Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2461

House Bill No

Introduced by Hon. Nelson L. Dayanghirang

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Bill was filed with the 11" Congress as House Bill No.347, with the 12"
Congress with House Bill No. 1188, with the 13" Congress as House Bill No. 153 with the
14" Congress as House Bill No, 6500 following Explanatory Note:

"This bill seeks to mandate each city and municipality to create a River
Development Authority with the function of preserving, protecting and developing all the
rivers, river systems, and all natural waterways within its respective jurisdiction.

"The Philippines is recorded to have 421 principal rivers and 384 river systems
from the northernmost Province of Batanes to the southernmost Province of Tawi-Tawi
A great number of them are gradually vanishing, many are dying, while others are
suffering from physical, biological or chemical damage, some have simply died
or vanished. All these can be attributed to pollution, indifference and apathy to
the environment, ignorance, or simply human greed.

"The damage wrought on a river and its consequent death is not only a threat to
public health, it is a vivid and compelling symbol of a crumbling social order, a
symptom of a society under severe environmental and ecological stress. The blackness of its
waters mourns to death a community's civic responsibility. Its putrid stench is the smell
of our collective guilt- especially the guilt of those who primarily contributed to the
violation of its purity.

"For the record, most of the rivers suffering from physical, biological or chemical
degradation are located in the National Capital Region. In the Pasig River alone, it is
estimated that at least a total 11 million gallons of industrial wastes are discharged into
the river per year. Rivers at the outskirts of Metro Manila and a great number in the
nearby provinces and suburban areas are also suffering from the same damage while
others, including those in the far-flung areas are heavily silted, caused by hasted erosion
in the highland and burning by kaingeros. In sum, our river, river systems, and
natural waterways are threatened by extinction and degradation.

"While a number of laws for the preservation and development of rivers have been
enacted, effective enforcement by local government units is weak due to the absence of a
local agency with which coordination can be made. What must be created is an efficient
institutional machinery in each local government unit not only to implement such laws, but


also to promote development of rivers, river systems, and natural waterways."

The Bill has not been enacted into law even as it secured favorable Committee
approval. The necessity of its passage by the 15" Congress is clear.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bil No, 2461

Introduced by Hon, Nelson L. Dayanghirang

AN ACT
MANDATING EACH CITY AND MUNICIPALITY TO CREATE A RIVER
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR THE PRESERVATION, PROTECTION,
AND DEVELOPMENT OF ALL RIVERS, RIVERSYSTEMS, AND NATURAL.
WATERWAYS WITHIN ITS RESPECTIVE JURISDICTION, DEFINING ITS
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR.

Be it enacted by the Senare and the House of Representatives of 1

SECTION 1, Each city and municipality is hereby mandated to create a River
Development Authority, hereinafter referred to as the Authority, for the preservation,
protection, and development of all rivers, river systems, and all natural waterways within its
respective jurisdiction,

SECTION 2. The authority shall execute the powers and functions herein vested
and conferred upon it in such manner as will, in its judgment, aid to the fullest possible
extent in carrying out the purposes set forth in this Act. It shall have the following
functions:

a) To prepare a master plan to preserve, protect, develop and exploit all rivers,
river systems, and natural waterway

b) To conduct engineering surveys of rivers, river systems and natural waterways,
monitoring water quality, pinpointing pollution sources, and identifying the
rivers that need to be developed for exploitation, and to be rehabilitated-,

©) To initiate and facilitate planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of
pertinent projects with positive impact oil environment and development,
including dredging and deepening of river channels and improvement of river
alignments:

4) To prioritize rivers positively identified for development and rehabilitation, and on
the basis thereof, prepare a river-specific plan of operation for the
development and rehabilitation and the general improvement of
environmentally degraded rivers;

©, To initiate funding arrangements with local and foreign donors, including fund-
raising, to finance priority development projects and provide direct funding



SECTION 4. The Board shall have the following powers and functions:

a) To formulate, prescribe, amend, and repeal the rules and regulations to govern
the conduct of operations of the Authority;

b) To appoint the necessary staff of the Authority and to fix their compensation in
accordance with the existing laws-,

©) To suspend, remove or otherwise discipline for just cause any staff member
appointed by the Board,

d) To recommend the annual and/or supplemental budgets of the Authority;

© To render annual reports to the DILG Secretary and to the City/Municipal
Mayor, and such special reports as may be requested, and

) To do such other acts and perform such other functions as may be necessary to
carry out the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 5. The Department of the Interior and Local Governments shall issue

the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 6. The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be

borne by the respective local government units and carried in their budgets.

SECTION 7. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof

inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,