^enntr
TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
r^^F'tBfUcp of II)
25 AUG "4 P1 :05
SENATE 
S. No.
RfCEIVfC) H>:
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR URBAN AND COUNTRYSIDE GREENING IN THE 
PHILIPPINES THROUGH MANDATORY TREE PLANTING AND ADOPTION OF 
A FOREST SANCTUARY BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF 
EDUCATION
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Section 16, Article II of the 1987 Constitution provides that, "The State shall 
protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in 
accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature."
The Philippines is recognized to be one of the most vulnerable countries to face 
dangerous consequences of climate change such as increasing frequency and severity 
of droughts, fires, floods and storms, damage to ecosystems, and biodiversity loss. It 
is indeed high time for the Philippine archipelago and the local communities to be the 
voice of the vulnerable by addressing these challenges through pursuing green growth 
in preventing and reducing the adverse impacts of climate change.
The increase of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere contributes to global 
warming and climate change. As reported by the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA), Carbon dioxide (C02) is an important heat-trapping 
(greenhouse) gas, which is released through human activities such as deforestation.1
According to the Land Management Bureau (LMB), the Cadastral Survey 
completed in 2015 revealed that the country has an estimated total land area of
1 https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/
1


29,704,230 hectares: 14,194,675 hectares (47.79%) are alienable and disposable 
lands, while 15,509,555 hectares (52.21%) are forest lands.
However, Global Forest Watch2 reported that the Philippines lost 158,000 
hectares of primary forest from 2002 to 2021, or 12% of its total tree cover loss.3 
During the same period, 92% of tree cover loss occurred in areas where the dominant 
drivers of loss resulted in deforestation.
Trees and forests act as effective carbon sinks and help improve air quality. 
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a single 
tree can sequester 0.56 metric tons of carbon dioxide in its lifetime. Thus, integrating 
tree-planting in our environmental agenda is a must and encouraging the youth, as 
the most active partners in challenging development norms, to actively participate in 
this cause will strengthen our initiatives towards the greening of urban and the 
countryside in the Philippines.
This measure seeks to empower the youth as effective catalysts for change, as 
well as the academe as the medium to disseminate information, as they adopt or 
create forest sanctuaries or gardens both in urban areas as well as in the countryside. 
With more than twenty million students in the public school sector planting trees the 
whole year round, the country's forests can surely be revived in the shortest time 
possible. More than the actual number of trees we plant, what is more important is to 
instill in the minds of present and future generations that we must save the 
environment while there is still time.
In view of the foregoing considerations, the immediate passage of this measure 
is sought.
LOREN LEGARDA
2 https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/PHI7
3 Tree cover loss is defined as the complete removal of tree cover for any reason, including human- 
caused loss and natural events. Loss of tree cover may be permanent or temporary; for example, 
temporary tree cover loss may occur when trees are harvested for wood production and the land is 
subsequently replanted or allowed to naturally regenerate. Deforestation, on the other hand, typically 
refers to human-caused, permanent removal of natural forest cover. 
(https://research.wri.org/gfr/forest-extent-indicators/forest-loss)


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
786
of tllf ^»-':rrlai-p
25 AUG-4 P1:05
RtXEiVtii 3V,
S. No.
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR URBAN AND COUNTRYSIDE GREENING IN THE 
PHILIPPINES THROUGH MANDATORY TREE PLANTING AND ADOPTION OF 
A FOREST SANCTUARY BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF 
EDUCATION
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Forest Sanctuaries Act."
2 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - Recognizing the vital role of trees and plants in
3 
ecological stability, it is hereby declared the national policy to ensure sufficient
4 
greenery in urban and countryside areas and to promote the right of the people to a
5 
balanced and healthy ecology.
6 
Sec. 3. Scope. - This Act shall apply to all barangays, municipalities, cities, and
7 
provinces, particularly in all public parks and public school grounds in urban and rural
8 
areas, idle public lands, unless otherwise identified to be used for other
9 
purposes, and privately-owned land whose proprietors voluntarily subject their 10
10 
properties to the provisions of this Act, upon the creation of appropriate agreements
11 
with the schools implementing this Act.
12 
Sec. 4. Objectives. - Pursuant the policy declared herein, it is the objective of
13 
this Act:
14 
a. To build, adopt, develop maintain forest or sanctuaries public
15 
elementary and secondary schools;


1 
b. To require the planting of trees and shrubbery as well as provision of
2 
financial, physical, and technical support by national agencies and local
3 
government units;
4 
c. To promote environmental consciousness by encouraging active
5 
participation in tree-planting activities 
in the community, 
especially
6 
among students, youth, other civic action 
groups, and the academe;
7 
and
8 
d. To protect trees from harmful human activity and increase the
9 
country's forest cover.
10 
Sec. 5. National Forest Sanctuary Committee. - A National Forest Sanctuary
11 
Committee is hereby created with the Secretary of the Department of Education
12 
(DepEd) as Chairman and the respective secretaries of the Department of Environment
13 
and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Interior
14 
and Local Government DILG), and the Department of Agriculture (DA) as members.
15 
The National Forest Sanctuary Committee shall promulgate the pertinent rules
16 
and regulations as may be necessary to fully implement the objectives and purposes
17 
of this Act not later than ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act.
18 
The National Forest Sanctuary Committee shall convene every quarter to hear
19 
the reports or performance from the Regional Committees.
20 
Sec. 6. Specific Functions of the Executive Department - The following are the
21 
specific functions:
22 
a. The DENR shall provide the technical, scientific, and physical support in:
23 
1) determining of the suitable species of trees and provision of seeds
24 
or samplings to be planted in existing forest/mangrove
25 
sanctuaries or areas where a forest mangrove sanctuary or urban
26 
garden is to be established;
27 
2) classifying and determining of existing forest mangrove
28 
sanctuaries, proposed forest mangrove sanctuaries and urban
29 
gardens; and
30 
3) tree planting activities.
31 
b. The Local Government Units (LGUs) shall:


1 
1) in partnership with DENR and DA , aid in the determination
2 
of suitable areas for the proposed forest mangrove
3 
sanctuaries urban gardens;
4 
2) mobilize all concerned local agencies and communities to
5 
ensure prompt and effective implementation of this Act in all
6 
public schools within their jurisdiction;
7 
3) mobilize non-government organizations, foundations and
8 
other private entities or corporations provide financiai,
9 
physical or other kinds of support for the implementation of
10 
this Act; and
11 
4) effect the apprehension for the consequent prosecution of all
12 
persons violating the penal provisions of this Act.
13 
c. The DILG shall coordinate all local government units to ensure prompt
14 
and effective implementation of this Act.
15 
d. The DOT shall assist in the conceptualization and site-evaluation and
16 
cooperate in the maintenance or creation of forest/mangrove
17 
sanctuaries and urban gardens and provide additional funding from its
18 
resources.
19 
e. The DA shall aid in the determination of suitable areas for the proposed
20 
forest/mangrove sanctuaries/urban gardens and provide the technical
21 
and scientific support i.e. the necessary tools, equipment, and
22 
manpower to effect the implementation of this Act.
23 
f. The DepEd, as lead agency of this Act, shall coordinate all tree-planting
24 
activities of all public elementary and high schools and integrate the
25 
tree-planting activities into the school curriculum to promote
26 
environmental consciousness. It shall also undertake relevant projects
27 
for the promotion of these activities.
28 
Sec. 7. Tree Planting Guidelines. - Tree Planting in duly qualified areas shall
29 
comply with the following guidelines:
30 
a. Considering the classification and condition of the soil and the total land
31 
area of the site, suitable species of forest trees or fast-growing trees
32 
shall be planted in the identified areas;


1 
b. In cases where multiple trees can be planted, the trees should be
2 
planted in clusters not more than four (4) meters apart from one
3 
another; and
4 
c. The DepEd and DENR shall facilitate and supervise all the tree planting
5 
activities and the consequent maintenance of the same within its
6 
jurisdiction. The government agencies concerned shall perform their
7 
duties and responsibilities as indicated in Section 6 this Act.
8 
Sec. 8. Prohibited Acts. - All forest mangrove parks or sanctuaries or urban
9 
gardens established under this Act shall be protected and maintained by all concerned
10 
public schools, the DENR, DepEd, and other government agencies and local
11 
governments. These forest mangrove sanctuaries shall not be destroyed, except when
12 
the cutting and destroying of the same is necessary for public safety.
13 
Sec. 9. Penaities. - Any person found guilty of violating Section 8 of this Act
14 
shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than six (6) months to not less than
15 
one (1) year or a fine not less than Three Thousand Pesos (Php 3,000.00) to not more
16 
than Ten Thousand Pesos (Php 10,000.00), or both imprisonment and fine, at the
17 
discretion of the court.
18 
Sec 10. Submission of Reports. - The National Forest Sanctuary Committee
19 
shall, within ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act, submit periodic reports to
20 
both houses of Congress of the Philippines.
21 
Sec. 11. Funding. - The fund needed for the implementation of this Act shall be
22 
taken from any available appropriation in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the
23 
year of its implementation; Provided, that funds for this purpose shall also be included
24 
in every annual GAA; Provided further, that there shall be equitable and proportionate
25 
appropriations of funds annually for this purpose for all barangays, municipalities,
26 
cities and provinces. In addition, adequate portions of financial grants and
27 
concessional loans extended by foreign governments and multilateral agencies every
28 
year, the amount to be determined by the President, shall be allocated to augment
29 
the annual appropriations until this Act is fully implemented.
30 
Sec. 12. Separabiiity Ciause. - All laws, decrees, rules and regulations, or parts
31 
thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.


1 
Sec. 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect upon its publication in at
2 
least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,