Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 134

Introduced by REP. MANUEL ANTONIO F. ZUBIRI

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Itis the policy of the State to promote industrialization and full employment based on sound
agricultural development and agrarian reform by making full and efficient use of human and
natural resources in order to be competitive in both domestic and foreign markets. Since the
Philippines is first and foremost an agricultural nation, true economic development and food
security can only be attained if both the public and private sectors take the critical steps to preserve,
support and protect our nation’s agricultural industry.

While agricultural productivity has grown in leaps and bounds over the years through the
invaluable efforts of institutions such as the locally-headquartered International Rice Research
Institute which is credited for averting famine in Asia, the Philippine Government has not provided
enough support by way of linking our farmers to the rest of the nation. To this end, it is imperative
that the National Government take the lead in spearheading efforts to building the necessary
support facilities that would facilitate the movement of agricultural products from initial
production to final consumption. To this end, the National Government must take the necessary
concrete steps to invest in and build barangay roads and other local roads to link producers to
consumers. These barangay and local roads, in addition to farm to market roads, will greatly
improve the mobility of agricultural products, services and other key players, but also make job
opportunities more accessible and facilitate the provision of basic social services to the common
tao, especially those living in the more inaccessible parts of the country

‘As we have seen in the past years, the national government has prioritized the development
of primary and national roads, bridges and other thoroughfares, leaving the necessary support or
feeder roads or those classified as “local roads”, most especially in the rural areas, to the
responsibility of their respective local government. It is an ineluctable fact that not all local
‘government units have enough income to find the construction of concrete support or feeder roads
and subsequently provide for their maintenance. Over the years, this glaring disparity in budgetary
Priority between national and local roads results in unsold and wasted produce that would have
augmented the meager earnings of our nation’s ageing farmers and helped alleviate the suffering
of the millions of Filipinos who do not have access to cheap but good quality food which our nation
produces in great abundance, Worse, our nation’s very own food security is threatened since the
youth are leaving their parents’ farms in hopes of seeking greener pastures elsewhere. With the
average age of the Filipino farmer hovering in the late 50s, who will produce our food when they
finally retire in a few years?


Since the instant bill hopes to substantially improve and expand our nation’s network of
local feeder roads, it is hoped that national development would be spurred — not only from the
marked improvement in the movement of agricultural products and services from the point of
production to the point of consumption but in so many other critical areas such as food security,
job creation and accessibility, rural-wide investments, etc.

Thus, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

133.
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by REP. MANUEL ANTONIO F. ZUBIRI

AN ACT
MANDATING THE GOVERNMENT TO ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR BARANGAY
ROADS AND OTHER LOCAL ROADS

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

Section 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Barangay and Other Local Roads Act of
2019”.

Section 2. Declaration of State Policy. — It is the declared policy of the State to provide support
to agriculture and its related industries through appropriate technology and research, and adequate
financial, production, marketing and other support services.

To this end, the State shall give adequate support to Filipino agricultural workers by
constructing and completing farm to market, barangay, and other roads to expedite the
transportation of farm products and provision of other related services.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. —

“DA” shall refer to the Department of Agriculture

“DPWH” shall refer to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“DSWD” shall refer to the Department of Social Welfare and Development

“IRA” shall refer to the Internal Revenue Allotment received by a local government unti
as it distributive share in the revenues from the National Government of the Republic of the
Philippines.

“LGUs” shall refer to Local Government Units and shall include provinces, cities,
municipalities, barangays and autonomous areas in the Philippines.

“NAPC” shall refer to the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
“PSA” shall refer to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Section 4. Scope. — This Act shall cover all local government units.


ction 5. Allocation from the national government. — The government through the DPWH,

‘A. and such other agencies that have the authority to develop public roads and other

orougnfares within the territory of the Republic of the Philippines, shall henceforth include in its
budget an allocation for the construction and completion of farm to market roads, barangay roads,
and other local roads for all local government units.

The poorest local government units shall have the highest priority for the development of
such roads mentioned in this Act. The socioeconomic status of said local government units shall
be determined using data from the appropriate goverment agencies such as the PSA, NAPC, and
DSWD.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to remove, reduce or otherwise diminish the present
responsibility and commitment of local government units to find and/or spearhead the construction
and completion of their own farm to market, barangay roads, and other local roads through their
IRA and other sources of revenues.

Section 6, Responsibility for Administration and Enforcement. ~ After the completion of the
farm to market, barangay and other local roads, it shall be the primary duty of the local
governments to effectively enforce the provisions of this Act

It shall also be the responsibility of such local government units to maintain and keep the
cleanliness and orderliness of the aforementioned local roads. Furthermore, the local government
units shall perform such other functions as may be necessary for preservation of the farm to market,
barangay, and other local roads.

Section 7. Appropriations. — The funds required for the implementation of this Act shall be taken
from the budget of the DPWH for the current fiscal year.

Thereafter, the amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be included
in the General Appropriations Act of the year immediately following its enactment into law and
subsequent thereto.

Section 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. ~ Within ninety (90) days after the effectivity
of this Act, the DPWH, DA, PSA, NAPC, DPWH and other such concerned agencies, shall adopt
and promulgate such rules and regulations, to carry out the provisions of this Act and which shall
be effective fifteen (15) days following their publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) major
daily newspapers of general circulation.

Section 9. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or
invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 10. Repealing Cl All laws, executive orders, rules and regulations inconsistent
with or contrary to this Act are hereby deemed accordingly, repealed or amended

Section 11. Effectivity Clause. ~ This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from publication
in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,