Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by REP. JOSE FRANCISCO “KIKO” B. BENITEZ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Presidential Proclamation No. 895, Series of 2005, declared the Northern Negros Forest 
Reserve a protected area to be known as the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP). The vast 
forest is home to 140 endemic bird species, including threatened and endangered species like 
the Negros Bleeding Heart Pigeon and the Visayan Tarictic Hornbill.  
Many areas within the NNNP can benefit from revenues from ecotourism activities, 
revenues that can fund biodiversity conservation and reforestation. 
The Gawahon Eco-Park, a 162-hectare forest land in Victorias City, is one of the areas 
within the NNNP that have great ecotourism potential. The local government of Victorias City 
first developed the area in 2000 and entered into a co-management agreement with the 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 2004. Already, the Gawahon 
Eco-Park draws 8,000 visitors annually.  
The local government of Victorias City has outlined plans to market the Gawahon Eco-
Park as a birdwatching destination. Of the 140 endemic bird species documented within NNNP, 
106 species have been spotted in the Gawahon Eco-Park, including the Southern Indigo-
Banded Kingfihser, Flame-Templed Babbler, Spotted Wood Kingfisher and Critine Canary 
Flycatcher. The Eco-Park also has an apiary, where native stingless bee species Tetragonula 
carbonaria, locally known as “takpal”, propagates and is source of organic honey. 
Victorias City is also aiming to make Gawahon Eco-Park a model for community-based 
tourism. The United Nations Development Programme defines community-based tourism as 
“a tourism management model that puts local communities at the center of the process: tourism 
by the local communities for the benefit of the local communities themselves.” Illustratively, 
the City Government is partnering with the Victorias Integrated Social Forestry Farmers 
Association to implement an agritourism program. Victorias City is also set to ink a partnership 
with the University of the Philippines – Visayas to establish the Gawahon Park Research 
Station and Community Science Center which will capacitate locals to become citizen 
scientists and agents of biodiversity conservation. 
The City Government is committed to align development of the Gawahon Eco-Park 
with ecotourism standards and the community-based forest management strategy (CBFMS) of 
the DENR. Community engagement in the development of the Gawahon Eco-Park builds on a 
strong history of community-based tourism in the area. In fact, residents in the area had been 
granted Certificate of Stewardship Contract under the Integrated Social Forestry Program of 
the DENR, a precursor of CBFMS.  
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11:09 am
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Indeed, Gawahon Eco-Park is a prime example of sustainable tourism development – 
tourism that addresses “the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host 
communities.” But its continued success is predicated on adequate funding for biodiversity 
conversation, sustainable infrastructure and sustainable livelihood. Declaring the area as a 
tourist destination will mobilize resources for these crucial interventions.  
The return of investment in Gawahon Eco-Park is clear and certain. Investing in 
ecotourism will drive inclusive economic development in Victorias City but more importantly, 
investing in ecotourism is investing in the future, ensuring that future generations will benefit 
from the beauty and bounty of nature. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval is earnestly sought. 
JOSE FRANCISCO “KIKO” B. BENITEZ 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by REP. JOSE FRANCISCO “KIKO” B. BENITEZ 
AN ACT 
DECLARING GAWAHON ECO-PARK LOCATED IN THE CITY OF VICTORIAS, 
PROVINCE OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL A TOURIST DESTINATION, PROVIDING 
FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. The Gawahon Eco-Park in the City of Victorias, Province of Negros 
Occidental, is hereby declared a tourist destination. As such, its development shall be 
prioritized by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and shall be subject to the rules and 
regulations governing the development of tourist destinations. 
SEC. 2. Within one (1) year after the approval of this Act, the DOT, in coordination 
with the local government of the City of Victorias and concerned agencies of the government, 
shall prepare a tourism development plan involving the construction, installation, and 
maintenance of appropriate infrastructure and facilities that shall enhance tourism in the area, 
including an information center, a view deck and a multipurpose hall: Provided, That said 
development plan shall ensure the preservation and conservation of the natural ecosystems and 
resources of the area: Provided, further, That any activities and developments to be carried out 
in the area should conform with the concept of ecotourism as provided in the national 
ecotourism strategy jointly issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
and the DOT. 
SEC. 3. The DOT and its concerned attached agencies shall take immediate steps to 
implement the tourism development plan that will suit the natural characteristics of Gawahon 
Eco-Park, and shall incorporate the same in its tourism development program for the ensuing 
calendar year. It shall also include Gawahon Eco-Park in all its national, regional and local 
promotion programs. 
SEC. 4. The Secretary of the DOT shall include in the Department’s program the 
implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act and from internally generated funds of the DOT. 
SEC. 5. The DOT shall transfer the management of the facilities to the local 
government of the City of Victorias within two (2) years after construction through a 
memorandum of agreement.  
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SEC. 6. Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the 
DOT, in consultation with the local government of the City of Victorias, shall promulgate the 
necessary rules and regulations for the proper implementation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 7. If any provision of this Act or any part hereof is declared unconstitutional, the 
same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other provisions. 
 
SEC. 8. All laws, rules, regulations, proclamations and executive orders, or parts 
thereof, contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 9. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,