Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

“3380

HOUSE BILL No. *“"

Introduced by: REP. TOBIAS “TOBY” M. TIANGCO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘Two decades had passed since the passage of the Philippine Fisheries Code of
1998 and yet, there is little progress as to the establishment of settlement for the
fisherfolks. As a result, fisherfolks continue to be a very vulnerable sector, continually
displaced not only by natural calamities, but also by industrial, commercial and tourism-
related development.

A consultation workshop with the United Nations Food and Agricultural
Organization (UN-FAO) shows that the Filipino fisherfolk is among the poorest of the
poor. The said workshop also revealed that the displacement of fishermen is one of the
causes why fisherfolks belong to the poorest of the poor despite the country's rich
marine resources.

This measure aims to strengthen the mandate and facilitate the establishment of
settlement areas for fisherfolks by including the local government units of coastal areas,
and the newly created Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development as
co-implementing agencies of the Department of Agriculture.

It is hoped that with this measure, the intended protection for the rights and
welfare of fisherfolks, who are mostly underprivileged, will finally be realized. The
proposed bill was filed as House Bill No. 6876 during the 18” Congress and the same
was passed on the third and final reading in the House of Representatives and was
transmitted to the Senate for its consideration.

In light of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is eayflestly sought.

TOBIAS “TOBY” M. TIANGCO
Representative
Lone District, Navotas City


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3380

Introduced by: REP. TOBIAS “TOB'

TIANGCO

AN ACT
MANDATING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FISHERFOLK RESETTLEMENT AREAS
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DEPARMTMENT OF HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
UNITS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SEC. 108 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8550,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “PHILIPPINE FISHERIES CODE OF 1998.” AS
AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10654”

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 108 of Republic Act No. 8550, otherwise known as “The
Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998", as amended by Republic Act No. 10654, is hereby
amended as follows:

SEC. 108. Fisherfolk Settlement Areas. — [ The Department shall establish and
create fisherfolk settlement areas in coordination with concerned agencies of the
government, where certain areas of the public domain, specifically near the fishing
ground, shall be reserved for the settlement of the municipal fisherfolk. Nothing in this
section shall be construed to vest ownership of any resettlement area to a municipal
fisherfolk for whom said areas may have been reserved for or had been actually granted
to]

THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
UNITS OF CITIES OR MUNICIPALITIES HAVING JURISDICTION OVER COASTAL
AREAS AND MUNICIPAL WATERS SHALL ESTABLISH AND CREATE SETTLEMENT
AREAS FOR FISHERFOLK WITH ADEQUATE ACCESS TO FISHING GROUNDS AS
MAY BE DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: PROVIDED,
THAT WHERE THERE EXIST PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED OR ESTABLISHED
SETTLEMENT AREAS WITH ADEQUATE ACCESS TO FISHING GROUNDS,
FISHERFOLK SHALL BE GRANTED PREFERENCE IN THE AWARD THEREOF:
PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT PREFERENCE SHALL BE GIVEN, OR SETTLEMENT
AREAS SHALL BE ESPECIALLY ESTABLISHED, ONLY IN FAVOR OF FISHERFOLK


WHO ARE REGISTERED AS SUCH WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CITY OR
MUNICIPALITY AND WHO ARE WITHOUT REAL PROPERTY: PROVIDED FINALLY
THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS HAVING JURISDICTION OVER COASTAL
AREAS AND MUNICIPAL WATERS ARE HEREBY MANDATED TO INTEGRATE
SETTLEMENT AREAS FOR’ FISHERFOLK IN THEIR RESPECTIVE
COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANS.”

SEC. 2. Separability Clause. — If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the other portions or provisions hereof, which are not affected
thereby, shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 3. Repealing Clause. -All other laws, decrees, orders, circulars, issuances,
tules and regulations and part thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 4. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved.