Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

720

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HON. AGAPITO H. GUANLAO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill will institutionalize urban agriculture and vertical farming in the highly-urbanized
cities nationwide. Urban agriculture is the production, processing and marketing of food in
response to the demand of consumers within a town, city, or metropolis, with the application of
intensive production methods, such as the using and reusing urban sources and wastes, to yield
a diversity of crops and livestock. This bill shall be known as “The Urban Agriculture Act of
2013"

The urban poor are mostly handicapped in terms of education and job opportunities. The
Urban Agriculture Act of 2013 will help them gain the benefits from urban agriculture as it will
continue to better ivelihood by providing non-market access to food.

The world population will double in 50 years. Studies have shown that new land will be
needed to grow enough food for everyone. Urban agriculture and farming will not only clean our
environment but it will also avoid climate change. This proposed measure seeks to promote the
use of urban agriculture and vertical farming in the country’s metropolitan areas to address food
security concerns and regenerate ecosystem functions. It is now high time to combat the effects
of over population and climate change.

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

AG: H. GYANLAO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

720
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by HON. AGAPITO H. GUANLAO.

AN ACT
PROMOTING THE USE OF URBAN FARMING IN THE COUNTRY’S METROPOLITAN
AREAS TO ADDRESS FOOD SECURITY CONCERNS AND REGENERATE ECOSYSTEM
FUNCTIONS APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE.

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

SECTION 1. Short Tile. — This Act shall be known as the “Urban Agriculture Act of 2044”. 70/2

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ It is hereby declared the policy of the State to reaffirm the
fundamental right of every person to adequate food and to be free from hunger. The
achievement of self-sufficiency in food production is therefore adopted as a primary state policy.
Towards this end, key reforms for the development of modem, appropriate, cost-effective and
environmentally safe agricultural technologies are hereby encouraged in order to ensure the
food security of the country.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms.- For the purpose of this Act, the term:
“Urban Agriculture” shall refer to the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing

of food in, or around a village, town or city. Urban agriculture also involves animal husbandry,
aquaculture, agro-forestry and horticulture.

“Vertical Farming” shall refer to the method of farming that is brought to the urban
space by employing the concepts of indoor agriculture in skyscrapers and other modern
buildings.

SEC. 4, Comprehensive Research on Urban Farming. - For purposes of this Act, the
respective Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Science
and Technology (DOST) are hereby mandated to promote the use of urban agriculture and
vertical farming in the country’s metropolitan areas as an instrument to address food seourity
concems and regenerate ecosystem functions of the Philippines.

Idle and/or abandoned government lots and buildings owned by either national and local
govemments or available land resources in state universities and colleges shall be considered
for growing crops, raising livestock and producing food using the said methods.


SEC. 5. Inclusion of Urban Agriculture and Vertical Farming in Agricultural Training.»
Urban agriculture and vertical farming are used in agricultural production shall be integrated in
the academic curriculum for secondary and tertiary level students of both public and private
academic institutions studying courses on Agriculture, Practical Arts, Home Economics and/or
other subjects related to agriculture. A course curriculum on gardening/urban gardening shall
also be developéd and included into the regular curriculum of both elementary and secondary
education.

All elementary and secondary schools, — public or private — state colleges and
universities shall implement urban gardening/agriculture and include in its regular curriculum its
practical or hand-on application.

For universities and colleges, urban gardening or agriculture shall form part of the
required period of time spent by students in the National Service Training Program (NSTP) or
the Citizens Military Training (CMT). A plan therefore for the utilization or the maximizing space
Occupied by schools shall be formulated specifically for urban gardening/agriculture.
Instructional materials shall also be developed.

The Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED), shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation
of this Section within six (6) months from the date of effectivity hereof.

SEC. 6. Appropriation. ~ The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be
included and incorporated in the annual general appropriations of the Department of Agriculture
(DA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Education (DepEd) and
Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

SEC. 7. Local Government Units Participation — The local government units shall formulate
Policy on the practice of urban farming, utilizing unused spaces and idle lands. This shall require
the enactment of local legislation institutionalizing urban gardening or agriculture in all levels of
the LGU. This also shall require local govermments to enact measures or ordinances that will
include urban gardening/agriculture as regular component in budget appropriations of local
government units.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations.- Within six (6) months from the date of
effectivity of this Act, the DA, the DOST and the DILG shall promulgate the necessary
implementing rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 9. Seperability Clause.- if any provision or part hereof is held invalid or unconstitutional,
the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and
subsisting,

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause.- Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, letter

of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the
Provision of this act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity Clause.- This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the date of its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.
Approved.