EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to mandate each city or municipality to create, within  its jurisdiction,  a
River Development Authority to preserve,  protect and develop the rivers,  river systems and
natural waterways.
The  Philippines  has  numerous  principal  rivers  and  river  systems  from  Batanes  to
Tawi-Tawi.   Many   are   vanishing   or  dying,   however,   due   to   deadly   chemicals   or   non-
biodegradable  waste  being    dumped  on  these  rivers  or  waterways.  Thus,  the  threat  of
extinction and degradation.
While  a  number of laws  for the  preservation  and  rehabilitation  of rivers  have  been
enacted, enforcement by local government units is weak. The government must concentrate
its resources and capabilities on creating a central agency in each  local government unit to
implement  the  laws  and   promote  the  development  of  rivers,   river  systems  and   natural
waterways.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS                  )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES    )
First Regular session                           )
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Introduced by Representative Rufus a. Rodriguez
House Bill No.  RE 6
AN ACT
MANDATING  EACH  CllY  OR  MUNICIPALITY  TO  CREATE  A  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY  FOR  THE  PRESERVATION,  PROTECTION  AND  DEVELOPMENT OF  ALL
RIVERS,  RIVERSYSTEMS  AND  NATURAL  WATERWAYS  WITHIN  ITS  JURISDICTION,
DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR.
Be it enacted by the Senate and  House of Representatives of the  Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION  1.  Each  city or  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 natural waterways within its jurisdiction.
SEC. 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. The Authority shall have the following functions:
a)  Prepare  a  master  plan  to  preserve,  protect,  develop  and  exploit  all  rivers,  river
systems and natural waterways;
b)  Conduct  engineering  surveys  of  rivers,   river  systems  and  natural  waten^/ays,
assessing  and  monitoring  water  quality,  pinpointing  pollution  sources  and  identifying    the
rivers that need to be developed for exploitation and rehabilitation;
c)     Initiate   and   facilitate   planning,   implementation,   monitoring   and   evaluation   of
pertinent projects with positive impact on environment and development,  including dredging,
widening and deepening of river channels and improvement of river alignments;
d) Prioritize rivers positively identified   for development and  rehabilitation, and on the
basis thereof,  prepare a  river-specific plan of operation   for the  improvement,  development
and rehabilitation of environmentally degraded rivers:
e)  Initiate  funding    arrangements  with  local  and  foreign  donors,  to  finance  priority
development  projects  and  provide  direct  funding  of  minor  initiatives  expected  to  create  a
positive impact on the environment in the projected area;
f) Develop information materials to ensure a high decree of environmental awareness
in government agencies, organizations and the general public;
g)      Make   recommendations   to   the   proper   agencies   offering   financial   support,
technical  and  physical  assistance  about the  level  of priority to  be  accorded  river systems
development and rehabilitation projects;
h)   Coordinate   and   integrate   such   projects   or  operations   of   local   government,
agencies,  public  corporations  and,  where  clearly  necessary  and  feasible,  those  of  private
entities,  as  will  bear  directly  upon  the  plans  and  activities  of the  Authority  so  as  to  make


possible an intensive development and  rehabilitation of the rivers,  river systems and  natural
waterways in the country within the context of the master plan;
i) Set up a compact and well-trained staff for effective liaison and consultation or joint
implementation with government and private entities;
j)   Make an annual report to the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government of its
activities,  including  those  done  in  collaboration  with  the  various  government  and  private
entities  engaged  in  the  implementation  of the  projects  and  programs,  which  shall  include,
among others, a comparison of the development and rehabilitation targets as set for the year
ending and the extent to which actual accomplishments measure up to such targets, and the
appropriate administrative  and legislative recommendations.
SEC.  3.   The Authority shall  have a  Board  Directors  composed  of eleven  (11) members as
follows:
a.    City or municipal council majority floor leader, as Chairman;
b.    City or municipal council minority floor leader;
c.    Chairman of the city or municipal council Committee on Public Works;
d.    Chairman of the city or municipal council Committee on Appropriations;
e.    City or municipal engineer;
f.     City or municipal and development officer;
9.    City or municipal administrator;
h.    DENR representatives; and
i.     Three (3) members representing the private sector to be appointed by the city or
municipal mayor,
No  member of the  Board  shall,  during  his  term,  be financially  interested,  directly or
indirectly,  in any contract entered into by the Authority or in any special privileges granted by
the Authority. All contracts entered into in violation of this provision shall be null and void.
SEC. 4. The Board shall exercise the following powers and functions:
a)  Formulate,   prescribe,  amend  and  repeal  rules  and  regulations  to  govern  the
conduct of operation of the Authority;
b)  Appoint  the  necessary  staff  of  the  Authority  and  to  fix  their  compensation  in
accordance with the existing laws;
c)   Suspend,   remove   or   otherwise   discipline   for  just   cause   any   staff   member
appointed by the Board;
d) Recommend the annual and supplemental budgets of the Authority;
e) Render annual reports to the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and
to the city or municipal mayor and such special reports as may be requested; and
f) Do such other acts and  perform and such other functions as may be necessary to
carry out the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 5. The Secretary of the Interior and Local Government shall issue the necessary rules
and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.
SEC.  6.  The  amount necessary for the  implementation  of this Act shall  be  charged  to the
appropriations of the Department of Interior and Local Government. Thereafter, such sum as


may  be  necessary  for  its  continued  operation  shall  be  included   in  the  annual  General
Appropriations Act.
SEC. 7. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
SEC.  8.  This  Act  shall  take  effect fifteen  (15)  days  after  its  publication  in  at  least  two  (2)
newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,