EXPLANATORY NOTE
This  bill  seeks  to  ensure  the  sufficient  greenery  in  the  urban  and  countryside  by
making  it  mandatory  to  plant  trees  in  urban  and  countryside  parks  as  well  as  in  school
grounds, vacant lots and other urbanized sites all over the country.
The  Department of Environment and  Natural  Resources (DENR) has 293  nurseries
distributed all over the country.  Other national and local agencies have 802 nurseries, which
provide seedlings  nationwide.  Despite the efforts of the various government institutions,  the
number of trees and forest areas in our country is fast depleting.
The Philippines was once known for its vast and lush forests. Over the last 15 years,
the environmental situation of the country has undergone a transformation.  This bill aims to
improve  the  country's  environmental  conditions  by  building,   developing  and   maintaining
forests    parks    in    local    areas,    educational    institutions    and    public    roads;    promoting
environmental  consciousness  among  the  Filipinos;  and  protecting  the  existing  trees  from
further harm.
This proposed  measure will  establish a  National  Greening  Committee to be  headed
by the Secretary of the  Department of Environment and  National  Resources. To guarantee
the  proper  nationwide  implementation  of  the  programs,  the  respective  secretaries  of  the
other departments  such  as  the  Department of Tourism  (DOT),  Department  of  Interior and
Local  Government  (DILG),  and  Department  of  Agriculture  will  serve  as  the  committee's
members. Among the dealings the committee has to undertake are the strict implementation
of the requirements of the tree planting along national roads and mandatory planting of trees
in urban and countryside parks, public vacant lots and other permissible areas.
Finally, this bill protects existing trees and plants by prohibiting cutting and destroying
without  the  necessary  permit.   The   penalties  against  violators  have  been   included   and
specified.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS                  )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES    )
First Regular session                           )
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez                              ___
House Bill No. 5 3 2 7
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE URBAN AND COUNTRYSIDE GREENING IN THE PHILIPPINES
B_e  it  enacted   by_th.e  Senate  and  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Philippines  in
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Title. -This Act shall be known and cited as the "Ivafi.ona/ Greeni.ng Act".
SECTION  2.  Declaration  of  Policy.  -  Recognizing  the  vital  role  of  trees  in  ecological
stability,  it is  hereby declared  the  national  policy to ensure sufficient greenery in  urban  and
countryside and to  promote the right of the people to enjoy the benefits of a  balanced and
healthy ecology.
SECTION  3.  Scope.  -  This  Act  shall  apply  to  all  barangays,   municipalities,  cities  and
provinces.
SECTION 4. Objectives. - Pursuant to the policy declared  herein,  it is the objective of this
Act:
(a)  to   build,   develop  and   maintain  forest  parks   in   provincial,   city  and   municipal
plazas,  elementary  school  grounds  and  by  the  planting  of  trees  in  national,
provincial,  municipal  or  barangay  roads  and  other  public  open  spaces  where
appropriate;
(b)  to  require from the  national  agencies and  local government units the  planting of
trees and shrubbery in specified areas;
(c)  to  promote  environmental  consciousness  among  the  community  members,  i.e.
students,  youth,  other civic action groups,  by encouraging  active  participation  in
tree-planting activities;
(d)  to protect trees from various human activities.
SECTION  5.  A  National  Greening  Committee  is  hereby  created  with  the  Secretary of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as Chairman and the respective
secretaries  of  the  Department  of  Public  Works  and   Highways  (DPWH),   Department  of
Tourism   (DOT),   Department   of   Interior  and   Local   Government   (DILG),   Department   of
Education (DepEd) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) as members.
The National Committee shall  have the power to promulgate the pertinent rules and
regulations as may be necessary to fully implement the objectives and  purposes of this Act
within a period not later than ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act.
It   shall   have   the   power   to   rule   on   disputes   involving   the   Regional   Greening
Committee  and  to  appoint  or form  an  ad-hoc committee when  the  Regional  Committee  is
unable to perform its duties.
The   National   Committee   also   convenes   every   quarter  to   hear  the   reports   or
performance from the Regional Committee.
SECTION 6.  Regional Committee.   A Greening Committee for every region in the country,
in  cooperation  with  the  various  local  government  offices]  is  hereby  created  to  initiate  and


oversee  all  the  tree-planting  activities  to  be  done  in  barangays,  municipalities,  cities  and
provinces in the respective regions.
The Regional  Director representing the Secretary of the Department of Environment
and  Natural  Resources (DENR) and the lead official of the concerned  local government unit
(LGU)  shall  both  serve  as  Co-Chairmen  of  the  Committee.  Members  of  the  Committee,
representing  the  respective  secretaries,  will  be the  regional  directors of the  Department of
Tourism   (DOT),   Department   of   Interior  and   Local   Government   (DILG),   Department   of
Education   (DepEd)   and   the   Department   of   Agriculture   (DA)   and   at   most   three   (3)
representatives from civic action groups appointed by the Chairman.
The    regional    Greening    Committee    shall    coordinate    with    all    the    concerned
government   agencies,    non-governmental   organization   (NGOs),    peoples   organizations
(POs), and other civic action groups for assistance and cooperation in the implementation of
this Act.
SECTION 7. Specific functions of the Executive Departments. Aside from the Committee
responsibilities,
(a)  The  DENR  shall  determine  the  suitable  species  of trees  and  provide  seeds  or
saplings  to  be  planted  along  or  on  major  thoroughfares,   suited  to  the  kind,
classification,   and   condition   of  the   area  and   shall   provide  technical   support
involving tree-planting activities;
(b)   The LGU shall:
(1)  mobilize all  local  concerned  agencies and  communities to ensure prompt
and  effective  implementation  of this Act  in  every  barangay,  municipality,
city and province;
(2)  provide  for  effective  measures  and  ways  for  the  optimum  maintenance
and sustainability of trees an shrubbery;
(3) effect  the   apprehension   and   the   prosecution   of  all   persons  violating
Sections 8 and 9 of this Act;
(c)  The  DPWH  and  the  DA  shall  provide  the  technical  support  i.e.  the  necessary
tools, equipment, and manpower to effect the implementation of this Act;
(d)  The  DOT shall assist in the conceptualization and  site-evaluation and  cooperate
in  the  maintenance of parks  and  specified  areas and  provide additional funding
from its resources;
(e)  The  DILG  shall  coordinate  the  local  government  units  to  ensure  prompt  and
effective implementation of this Act; and
(f)   The DepEd shall integrate the tree-planting activities into the school curriculum to
raise awareness and to promote environmental consciousness.
SECTloN  8.  Requirements for Tree Planting along  National  Roads.  In the consonance
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national roads shall comply with the following standard requirements:
(a)  The Trees that will be planted along the national roads shall be of the varieties of
the  root systems which  grow downward  rather than  sideward  to avoid  road  and
sidewalk slabs destruction;
(b)  Trees shall  be  planted  in  a  neat row,  within the  road  right-of-way (ROW) and  as
close as  possible  to the  ROW  limit,  with  sufficient allowance  so that fully grown


trees  will  not  encroach  on  the  adjoining  property  or  touch  electric  and  other
overhead utility lines;
(c)  The center-to-center spacing  between trees shall be  10-20 meters (in).  For road
sections with a generally north-south alignment, the trees on one side of the road
shall   be   planted   alternately  with  the  trees  on  the  other  side,   thus  ensuring
adequate sunlight needed for drying the road;
(d)  For roads without curbs, the trees shall be planted with minimum clear distance of
0.60  meters  beyond  the  edge  of  the  shoulder,  but  in  no  case  less  than  0.30
meters from the edge of the pavement;
(e)  For roads with curbs,  particularly in urban areas, the trees shall be planted with a
minimum setback of 1.00 meters beyond the face of the curb;
(f)   Where there are  longitudinal  drainage  canals,  the trees shall  be  planted  on  the
outer side of such canals;
(g)  On  roadway  curves  and  intersections,  the  pertinent  design  standards  on  sight
distance shall be concerned;
(h)  Non-traversable  hazards  (ravine,  waiting  shed,  and  the  like)  along  the  line  of
trees shall  be provided with appropriate clearly marked  barriers so that these do
not pose hazards to motorists;
(i)   The Department of Public Works and  Highways (DPWH) shall, within  ninety (90)
days  after  the  approval  of  the  Act  and  every  one  hundred  eighty  (180)  days
thereafter, submit periodic reports to the National Greening Committee.
SECTION  9.  Tree  Planting  in  Urban  and  Countryside  Parks,  Public Vacant  Lots,  and
Other Permissible Areas.  Planting  of trees  shall  be  mandatory  in  urban  and  countryside
parks as well as in school grounds, vacant lots,  and other unutilized sites identified with the
quality of soil  where  different  or certain  species  of trees  can  thrive.  This  shall  apply to  all
publicly-owned  lands,  without  exempting  the  properties  of  interested  private  individuals  or
institutions.
(a)  Scape. The areas covered by this provision shall include:
(1 )  All Public parks in urban and rural areas;
(2)  All public school grounds in the city and in the provinces;
(3) All idle public lands in urban and rural areas, unless otherwise identified to
soon   be   used  for  other  purposes  such  as  agriculture,   infrastructure-
building, and others;
(4)  Parks,  schools  and  other  pieces  of  land  owned  by  private  individuals,
organizations,  or  institutions  whose  proprietor/s  voluntarily  and  willingly
subject their properties in this Act.
(b)  Genera/  Gw/.de//.nee.  Tree  Planting  in  the  duty  qualified  areas  shall  comply with
the following general guidelines:
(1)  Considering  the  classification  and  condition  of the  soil  and  the total  land
area of the site,  suited  species of forest trees or fast-growing  trees shall
be planted in the identified areas;
(2)  ln  cases  wherein   multiple  trees  can  be  planted,  the  trees  should   be
planted  in  clusters  wherein  one  is  not  more  than  four (4)  meters  apart
from one another;


(3)  The  Regional  Greening  Committee  shall  facilitate  and  supervise  all  the
tree-planting    activities    in    its   jurisdiction.    The   government   agencies
concerned  shall  perform  their  duties  and  responsibilities  as  indicated  in
Sectiion 7 , Specific Functions of the Executive Department, Of uhiis Act:,
(4)  The  regional  Greening  Committee  shall,  within  ninety (90) days after the
approval  of the Act and every one  hundred  eighty (180) days,  thereafter
submit periodic reports to the National Greening Committee.
SECTION  10. Issuing of Permits. The lssuance of Permit allowing a person or company to
cut,  uproot  and  in  any way  disturb  the  planted  trees  given  by  the  DENR  should  also  be
approved  and  co-signed  by the  Regional  Committee following  public consultations done  by
and the consensus of the Regional Committee.
SECTION  11.  Prohibited  Acts.  No  cutting  and  destroying  of  trees  and  plants  shall  be
permitted, except when the cutting and destroying of the same is necessary for public safety,
and subject to the issuance of permits.
SECTION 12. Persons Liable and Penalties Therefore.  Any person who violates sections
9  and  10  shall  be  punished  with  imprisonment of not  less  than  six (6)  months to  not  more
than  one  (1)  year  or  a  fine  of  not  less  than  three  thousand  pesos  to  not  more  than  ten
thousand pesos, or with both imprisonment and fine, at the discretion of the court.
SECTION  13.  Submission  of  Reports.  The  National  Committee  shall  within  ninety  (90)
days  after  the  approval  of  this  Act  and  every  one  hundred  eighty  (180)  days  thereafter
submit  periodic  reports  to  both  houses  of  Congress  of the  Philippines  for  evaluation  and
consideration.
SECTION  14.  Funding. The fund  needed for the  implementation  of this Act shall  be taken
from  any available appropriation  in  the  General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the year of its
implementation;  Provided,  that funds for this  purpose shall also be included  in every annual
GAA;  Provided finally, that there shall be equitable and proportionate appropriations of funds
annually for this  purpose for all  barangays,  municipalities,  cities and  provinces.  In  addition,
adequate  portion  of  financial  grants  and  concessjonal  loans  extended  to  Philippines  by
foreign governments and  multilateral agencies every year,  the amount to be determined  by
the  President,  shall  be  allocated  to  augment the annual  appropriations  until  this Act is fully
implemented.
SECTION   15.   Separability  Clause.  All   laws,   decrees,   rules  and   regulations,   or  parts
thereof, inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SECTION  16.  Effectivity Clause.  This Act shall  take  effect  upon  its  publication  in  at  least
two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,