EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Third Regular Session 
)
1HE s% >
SENATE
S. No. 2340
FILED
August
BILLS
INDEX
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND 
COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, the Philippines has a 
total population of 109,035,343 as of May 2020, registering a growth rate of 1.63% 
from the 2015 total population.1 Likewise, the level of urbanization or the percentage 
of population residing in urban areas in the country continues to rise, recorded at 51.2 
% in 2015, higher than the urbanization rate in 2010 at 45.3%.2 The United Nations 
also projects that 90% of urban growth is forecasted to happen in Asia and Africa in 
the next 30 years.
Rapid urbanization, if left unplanned, is linked to a lot of consequences. These 
include inadequate road infrastructure, inadequate social services, homelessness, 
problems in health and sanitation, as weil as threats to safety and environmental 
degradation.
1 https://psa.gov.ph/content/2020-census-populalion-and-housing-2020-cph-population-counts-declared-official- 
president
2 https://psa.gov.ph/content/urban-population-philippines-results-2015-censu3-population


In line with the country's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable 
Development Goals (SGDs), such as SDG 11, a goal particularly to "make cities and 
human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable", this bill proposes to 
institutionalize a policy framework that shall include policies and programs to ensure
sustainable development of our cities and communities.
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The immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought
LITO" M. LAPID


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Third Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No. 2340
FILED
August
BILLG
INDEX
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND 
COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Beit enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short Tide. - This Act shall be known as the '''Sustainable Cities and
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Communities Act".
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Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - The 1987 Constitution mandates the
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undertaking of a program of urban land reform and housing which will make decent
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housing and basic services available at affordable cost to underprivileged and
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homeless citizens in urban centers and resettlements areas, and ensure the availability
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of employment opportunities for them.
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Pursuant thereto, it is hereby declared the. policy of the State to make cities
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safe and sustainable by ensuring access to safe and affordable housing, and upgrading
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slum settlements.
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The State shall likewise invest in public transport, create green public spaces, 
and improve urban planning and management in a way that is both participatory and 
Inclusive.


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Section 3. Mode! for Sustainable Cities and Communities. - Existing cities and 
communities shall transition into sustainable cities and communities. A sustainable city 
or community shall have the following:
(a) Affordable housing;
(b) Accessible healthcare services and facilities;
(c) Accessible social services to all, especially the vulnerable and disadvantaged;
(d) Child care facilities, youth centers, centers for senior citizens and other sectors;
(e) Efficient, accessible, and affordable public transport system;
(f) Alternative means of getting from one place to another, other than private and 
public vehicles, such as by walking, biking, using scooters, and other eco- 
friendly and non-motorized modes;
(g) Safe, accessible, and enjoyable areas of open space;
(h) Preference for use of renewable resources;
(i) Waste management system, where waste Is recycled, wherever possible;
(j) Energy efficient homes;
(k) Strong community linkages to deal with issues such as peace and order; and
(i) Access to sports and cultural activities.
Section 4. Indicators. - The National Economic and Development Authority 
(NEDA) shall set targets based on the following Indicators, taking Into consideration 
Goal No. 11 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda, to determine if 
a city or community has fully transitioned into a sustainable city or community:
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(a) Urban population living in slums -measured in terms of proportion of urban
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population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing;
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(b) Public transport access - measured in terms of proportion of population that
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has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age and persons with disabilities;
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(c) Sustainable urbanization rates - measured in terms of ratio of land
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consumption rate to population growth rate;


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(d) Urban planning, management - measured in terms of,proportion of cities 
with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management 
that operate regularly and democratically;
(e) Protecting cultural heritage - measured in terms of total public and private 
expenditure per capita spent on the preservation, protection and conservation of all 
cultural and natural heritage;
(f) Deaths and injuries from natural disasters - measured in terms of number 
of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 
100,000 population;
(gj Economic losses from natural disasters - measured in terms of direct 
economic loss in relation to global GDP, damage to critical infrastructure and number 
of disruptions to basic services, attributed to disasters;
(h) Solid waste management - measured in terms of proportion of urban solid 
waste regularly collected and with adequate final discharge out of total urban solid 
waste generated;
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(0 Urban air pollution - measured in terms of the annual mean levels of fine
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particulate matter;
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(j) Open spaces in cities - measured in terms of average share of the built-up 
area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with 
disabilities;
(k) Safe spaces in cities - measured in terms of proportion of persons victim of
physical or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status and place of occurrence, 
in 
the, 
previous 
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months;
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(I) Urban and regional planning - measured in terms of proportion of population 
living in cities that implement urban and regional development plans integrating 
population projections and resource needs, by size of city;


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(m) Integrated disaster risk management - measured in terms of adoption and
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implementation of national disaster risk reduction strategies;
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(n) Local disaster risk management -measured in terms of adoption and
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implementation of local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster
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risk reduction strategies; and
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(o) Such other targets based on indicators to be determined by NEDA consistent
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with the model of sustainable cities and communities provided In Section 3 of this Act.
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Section 5. Support from National Government - The Department of Interior 
and Local Government (DILG) shall provide the necessary technical assistance and 
resource augmentation to LGUs to assist them in transitioning into sustainable cities 
and communities.
The NEDA and other related agencies are also hereby mandated to extend the 
necessary support and provide relevant input towards the effective implementation of 
this Act.
Section 6. Incentives for Transitioning into Sustainable Cities or Communities. 
- The DILG shall develop a grant or cash award incentive scheme for LGUs that are 
able to achieve their annual targets set by NEDA related to transitioning into 
sustainable cities and communities.
Section 7. Authority to Enter into Contracts and Agreements. - LGUs are hereby 
authorized to enter into contracts or agreements and receive grants, as may be 
necessary for the attainment of the objective of this Act.
Section 8. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain 
In full force and effect.
Section 9, Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified


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accordingly.
Section 10. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,