SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
SENATE BILL NO. 
, , 
) 
1101 
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The congress is mandated under Sec. 4, Article XII of the 
1987 Philippine Constitution to determine by law the specific limits 
of forest lands. Thereafter, such forest lands and national parks 
shall be consented and may not be increased nor diminished, except 
by law. The Congress shall provide, for such period as it may 
determine measures to prohibit logging in endangered forests and 
watershed areas." 
As reported by the Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources as of 2012, a total of 5,590.18 kilometers of forest land 
boundary in five provinces comprising the region was successfully 
assessed and delineated, broken down as follows: Zamboanga del 
Norte -
1,662.37 kilometers; Zamboanga del Sur -
1,493.28 
kilometers; Zamboanga City 679.78 kilometers; Zamboanga Sibugay 
1,471.32 kilometers; and Isabela City, Basilan - 83.43 kilometers. 
It is the policy of the State to conserve, protect and develop 
the forest resources of the country in order to attain ecological 
balance, preserve valuable ecosystems, prevent environmental 
degradation and promote sustainable development for the present 
and future generations. This bill seeks to establish delineation of the 
specific forest limits of the public domain, marking clearly their 
boundaries on the ground in order for the Government to efficiently 
manage and protect the country's forest resources. In addition, 
concerned government agencies will also have a better opportunity to 
establish its development plans for the benefit of the people. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
SENATE BILL NO. 
1101 
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INTRODUCED BY SENATOR JOSEPH VICTOR G. EJERCITO 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE DELINEATION OF THE SPECIFIC FOREST 
LIMITS OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
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 and cited 
as the "Final Forest Limits Act of 2013". 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to 
conserve, protect and develop the forest resources of the country in 
order to attain ecological balance, preserve valuable ecosystems, prevent 
environmental degradation and promote sustainable development for the 
present and future generations. To achieve these ends, Section 4, 
Article 
XII 
of 
the 
1987 Constitution mandates Congress to 
determine by law the specific limits of forest lands marking clearly 
their boundaries on the ground. 
SEC. 3. 
Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the 
following terms shall mean: 
(a) 
Agricultural lands shall refer to alienable and disposable 
lands of the public domain, which have been the subject of the 
land classification system and declared as not needed for forest 
purposes. 
(b) 
Delimitation survey shall refer to the establishment of land 
classification boundaries and the monumenting thereof following 
ground survey. 
(c) 
Delineation shall refer to the conduct of site investigation, 


field reconnaissance and assessment, and staking. of boundaries 
between forest lands, national parks and agricultural lands verified 
in the field in accordance with the criteria set forth under 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 
Administrative Order No. 2008-24. 
(d) Forest land shall refer to all lands of the public domain already 
classified as forest land as per existing land classification maps 
issued by the DENR including all permanent forest reserves 
proclaimed as such by the President or declared by law, and such 
areas within the unclassified lands of the public domain that were 
assessed and delineated by the DENR in accordance with pertinent 
laws, rules and regulations. 
(e) 
Protected area 
shall refer to identified portions of land 
and/or water set aside by reason of their unique physical and 
biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and 
protected against destructive human exploitation. 
SEC. 4. What Constitutes the Forest Lands. - The following 
\ shall constitute the forest lands, to wit: 
(a) 
All lands of the public domain already classified as forest 
land as per existing land classification maps issued by the DENR; 
(b) 
All permanent forest reserves proclaimed as such by the 
President or declared by law; and 
(c) Such areas within the unclassified lands of the public domain 
that were assessed and delineated by the DENR in accordance with 
pertinent laws, rules and regulations. 
SEC. 5. 
Guidelines in Determining the Specific Limits of 
Forest Lands. -
The following guidelines and procedures shall be 
followed in determining the specific limits of forest lands in the country: 
(a) The previously established land classification survey lines per 
province with their respective technical descriptions (TDs) and 
maps shall be the basic data and information that will be used as 
reference material in undertaking the validation, assessment and 
delineation process; 
(b) All completed assessment and delineation reports for a 
given province shall be endorsed to the National Review and 
Evaluation Committee as created herein to be headed by the 
Secretary of the DENR for final approval; and 


(c) The same process shall be followed for other provinces 
with ongoing assessments and delineation activities until such time 
that all the boundaries of forest lands of the whole country shall 
have been delimited: Provided, That all assessments, validations 
and delineations shall be completed not later than one (1) year after 
the passage of this Act. 
SEC. 6. 
Creation of the National Review and Evaluation 
Committee. -
In recognition of the Constitutional mandate as 
embodied in Section 4, Article XII thereof, and in view of the urgent need 
to establish the permanent limits of the forest lands of the country, a 
National Review and Evaluation Committee is hereby created to process, 
evaluate and approve all completed assessment and delineation reports 
referred to in the immediately preceding section. The Committee, in its 
evaluation and approval of the said reports, shall strictly adhere to 
existing established laws, policies, rules, regulations and guidelines 
pertinent thereto. 
The Committee shall be composed of the following: 
(a) The Secretary of the DENR, as Chairperson; 
(b) The Secretary/Director General of the National 
Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), as Vice 
Chairman; 
(c) The Secretary of the Department of the Interior 
and Local Government (DILG), as member; 
(d) The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), as 
member and 
(e) The Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform 
(DAR), as member. 
Upon approval of the assessment and delineation reports, the 
Committee shall submit the same to Congress which shall thereafter 
form part of its official records. 
The assessment and delineation 
reports as approved by the Committee shall be adopted as constituting 
the final boundaries of the forest lands covered by the said report. 
SEC. 7. 
Demarcation and Delimitation of Final Forest 
Land Boundary. - Immediately after the final forest line has been 
determined following the guidelines prescribed in Section 5 hereof, 
the 
DENR 
shall delimit and establish the permanent boundary 
monuments on the ground. 
SEC. 8. 
Permanency of the Specific Forest Limits. - The 
permanent forest lands established pursuant to this Act shall be 
conserved and shall not be increased nor diminished except by law. The 
DENR, in coordination with all concerned agencies and branches of 


the government, shall ensure that the forest cover and other resources 
therein shall be protected and enhanced. 
SEC. 9. 
Recognition of the Rights of Upland Dwellers. -
Consistent with the provisions of Republic Act No. 7160 or the "Local 
Government Code of 1991" and Republic Act No. 8371 or the "The 
Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997", the rights of the indigenous 
cultural communities and other upland dwellers shall be recognized 
and respected in the ground delineation of the permanent forest limits. 
SEC. 10. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting System. 
To attain the objectives of this Act, a field monitoring, evaluation and 
reporting system shall be adopted by the Secretary of the DENR to 
regularly keep track of the state of the country's forest lands after their 
delimitation. 
Towards this end, at the opening of each session of 
Congress, the DENR shall submit a report to the President on the status 
of the forest lands for transmission to Congress. 
SEC. 11. 
Creation of an Adjudication Board to Resolve 
Controversies on Land Conflicts/Adverse Claims. - A Land Conflict 
Adjudication Board is hereby created to resolve controversies arising 
from boundary conflicts and adverse claims as a result of the 
delimitation of forest lands pursuant to this Act. The Board shall be 
composed of the following: 
(a) The Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ), as 
Chairperson; 
(b) The representative from the Integrated Bar of the 
Philippines (ISP), as member; 
(c) 
The administrator of the Land Registration Authority 
(LRA) , as member; 
(d) The representative from a reputable College of Forestry, 
as member; and 
(e) The representative from the private sector, as member. 
The Board shall have the following powers and functions: 
(1) 
Adjudicate cases on land conflicts and adverse claims 
brought before it for resolution; 
(2) Summon witnesses, administer oaths, take testimonies 
and require submission of reports; 
(3) Compel prodUction of books and document answers to 
interrogations; and 
(4) 
Issue subpoena duces tecum, writs of possession, 
writs of execution and other writs to enforce its orders and 
decisions. 


SEC. 12. 
Accessibility of Record to the Public. 
All 
records 
and information pertaining to the specific forest limits 
delineated pursuant to this Act shall be made available to all local 
government units (LGUs), other government agencies and to the general 
public. 
SEC. 
13. 
Congressional 
Oversight Committee 
on 
the 
Delineation of the Permanent 
Forest Limits. -There is 
hereby 
created 
a 
Congressional Oversight Committee to oversee the 
implementation of this Act composed of seven (7) Members from the 
Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and seven 
(7) Members from the House of Representatives' Committee on Natural 
Resources. 
The Congressional Oversight Committee shall be in existence 
for a period of five (5) years and, thereafter, its oversight functions 
shall 
be exercised by the Committee on Environment and Natural 
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives, acting separately. The secretariat of the 
Congressional Oversight Committee shall come from the Secretariat 
personnel of the Committees of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives comprising the Congressional Oversight Committee. 
SEC. 14. Appropriations. - The Secretary of the DENR shall 
include in the Department's program the implementation of this Act, the 
initial funding of which shall be charged against the current year's 
appropriations of the Department and, thereafter, included in the 
annual General Appropriations Act. 
Funds for the implementation of the provisions of this Act shall be 
supplemented also from any available official development assistance 
(ODA) and from joint projects between agencies of the Philippines and an 
assisting country. 
LGUs may also allocate counterpart funds to be taken from 
their internal revenue allotment (IRA) and other LGU income for the 
delineation of the forest limits within their respective territorial 
jurisdictions. 
SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. 
Within 
three (3) months from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the 
DENR shall issue the corresponding implementing rules and regulations 
for the effective implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 16. Separability Clause. -
If any portion of this Act is 
declared unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and 
effectivity of the other provisions not affected thereby. 


SEC. 17. 
Repealing Clause. 
- All laws, decrees, letters of 
instruction, executive orders, rules and regulations and other issuances 
or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
SEC. 18. 
Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers 
of general circulation. 
Approved,