FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
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SENATE 
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S. No.3221 
Introduced by SENATOR GREGORIO B. HONASAN II 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states: 
"Section 15. The State shall respect the role of independent 
people's organizations to enable the people to pursue and protect, within 
the democratic framework, their legitimate and collective interests and 
aspirations through peaceful and lawful means. People's organizations are 
bona fide associations of citizens with demonstrated capacity to promote 
the public interest and with identifiable leadership, membership, and 
structure. " 
"Section 16. The right of the people and their organizations to 
effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political, and 
economic decision-making shall not be abridged. The State shall, by law, 
facilitate the establishment of adequate consultation mechanisms. " 
Although there are distinctions between Non-government Organizations (NGO's) and 
People's Organizations (PO's), for purposes of this Act and in accordance with the 
definition of the World Bank, reference is made to "private organization(s) that pursue 
activities to relieve suffering, promote the interests of the poor, protect the environment, 
provide basic social services, or undertake community development." 
The evolution of people's organizations is a democratic phenomenon which finds root in 
the right to form associations with the perspective of initiating programs to empower the 
masses. 
These are generally bottom-up organizations not necessarily dictated by 
government priorities or bureaucratic limitations. 
This attribute gives these 
organizations latitude to organize and mobilize their members and communities to either 
support or question policies that bear on people's lives. People's empowerment is a 
basic ingredient among NGO's and PO's focused on the development of a critically, 
conscious citizenry which is an important component in democratic governance. 
Avowedly driven by visions of a better society not necessarily defined by state policies, 
non-government people's organizations often have often viable perspective not readily 
accommodated by government. In spite of the nuances or even stark differences in 
their approaches, PO's. GO's and NGO's share a common denominator in the people 
which warrants government to create mechanisms for their interaction. 
Wherefore, it is the intent of this proposed measure to institute a bottom-up mechanism 
in crafting development plans in order to strengthen the right of the people to 


participatory governance through the empowerment of non-government organizations 
and people's organizations. 
In view of the foregoing premises, the immediate passage 0 
bill is earnestly sought. 
GO RIO B. HONASAN II 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No.3221 
Introduced by SENATOR GREGORIO B. HONASAN II 
AN ACT 
STRENGTHENING 
THE 
RIGHT 
OF 
THE 
PEOPLE 
TO 
PARTICIPATORY 
GOVERNANCE 
THROUGH 
THE 
EMPOWERMENT 
OF 
NON-GOVERNMENT 
ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs) AND PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATIONS (POs), INSTITUTING 
FOR THE PURPOSE A BOTTOM-UP MECHANISM IN CRAFTING DEVELOPMENT 
PLANS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 
Be it enacted by the senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Bottom-to-top Participatory 
Governance through Non-Government Organizations and People's Organizations 
Empowerment Act of 2012." 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - Pursuant to Article II, Section 23 of the 1987 
Constitution, the State hereby declares the policy of encouraging non-governmental, 
community-based, and sectoral organizations that promote the welfare of the nation. 
Towards this end, the State shall respect and strengthen the role and rights of 
independent non-government and people's organization in the pursuit of their collective 
. 
interests and aspirations and ensure their effective and reasonable participation at all 
levels of social, political and economic decision-making. 
SEC. 3. Coverage.- This Act shall apply to all barangay, city, municipal and 
provincial development councils of all local government units and the regional 
development councils of all regions of the Philippines. 
SEC. 
4. 
Strengthened 
Mandatory Participation 
of Non-government 
Organizations (NGOs) and People Organizations (POs) in the formulation of 
Development Plans.- All local and regional development councils shall, in formulating 
the development plan of each respective local government unit or respective region, 
take all measures to ensure the participation of the Non-Government Organization 
(NGOs) and People's Organizations (Pas), through the mechanism set forth in this Act; 


Provided, That, this shall be in additional to the existing rights of NGOs and POs 
granted under Section 107 of Republic Act No. 7160 otherwise known as the "Loca/ 
Government Code of 1997" and other laws. 
SEC. 5. Mandatory Public Notice of the Call for Written Submissions from 
NGOs and POs. - The barangay secretary of each Barangay Development CounCil, the 
coordinator of each Provincial/City/Municipal Development Councilor the regional 
director of each Regional Development Council, as the case may be, shall issue a 
notice of the call for written submissions from NGOs and POs of their respective 
proposals and/or comments for the formulation of the development plan of each LGU or 
region. The notice shall be in a language understood by the community. 
The notice of the call for written submissions shall be posted at prominent place 
in the provincial capitol, city, municipal or barangay hall, as the case may be, for a 
minimum period of three (3) consecutive weeks. Such notice shall also be published in 
a local newspaper, where available, within the territorial jurisdiction of the local 
government unit concerned: Provided, that sllch publication requirement shall not be 
mandated in the case of barangay; Provided further, that the notice shall be posted 
and/or published at least forty-five (45) days prior to the deliberations on the 
, 
development plan for the ensuing year. During this period, any NGO or PO may submit 
to development council secretariat written proposals for the development plan; 
Provided, finally, that all submissions must 
be made ten (10) days prior to the 
commencement of the deliberations on the development plan, the exact date of which 
must be indicated in the public notice 
All submissions made by the NGOs and POs shall be part of the official records 
of the deliberations on the local development plan and shall be considered as public 
documents, which may be accessed by any person upon request. 
SEC, 6. Responses of Submissions.- All submissions shall be properly 
stamped received by the development council concerned and entered into a database 
created for such purpose. The provincial councils shall collate the submissions made in 
their respective area and shall furnish the National Economic and Development 
Authority (NEDA) with copies of all the submissions, including a summary of such 
submissions. 
Upon closure of the period for submission, all submissions shall be carefully 
considered and analyzed. The local or regional development council concerned shall 
take these submissions into consideration in formulating its development plan. The 
actions taken by the local or regional development councils shall be relayed to the 
appropriate NGOs and POs. as soon as practicable. 


SEC. 7. Transparency in the Deliberations of the Development Council. _ 
Subject to the requirements of confidentiality in the proper cases if public interest so 
requires, the deliberations of all the development council shall, as far as practicable, be 
open to the public. Provided, that this shall not apply to matters which concern public 
security. 
SEC. 8. Presentation of the Proposed Development Plan Prior to Its 
Submission for Approval. - The respective local and regional development councils of 
the local government unit or region concerned shall present the proposed development 
plan to all relevant stakeholders, prior to its submission to the appropriate sanggunian 
for approval. A copy of the approved development plan shall be subl)1itted to the 
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Development of Interior 
Local Government (DILG). 
SEC. 9. Access to Public Facilities. - The NGOs and POs operating in the 
respective local government units shall have the right to use public facilities, such as 
multi-purpose hall, plaza, people's park, auditorium or similar structures located in said 
local government units, for purposes of their meetings and other activities. The officials 
of the NGO and/or PO concerned shall notify the local government official who is tasked 
to manage the use of aforestated government facilities: Provided, that such local 
government official shall not deny the use in any of the said government facilities except 
for a legitimate previously scheduled use; Provided further, That, any fee collected for 
the use of such public facilities shall be waived. 
SEC. 10. Access to Information. - Each local government unit shall designate 
a portion of its bulletin board and/or other public posting areas for dissemination of 
information relevant to NGOs and POs such as, but not limited to, activities and 
programs where they can participate, possible sources of funding for their activities and 
such other significant information that may be used by the NGOs and Pos. 
SEC. 11. Penal Provisions. - (a) Failure to publish public notice of call for 
submissions and/or refusal to acknowledge receipt of the submissions. - Any public 
official or employee who shall fail to publish the notice of public call for submissions or 
shall refuse to acknowledge receipt any submission made by NGOs or POs shall suffer 
a penalty of suspension of six (6) months to one (1) year and a fine not exceeding 
Twenty Thousand Pesos (Php20,OOO.OO); Provided, That thiS shall be without prejudice 
to criminal, civil and/or administrative charges which the public official or employee may 
be held liable under existing laws. 


(b) Violations of other provisions of this Act. - Any person who shall violate any 
of the provisions of this Act, which are not covered by the immediately preceding 
paragraph, shall suffer a penalty of suspension of two (2) months to six (6) months and 
a fine not exceeding ten thousand pesos (Php10, 000.00); Provided, That this shall be 
prejudice to criminal, ciVil and/or administrative charges which the public official or 
employee may be held liable under existing laws. 
SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 13. Separability Clause. -If any part or provision of this Act is held 
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions thereof, which are not affected, shall 
continue to remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 14. Effectivity. -
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
completion of its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,