Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Metro Manila is annually drenched with some 20,000 millimeters of rainwater. A 
significant part of the National Capital Region (NCR) and other major cities are unable 
to absorb the rainwater they receive. Instead of undergoing the earth’s natural process 
of recycling rainwater through its aquifers, the rainwater proceeds to the sewers—
polluting the surrounding bodies of water and flooding roads. It is lamentable that 
despite the incessant flooding of major thoroughfares resulting in heavy traffic, the 
State has failed to come up with measures to address the situation. 
The bill hereby requires the installation of rainwater retention facilities in all new 
commercial, institutional, and residential infrastructure projects in Metro Manila and 
other major cities with the primary goal of preserving, restoring, or mimicking the 
natural hydrology of the soil. These rainwater retention facilities shall capture the 
rainwater, purify the same, and store it for non-potable uses thereby effectively 
reducing the amount of rainwater that submerges Metro Manila roads during the rainy 
season, as well as feeding the demand for water in the cities. 
Places like Cebu, Baguio, and Nueva Ecija have already adapted measures to utilize 
rainwater for non-potable uses. Internationally, the state of California passed its own 
Rainwater Capture Act back in 2012 to address the widespread drought that its 
residents suffer during the dry season. In Australia, most buildings use captured 
rainwater for fountains and flush toilets. 
Rainwater is a free, abundant, and regular natural resource that the Philippines is 
fortunate to receive year in and out. It is high time that we make of it for the general 
advantage of our people.  
In consideration of the foregoing premises, the swift passage of this bill is sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
October 20, 2022
1:53 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING NEW COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, AND RESIDENTIAL 
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN METRO MANILA AND MAJOR CITIES IN 
THE PHILIPPINES TO INSTALL RAINWATER RETENTION FACILITIES, AND 
IMPOSING PENAL PROVISIONS IN CASE OF VIOLATIONS 
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 “Rainwater Harvesting 
Facility Act.” 
SECTION. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the declared policy of the State to promote 
the health and welfare of its citizens, and exercise sufficient powers to preserve the 
natural ecology within its territory. 
The State recognizes the urgent need to address the adverse effects of dramatic 
climate change, including typhoons of unprecedented strength, speed, and 
consequent damage. Flooding has become a regular occurrence in the busy roads of 
Metro Manila 
SECTION. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall be 
defined as: 
a)
Department refers to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
b)
Green infrastructure means any storm water management technique or practice
employed with the primary goal of preserving, restoring, or mimicking natural
hydrology;
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c) 
Rainwater means precipitation on any public or private parcel that has not 
entered an offsite storm drain system or channel, a flood control channel, or any 
other stream channel, and has not previously been put to beneficial use; 
d) 
Rainwater harvesting facility refers to a flood control structure such as a vertical 
detention tank, horizontal water tank, open retarding basin, and multi-use water 
catchment area, or an on-site regulation pond used to capture, retain, and store 
rainwater flowing off a building, parking lot, or any other manmade, impervious 
surface consequently preventing or delaying the release of rainwater into the 
public drainage system; and 
e) 
Return period refers to the average length of time in years for a rain-related 
natural disaster of given magnitude be equaled or exceeded by the length of time 
that a rainwater-related disaster may probably recur. 
 
SECTION. 4. Rainwater Harvesting Facility Requirement. – An owner or developer 
of a new commercial, institutional and residential development project in Metro Manila 
and other major cities, with an area of at least one thousand five hundred (1,500) 
square meters and requiring the issuance of building permit shall reserve, develop, 
and maintain at least three (3%) of the total area, exclusive roads, service streets and 
alleys, as a rainwater harvesting facility. 
 
The owner or developer of an on-going commercial, institutional, and residential 
development project in Metro Manila and other major cities that has no existing 
provision for a rainwater facility shall build the facility within a period of three (3) years 
from the effectivity of this Act, or suffer the penalty imposed in Section 8 hereof. 
 
To conserve potable water, rainwater collected by a harvesting facility may be used 
for non-potable and suitable purposes, such as gardening and air-cooling processes.  
 
It is the intent of the Legislature that the use of rainwater for non-potable uses should 
not be constrained by standards for drinking water or recycled water but shall fully 
comply with water quality requirements. 
 
SECTION. 5. Design Approval. – The provision for a rainwater harvesting facility shall 
be required by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) and local 


government units (LGUs) to be incorporated in the design of all new commercial, 
institutional, and residential development projects in Metro Manila and other major 
cities, and no project design shall be approved for construction unless it includes such 
facility. The HLURB and the LGUs shall ensure that these facilities are built during the 
construction phase of the projects. 
 
SECTION. 6. Design Requirements. – The rainwater harvesting facility must be 
designed to cope with a pre-determined flood and rain return period and must have a 
storage capacity prescribed by the Department of Public Works and Highways 
(DPWH).  The design of the rainwater harvesting facility include the following: 
a) 
Size, shape and physical characteristics of available space; 
b) 
Construction plans with specified material type including lining and coating 
requirements; 
c) 
Detailed drawing on how the installation will drain into an outfall structure as a 
drywell or a percolation chamber, storm drain system, drainage channel, or 
natural wash; and 
d) 
Mechanism to exclude mosquitoes and not permit mosquito production. 
 
SECTION. 7. Building Permits. – If the design of a new commercial, institutional, and 
residential project in Metro Manila and other major cities with an area of at least one 
thousand five hundred (1,500) square meters does not provide for a rainwater 
harvesting facility, the LGU concerned shall deny the request for issuance of a building 
permit for such project. 
 
SECTION. 8. Reportorial Requirements. – The DPWH shall require the owner or 
developer of all of all new commercials, institutional, and residential development 
projects covered under this Act to submit a compliance report within 12 months from 
the date of the completion of the project.  
 
The DPWH shall henceforth require the building owners to submit an annual report of 
the performance of such rainwater retention facility which may include, but is not 
limited to information on the total volume of retained rainwater and its utilization. 
 


SECTION. 9. Penalties. – The owner or developer of all new commercial, institutional, 
and residential development projects in Metro Manilla and other major cities who fails 
to construct a rainwater harvesting facility in violation of Section 4 of this Act shall 
suffer the penalty of a fine of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos (P 
50,000.00), but not more than Two million pesos (2,000,000.00) for every year of non-
compliance. 
 
In the case of a partnership, association, corporation or any juridical person, the fine 
shall be imposed upon the president, treasurer, or any officer or person responsible 
for the violation. 
 
If the offender is a foreigner, the foreigner shall be deported immediately without 
further proceedings after payment of fine. 
 
The head of the government institution who violates Section 4 of this Act, or 
government officials, employees, and agents who issue licenses or permits in violation 
of Section 8 of this Act, shall suffer the penalty of suspension of not less than ten (10) 
days, but not more than one hundred eighty (180) days after due notice and hearing 
in an appropriate administrative proceeding. 
 
SECTION. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). – Within sixty (60) days 
from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary shall, in coordination with the Secretary 
of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Chief Executive 
Officer (CEO) of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), and the 
Administrator of the Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services 
Administration (PAGASA), promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective 
implementation of this Act. The implementing rules and regulations shall include the 
standards and guidelines for the design, construction, installation, materials, site 
selection and planning, site-specific considerations, and maintenance of the rainwater 
harvesting facility. 
 
SECTION. 11. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is declared 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain 
in full force and effect.  


 
SECTION. 12. Repealing Clause. – All other laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, 
issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
 
SECTION. 13. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
following its publication in at least (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,