Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______  
______________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher V.P. de Venecia 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT PROMOTING INTEGRATED URBAN AGRICULTURE IN URBAN AREAS 
NATIONWIDE TO ADDRESS FOOD SECURITY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Agriculture is one of the fundamental aspects of the Philippine economy. According to 2018 
Agriculture Indicators System publication of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) entitled 
Population and Labor Force, 25.4% of the country’s workforce are employed in agriculture. While 
farming has always been associated with rural areas and done on vast farmlands, farming can also 
be done in metropolitan areas and cities. This practice is called Urban Agriculture which, as 
defined in this Act, refers to the development paradigm that encompasses principles, management 
technologies, and the policies relating to the practice and application of agricultural production of 
food and goods in urban areas. 
Urban agriculture is already being practiced in many countries in the world, and, in fact, has 
been practiced since 3500 BC. At present, there has been a considerable interest in urban 
agriculture all over the world due to concerns on environment degradation, decreased food 
production, and increasing population. Additionally, urban agriculture contributes to the health of 
the city ecosystem, creates a more aesthetic appeal, and more importantly, reduces the carbon 
footprint by fixing carbon through photosynthesis. This proposed measure seeks to promote 
integrated urban agriculture development in all metropolitan areas nationwide ultimately to 
address food security concerns. 
Studies show that in order to address the continuing rise of the need for food security, a 
sustainable alternative method of growing food in addition to the conventional rural agricultural 
practice needs to be inplace. One of the solutions in addressing this issue is through urban 
agriculture which will not only improve the ecosystem of urban areas, but will also provide 
residents with a sufficient, safe, and nutritious food source. Furthermore, urban agriculture will 
also help reduce poverty by increasing household income through saving and income generation. 
In addition to the health and environmental aspects urban agriculture brings, developing 
green spaces in urban communities fosters a healthy and positive sense of belongingness up to the 
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household level. Realizing the process of how foods from farm to table cultivates appreciation of 
the ordinary citizen, more specifically, the youth, on the plight of our farmers to bring fresh and 
high-quality products for the Filipino people which develops their interest and love for 
contemporary farming. 
It is perceived that in fifty years, the world population with double in number. As a result, 
demand for food will also increase together with the need for more lands and better agricultural 
practices. A proactive and sustainable method of food production would be most beneficial to 
address these challenges, thus, constituting the need for an integrated urban agriculture system in 
the country. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
REP. CHRISTOPHER V.P. DE VENECIA 
Fourth District, Pangasinan 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______  
______________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher V.P. de Venecia 
______________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT PROMOTING INTEGRATED URBAN AGRICULTURE IN URBAN AREAS 
NATIONWIDE TO ADDRESS FOOD SECURITY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS 
THEREFOR 
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 the ‘Integrated Urban Agriculture 
Act.’ 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. The State shall promote and protect the fundamental 
right of every person to adequate food and freedom from hunger. Recognizing the challenges to 
food security and ecological balance in urban areas, the State shall optimize the use and 
productivity of urban land resources and spaces to support sufficient and sustainable food 
production. Towards this end, the State shall promote the development of modern, cost-effective, 
space-efficient, and environmentally-safe agriculture technologies in urban areas to contribute in 
achieving sustainable food production and food security, promoting agro-ecology, ensuring 
public and mental health and thus improving the quality of life of urban populations. In doing so, 
the state shall prioritize the conservation of the country’s genetic biodiversity, and endemic and 
heirloom flora and fauna as a strategy for climate change adaptation, mitigation and resiliency.  
Accordingly, the State shall ensure the integration of principles, strategies and technologies 
on urban agriculture in urban planning, and instill a love of farming among urban dwellers most 
especially the youth. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act: 
a.
Agro-ecology refers to a scientific discipline and set of practices that studies how
different components of the agroecosystem interact, and seeks sustainable farming
systems that optimize and stabilize yields. it applies ecological concepts and principles
to manage interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment for food
security and nutrition;
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b. Community Gardens refer to any piece of land cultivated by group of people using either 
individual or shared plots on public or private land with the consent of the owner, to 
produce edibles, such as herbs, vegetables, fruits or ornamentals, as a form of sustainable 
land use system for economic and societal development. community gardens may be 
found in neighborhoods and schools, or connected to institutions such as hospitals or 
located on the grounds or roofs of shared housing, such as, but not limited to, tenements 
and apartment complexes;  
 
 
c.  Food Forest Gardening refers to multi-layered crop farming or a low maintenance and 
sustainable method of food production that is based on woodland ecosystems, 
incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, and perennial vegetables which 
yields are directly useful to humans.  it also refers to a system of agro-forestry that creates 
diverse, productive, healthy, ecologically-sound and sustainable system of land use; 
 
 
d. Food security refers to a situation wherein all people have access to sufficient, safe, 
nutritious food, at all times, to maintain a healthy and active life; 
 
 
e. Food system refers to a complex web of activities involving the production, processing, 
transport, and consumption of food. Issues concerning the food system include the 
governance and economics of food production, its sustainability, the degree to which we 
waste food, how food production affects the natural environment and the impact of food 
on individual and population health; 
 
 
f. Good Agricultural Practices refer to the practices that address environmental, economic, 
and social sustainability for on-farm processes, and which result in safe and quality food 
and non-food agricultural products; 
 
 
g. Idle lands refer to non-agricultural lands in urban and urbanizable areas on which no 
improvements have been made by the owner, as certified by the city, municipal or 
provincial assessor. Idle government lands refer to lands owned by any government 
entity that have been idle and have not been used for the purpose for which they have 
been reserved for the past 10 years; 
 
 
h. Indoor farming refers to controlled environment agriculture which aims to optimize 
plant growth to house vertical farming techniques in greenhouses, warehouses, 
abandoned buildings, shipping containers, tunnels, skyscrapers and modern buildings 
using soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics; 
 
 


i. Integrated urban agriculture refers to the development paradigm that encompasses 
principles, management technologies, and the policies relating to the practice and 
application of agricultural and fisheries production of food and goods in urban areas; 
 
 
j. Peri-urban areas refer to areas where urban and rural features and processes meet, interact 
and intertwine, usually located between city and countryside. Peri-urban areas are semi-
dense clusters with a density of at least 300 inhabitants per square kilometer and a 
population of 5,000 or more but are neither contiguous with nor within two (2) kilometers 
of an urban area; 
 
 
k. Protected agriculture refers to the use of technologies that enclose crops to harvest 
higher yields, safer, cleaner and of better quality even out of season by modifying the 
natural environment and protect crop against the elements (high temperature, excessive 
rainfall, humidity, wind, birds, insects, etc.); also known as greenhouse agriculture; 
  
l. Social preparation refers to the series of activities designed to prepare the underprivileged 
and homeless families to cope with the changes brought about by government 
development projects; 
 
 
m.  Soilless agriculture refers to the technologies proving that soil is not crucial to grow 
plants; a method when plants do not rely on the soil as a source of nutrients and water; 
common methods are hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics; 
 
 
n. Urban areas shall refer to any of the following, per PSA Resolution No. 01, Series of 
2017-098: 
 
If a barangay has a population size of 5,000 or more; 
 
If a barangay has at least one establishment with a minimum of 100 employees; 
 
If a barangay has 5 or more establishments with a minimum of 0 employee, and 5 or 
more facilities within the two-kilometer radius from the barangay hall; 
 
 
o. Urban planning refers to multi-disciplinary art and science of analyzing, specifying, 
clarifying, harmonizing, managing and regulating the use and development of land and 
water resources, in relation to their environs, for the development of sustainable 
communities and ecosystems in urban and urbanizable areas; 
 
 
p. Urbanizable areas refer to sites and lands which, considering the present characteristics 
and prevailing conditions, display marked and great potential of becoming urban areas 
within the period of five (5) years; and 
 
 


q. Vertical farming refers to the methods or practices of increasing the number of plants 
grown in an area by growing crops in vertically stacked layers; generally done in 
greenhouses, warehouses, abandoned buildings, shipping containers, tunnels, 
skyscrapers and modern buildings using soilless farming techniques such as 
hydroponics, aquaponics or aeroponics.  
 
SEC. 4. Coverage. This Act shall cover idle or abandoned government or private lands, 
buildings, shipping containers, subdivisions/villages, public housing, open spaces in all urban, 
peri-urban and urbanizable areas in the country; and all available land resources and buildings in 
schools, state or private universities and colleges, military camps suitable for growing crops and 
raising poultry, livestock and aquaculture: Provided, That, the utilization of idle lands for urban 
agriculture purposes shall not be used as grounds for the eviction of informal settler families 
occupying said lands; Provided further That, the raising of poultry and livestock shall be limited 
to urbanizable areas and all livestock raising shall be subject to health and safety standards and 
regulations issued by the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources (DENR), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and 
other relevant government agencies. 
 
SEC. 5. Urban Farming.  Local government units (LGUs) shall identify and develop idle 
government and/or private lands and buildings, without prejudice to the rights of owners of private 
lands, buildings and open spaces, within their jurisdiction, for full or partial conversion solely to 
community gardens, food forest gardens, indoor farms and/or vertical farms to support food 
security and community nutrition; Provided, That, food forest gardens and urban farms adopting 
agro-ecological principles shall be the priority form of urban agriculture wherever applicable and 
feasible; Provided further, That, spaces allocated for urban agriculture and aquaculture shall not 
be prime lots. All LGUs, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the 
Cooperative Development Authority, shall capacitate neighborhood associations and people’s 
organizations, and facilitate the organization and registration of community-based cooperatives, 
to undertake community gardening and establish community farmers’ markets.  
 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit or extinguish the rights of owners to their 
private lands and spaces without their consent or without their receipt of just compensation, in case 
of expropriation. 
 
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) shall ensure that 
the design and development of subdivision, condominium and public housing projects have 
provisions for adequate spaces for community gardens, food forest gardens, greenhouse 
agriculture, roof gardens, indoor farms and/or vertical farms. Towards this end, the DHSUD, in 
coordination with the DA, shall capacitate homeowners’ association to undertake community 
gardening and/or vertical farming.  
 
The DA shall provide the necessary technical assistance and support services, including the 
provision of seeds and seedlings and gardening tools, access to loans from government financial 
institutions, and training-workshop to capacitate various stakeholders, and the design, 
establishment, promotion and regulation of indoor and vertical farming machineries and facilities 
to ensure the full productivity of community gardens, school gardens, food forest gardens, 


greenhouse farms, roof gardens, and indoor and vertical farms. The DA shall ensure that the 
provision of technical assistance is consistent with Philippine Good Agricultural Practices 
(PHILGAP) or a set of standards and regulations ensuring food quality and safety, facilitation of 
market access, establishment of community farmers’ markets and reduction in non-compliance 
with issuances regarding permitted pesticides and other contamination hazards, as provided under 
Republic Act No. 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013 and relevant laws. 
 
The DA, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology, Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Energy, and the Department Of Public Works 
And Highways shall also undertake the establishment of rainwater harvesting facilities in compliance 
with Republic Act No. 6716, renewable energy systems and solid waste management systems, 
including waste-to-energy facilities, to provide sustainable supply of water, energy and compost 
to community gardens, food forest gardens and urban farms.   
 
SEC. 6. Urban Agriculture and Aquaculture in Urban Planning. The DHSUD, in 
coordination with the DA, shall ensure the integration of concepts and principles of urban 
agriculture and its relationship to other processes in the food system in urban planning. 
Accordingly, the DHSUD and DA shall promote sustainable, smart and organic food production 
systems that harness the benefits of new technologies and methods in soil, nutrient, water and 
energy management, such as composting, rainwater harvesting and utilization of renewable 
energy. The DHSUD shall also ensure the rational use of land resources in urban planning to 
promote sustainable peri-urban interface, as well as for the spatial requirements of supply chain 
management and logistics to strengthen urban-rural foodshed linkages.  
 
Towards these ends, the DHSUD shall promulgate guidelines for the harmonization of 
Comprehensive Land Use Plans and zoning ordinances of local government units with urban 
agriculture policies, frameworks, strategies and standards.   
 
 
All LGUs are hereby mandated to incorporate urban agricultural development in their 
respective Annual Development Plans, Annual Investment Plans, Physical Framework Plans, and 
Development Master Plans including the hiring of agriculturists and agricultural and biosystems 
engineers to carry out urban agriculture programs.   
 
Likewise, LGUs, with the assistance of the DA, Department of Interior and Local 
Government and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), shall 
establish and maintain a digital information system to facilitate the efficient collection, 
management and analysis of urban food system, agriculture and nutrition data, as well as 
monitoring and evaluation of LGU performance vis-à-vis the food system, agriculture and nutrition 
targets, to inform local planning, policy-making and programming, and to ensure open public 
access to data. 
 
SEC. 7. Urban Agriculture/ Aquaculture Education. The Department of Education 
(DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Educations (CHED), with the technical assistance of the 
DA, shall integrate urban agriculture in the academic curriculum for elementary, secondary and 
tertiary level students of both public and private academic institutions offering courses in 
Agriculture, Practical Arts, Home Economics and other subjects related to agriculture. A course 


curriculum on gardening shall be developed and included in the regular curriculum of elementary 
and secondary education. Instructional materials shall likewise be developed utilizing advanced 
techniques of crop and food animal production, urban agriculture and farming, and cultivating 
awareness and appreciation of genetic biodiversity, heirloom and endemic flora and fauna, and 
agro-ecological principles. 
 
The DepEd, with the assistance of the DA, shall strengthen the implementation of Gulayan 
sa Paaralan Program in elementary and secondary schools. The establishment of school gardens 
shall be encouraged to ensure continuous supply of vegetables for school feeding, in accordance 
with Republic Act No. 11037, otherwise known as the “Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang 
Pilipino Act”.  
 
For universities and colleges, urban agriculture shall form part of the required period of time 
spent by students in the National Service Training Program. 
 
 A plan for the utilization or maximization of space occupied by schools shall be formulated 
specifically for urban agriculture purposes. 
 
SEC. 8. Urban Agriculture Awareness Campaign. The DILG, The National Nutrition Council, 
and LGUs are mandated to formulate policies on urban farming in consonance with the provisions 
of this Act and be at the forefront of community-based education and awareness campaigns. For 
this purpose, LGUs shall mobilize existing structures and local bodies such as the provincial, city 
and municipal agricultural offices, the provincial, city, municipal and barangay agriculture and 
fishery councils, the barangay, municipal, city and provincial federation of Sangguniang Kabataan 
(SK) and the youth sector represented in any local special body under LGUs. 
 
The Department of Social Work and Development shall integrate urban agriculture and 
community nutrition in the seminar-workshops and training programs to educate qualified 
household-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). 
 
SEC. 9. Research and Development. The DA and the DOST, as well as relevant state 
universities, government research and development institutions, and the private sector, shall 
intensify research on methods and technologies to support urban agriculture, including the 
development and operation of sustainable demonstration urban community gardens, food forest 
gardens, greenhouse, indoor, roof and vertical farms.  
 
SEC. 10.  Incentives. Compliance by subdivision and condominium developers and/or 
owners with Section 5 of this Act may qualify them for incentives provided for under Republic 
Act No. 10771, otherwise known as the “Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2016”, subject to the rules 
and regulations promulgated by the Department of Finance and the DHSUD. 
 
The commitment and performance of LGUs in the implementation of this Act shall be 
included in the criteria for the awarding of the Seal of Good Local Governance and the provision 
of incentives, provided for under Republic Act No. 11292, otherwise known as “The Seal of Good 
Local Governance Act of 2019.” 
 


Loans extended by government and private banks to participating individuals, corporations 
and partnerships shall be treated as compliance to Republic Act No. 10000, otherwise known as 
“The Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act of 2009”.   
 
SEC. 11.  Inter-Agency Coordination. There is hereby established a National Convergence 
Program on Urban Agriculture and Aquaculture. The DA is hereby designated as the Lead 
Implementing Agency and the Secretariat of the Convergence Program. The following agencies 
shall perform duties and responsibilities in order to develop and sustain concerted action to 
promote urban agriculture: 
 
 
a. 
The DA shall provide technical assistance and support services to LGUs, community-based 
cooperatives, homeowners’ associations, neighborhood associations and people’s organizations to 
ensure the viability and cost-effectiveness of urban agriculture projects and through its Bureau of 
Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), shall provide the design, specifications, 
establishment strategies, promotion, regulation and technical assistance in the fabrication of 
production models of indoor farming, vertical farming and other urban agriculture machineries, 
equipment and facilities; 
 
 
b. The DHSUD shall encourage the integration of urban agriculture principles, policies, 
strategies, frameworks and standards in the design and development of subdivisions 
and condominium projects. The DHSUD shall ensure such integration in public 
housing projects and in the preparation or updating of development and investment 
plans, CLUPs and zoning ordinances of LGUs. The DHSUD shall also promulgate the 
necessary rules and monitor compliance therewith. The DHSUD shall provide 
assistance to homeowners’ associations to strengthen their capacity to undertake urban 
agriculture or aquaculture projects in their neighborhoods and communities 
 
 
c. The DILG shall monitor the compliance of LGUs with the provisions of this Act in 
order to determine their qualification for incentives provided for under Republic Act 
No. 11292; 
 
 
d. The DepEd shall integrate the principles and practice of urban agriculture using 
advanced crop production techniques like soilless agriculture, indoor farming or 
vertical farming to include modern methods of irrigation and automated systems into 
primary and secondary education curricula, including the establishment of school 
gardens under the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program. DepEd shall ensure the adequate 
capacity building programs such as training-workshop, hands-on training or immersion 
program of teachers and the development of appropriate instructional materials such as 
educational video and manual for this purpose; 
 
 


e. The DOST shall conduct research on modern, cost-effective methods and technologies 
to support urban agricultural production, as well as post-harvest handling of surplus 
produce from urban agriculture projects; 
 
 
f. The DTI shall provide technical assistance in processing and packaging of surplus 
produce from urban agriculture and aquaculture projects and ensure access of local 
government units, cooperatives, homeowners’ associations, and people’s organizations 
to markets; 
 
 
g. The DOF shall administer the grant of incentives under Section 10 of this Act to 
qualified persons based on their compliance to Section 5 of this Act;  
 
 
h. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall ensure adequate funding for 
the functions and programs provided for by under this Act; 
 
 
i. The CHED shall develop and implement curriculum on capacity building programs 
such as training-workshop, hands-on training or immersion program and related 
standards and instructional materials in support of urban agriculture; 
 
 
j. The DPWH in compliance with RA 6716 is mandated to undertake construction of water 
wells, rainwater collectors, development of springs and rehabilitation of existing water 
wells in all barangays in the Philippines, taking into consideration the population, 
hydrologic conditions, costs of project development and operations, financial and 
economic factors and institutional arrangements. 
 
 
k. The National Nutrition Council and The Food and Nutrition Research Institute shall assist 
the DepEd in identifying the crops to be cultivated in schools’ farms and in preparing 
nutritious food, pursuant to standardized menus to ensure child nutrition provided for under 
Republic Act No. 11037, and in developing the modules on nutrition. 
 
 
l. The CDA shall provide guidance and assistance to LGUs in the development of 
cooperatives within their jurisdiction; 
 
 
m. The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor shall undertake social preparation 
activities to encourage participation and empower poor and underprivileged 
communities from the preparation and planning to implementation and evaluation of 
urban development projects; and, 


 
 
n. The Philippine Information Agency shall undertake a nationwide information 
campaign, utilizing all forms of media, to raise awareness and encourage participation 
of the public in the implementation of this Act, in close coordination with other cultural 
agencies such as the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) and the Film 
Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) 
 
 
o. The Council for the Welfare of Children shall integrate urban agriculture in the 
formulation of programs and measures providing dynamic leadership in ensuring a 
child-friendly and child sensitive society. 
 
 
p. The National Youth Commission, as the Philippine government’s sole policy-making 
body on youth affairs and consistent with its role in coordinating and implementing 
programs designed to help the youth become more aware of the issues surrounding 
them, shall include an appreciation of urban agriculture. 
 
SEC. 11. Performance Report to Congress.  The DA and partner agencies in the National 
Convergence Program on Urban Agriculture and Aquaculture shall submit annual performance 
reports to Congress.  
 
SEC. 12. Appropriations. The funds necessary to carry out the initial implementation of 
this Act shall be charged against the respective budget of concerned agencies for the current year. 
Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations.  Within ninety days (90) from the 
effectivity of this Act, the agencies under the National Convergence Program on Urban Agriculture 
and Aquaculture shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations to implement 
the provisions of this Act. 
  
SEC. 14. Separability Clause.  If any part or provision of this Act is held unconstitutional 
or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected shall continue to remain in full 
force and effect. 
 
SEC. 15. Repealing Clause.  All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules and regulations 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 16. Effectivity.  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,