Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 7080

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND
COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

The UN projects that 68% of the world population projected will ive in urban areas by 2050.
Today, 55% of the world's population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected
to increase to 68% by 2050. This is a very rapid growth from 751 milion in 1950 to 4.2 billion
in 2018. In the Philippines, urban population has increased by over 50 million in the last 50
years.

‘The popular view is that urban areas present better opportunities. The truth, however, is that
cities have increasing incidences of poverty, inequality and homelessness. Urbanization
presents many human development challenges. It is estimated that nearly 40 percent of the
world’s urban expansion may be in slums.

Urbanization is difficult if unplanned as evidenced by congested roads, poor public transport,
inefficient ports and inadequate schools. Rapid urbanization is also linked to sanitation, safety
and environmental concerns. Most slums are located in coastal areas or on river banks that
make them very vulnerable to natural calamities such as storms and flooding.

This bill seeks to compliance of the Philippines’ obligation to adopt the United Nations
Sustainable Development Agenda to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into our
national development plans and policies. This is with emphasis to to "make cities and human
settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable" (SDG | |)

This bill ensures that the development of cities and communities in the country will be geared
towards sustainability, by encouraging and providing the necessary support to local
government units so that they can transition into sustainable cities and communities.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Luis fp Yin JR.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 7080

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND
COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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 "Sustainable Cities and
‘Communities Act”.

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The 1987 Constitution mandates the undertaking
of a program of urban land reform and housing which will make decent housing and
basic services available at affordable cost to underprivileged and homeless citizens
in urban centers and resettlements areas, and ensure the availability of employment
opportunities for them.

Pursuant thereto, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to make cities
safe and sustainable by ensuring access to safe and affordable housing, and
upgrading slum settlements.

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.

Sec. 3. Model 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
sector

rs;
(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;

() Waste management system, where waste is recycled, wherever possible;
@) Energy efficient homes;

(k) Strong community linkages to deal with issues such as peace and order;
and

() Access to sports and cultural activities.

Sec. 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:

(a) Urban population living in slums —measured in terms of proportion of
urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate
housing;

(b) Public transport access - measured in terms of proportion of population
that has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age and persons
with disabilities;

(c) Sustainable urbanization rates - measured in terms of ratio of land
consumption rate to population growth rate;

(a) 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;

(g) 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;

Urban air pollution - measured in terms of the annual mean levels of fine

particulate matter;

Open spaces in Cities — measured in terms 0 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 12 months;

()) 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;

(m) integrated disaster risk management - measured in terms of doption and
implementation of national disaster risk reduction strategies;

(n) Local disaster risk management —measured in terms of adoption and
implementation of local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with
national disaster risk reduction strategies; and

(0) Such other targets based on indicators to be determined by NEDA
consistent with the model of sustainable cities and communities provided
in Section 3 of this Act.

@

G

Sec. 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.

Sec. 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.

Sec. 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.

Sec. 8. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, the validity of the other provisions shall not
be affected thereby.

Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, orders, rules and
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

Sec. 10. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,