
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of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Energy (DOE), National Electrification

Administration (NEA), and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).

See. 7. VNB Coordinating Agency. ~The Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating
Agency (PNVSCA) shall serve as the coordinating agency for the implementation of the
VNB program. More specifically, the PNVSCA shall have the following functions:
(a) Formulate and review policies and guidelines on the VNB program;
(b) Develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation system for the VNB
program;
(©) Develop and implement an advocacy campaign for the implementation of the
VNB program;
(@ Provide reports to the OP and both Houses of Congress on matters related to the
implementation of the VNB program; and
(©) Administer all funds related to the VNB program.
The VNB Program Management Division shall be created as an attached division to

the Office of the Executive Director of the PNVSCA to perform technical and administrative

tasks to carry out the abovementioned functions. This division shall be headed by an officer
who shall supervise a team of volunteer service officers. The PNVSCA, in coordination with

the DBM, shall prepare the staffing pattern of the program management division.

See. 8. Inter-agency Coordinating Committee. — the existing Multi-Sectoral Advisory Board
(MSAB) of the PNVSCA shall serve as the interagency coordinating committee which shall
perform the following responsibilities:

a. Provide advice in the formulation of policies and guidelines for the VNB program;
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b. Serve as link between and among lead and cooperating national government
agencies in the implementation of the VNB; and
c. Serve as forum for the review of the VNB implementation with VNB
stakeholders.
For this purpose, the composition of the MSAB shall be expanded to include
HUDCC, DOF, and DBM. The MSAB may call on the other VNB cooperating agencies and

concerned institutions on matters pertaining to the implementation of the VNB program.

Sec. 9. VNB Coordinating Desk. ~ All lead and other cooperating agencies shall establish
their respective VNB coordinating desk or tap an existing related unit to serve as the focal
unit in coordinating the delivery of support services in the implementation of the VNB.
At the LGU, the VNB coordinating desk shall serve as the focal unit to perform, but
not limited tom the following functions:
a. Identify the VNB projects and activities;
b. Accredit volunteer partners for the implementation of the VNB projects and
activities;
c. Monitor and evaluate the progress of the VNB projects, including the submission
of reports to the Local Development Council and the MSAB.
At the district level, the Congressional District Representative concerned shall be
required to be accredited by LGUs concerned, in coordination with the appropriate agencies,

to enable them to participate in the VNB agencies.

See. 10. Accreditation of VNB Partners and Stakeholders. — All VNB program partners shall
be required to be accredited by LGUs concerned, in coordination with the appropriate

agencies, to enable them to participate in the VNB program.
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A system of accreditation shall be developed for adoption and implementation by the

LGUs with proper consultation with the concerned agencies.

See. 11. Incentives for VNB Partners and Stakeholders. - Any VNB and BIR-accredited
donor and done under a VNB program, project or activity shall enjoy the following
incentives:

a. All donations in cash in kind, including land, all of which are actually, directly
and exclusively used by the National Government Agencies (NGAs), including
their concerned bureaus/attached agencies, the Philippine National Volunteer
Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) and the Local Government Units
(LGUs), in its programs, projects, and activities that provide shelter, basic utilities
of electricity and water, education, healthcare, livelihood, environment and peace
efforts that shall inure to the benefit of poor communities identified by the
PNVSCA, shall be exempt from the donors tax and fully deductible from the gross
income of the donor, under the new nomenclature of donations for “nation-
building”, upon submission to the BIR of the VNB requirements for that purpose.
The implementation of this incentive shall be patterned after the applicable
provisions on “Allowable Deductions” and “Donor's Tax” under the National
Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended;

b. All donations from the foreign sources to the VNB shall be exempt from customs
duties, provided that the donees are duly accredited with the Bureau of Customs
(BOC);

c. The DOF, in coordination with the PNVSCA, the BIR, the BOC, and the DBM
shall set the guidelines for the screening, evaluation, and approval of all tax

incentives and benefits used for VNB purposes, as well as the Implementing Rules
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and Regulations (IRR) to implement the incentives provided herein. In line with
proper fiscal administration policies, the DOF in coordination with VNB, shall
determine the compliance criteria for “utilization”, “valuation”, “deductibility”,
“proof of utilization”, and “proof of deductions” of all VNB donations, whether
in cash or in kind, as basis to determine the availment of, and continued
applicability of withdrawal of all such tax incentives and benefits, in accordance
with RA 8424, as amended;
d. The socialized housing tax as authorized to be imposed by LGUs, under Section
43 of RA 7279; otherwise known as “the Urban Development and Housing Act of
1992” shall be used as additional government equality under the VNB framework,
‘subject to an inter-agency Memorandum of Agreement; and

e. Priority in the grant of acquired land. The government shall also consider VNB
partners as priority-beneficiaries in the grant of land for socialized housing
acquired under R.A. No. 7279 through community mortgage, land swapping, land
assembly or consolidation, land banking, donation to the government, joint-
venture agreement, negotiated purchase, and expropriation.

The mechanics, criteria, equalizations, all documentary proof of donation in cash or in
kind, and proof of utilization of donation requirements, and the implementation guidelines for
all the incentives and benefits provided under this section, shall be carried out in accordance
with the 1987 Constitution, RA 8284, as amended, and other applicable laws, rules and
regulations, and shall be included and clearly specified in the IRR, to ensure that these
incentives and benefits shall properly benefit the intended recipients, to fully and faithfully
implement the true intent and spirit of the VNB Act.

The incentives provided under this Act shall be effective for a period of eight (8)

years, with one extension of another six (6) years, subject to satisfactory submission of and
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compliance with all VNB requirements, terms and conditions, including all documentary
proof of donation in cash or in kind, and proof of utilization of donation requirements, for
purposes of the VNB Act. Thereafter, upon evaluation of and recommendation by the said
incentives, and corollary, to the continued existence and operation of the VNB shall be

‘subject to congressional action.

Sec. 12. Incentives for VNB volunteers, ~ All VNB program partners shall provide volunteers

with recognition and incentive package.

Sec. 13. Special Provision - VNB Framework Guide Book. - A VNB Framework Guide
Book shall be prepared and disseminated to all LGUs and Congressional Districts to assist

them in the implementation of the VNB Program.

See. 14. Appropriations. The amount necessary to implement the provisions of this act shall
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. The LGUs shall likewise allocate the

necessary funds for the implementation of the VNB program.

Sec. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). — the PNVSCA, in consultation with
MSAB, the DSWD, the HUDCC, the DILG, the DOF, and the DBM, shall promulgate the
implementing rules and regulations (IRR) necessary to implement this Act, within sixty (60)

days after its effectivity.

See. 16. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall remain in full

force and effect.


See. 17. Repealing Clause. ~ Any law, Presidential Decree or issuance, Executive Order,
Letter of Instruction, Administrative Order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with

any provision of this Act is hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Sec. 18 Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in at least two national newspapers of general circulation, whichever date
comes earlier,

Approved

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