REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. _ 6743

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN IIL

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Our country is endowed with pristine coastline stretching some 36,000 kilometers covering
around 800 municipalities. For most tourists, these coastlines, usually seen in postcards and
travel blogs, are the prime reason why they visit the country. Our vast coastal resources
present a huge opportunity to develop our coastlines and realize its huge potential for
tourism.

Last year, we have recorded an all-time high record of 8.2 million tourist arrivals which
contributed USD 9.31 billion or PHP 482.15 billion in revenue. Further, the tourism
industry's contribution to our economy has increased to 12.7 percent of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), 0.5 percent higher than in 2017.

Tourism in coastal areas can bring tremendous economic benefits especially for small islands
and provinces. However, we should also be wary of its negative impact to our environment
due to increased human activities. Such was the case of the world-famous Boracay Island,
prompting its closure to undergo rehabilitation due to many years of environmental
negligence of tourists and establishments alike. In order to constantly reap the benefits
brought by tourism, we should protect the environment and promote sustainable tourism.

This bill seeks to institutionalize sustainable coastal tourism to promote and ensure the
protection of the environment. This includes the establishment of the Philippine Council for
Sustainable Coastal Tourism that serves as a policy-making and advisory body of the
government to pursue sustainable coastal tourism. Further, this bill mandates Local
Government Units (LGUs) to formulate and implement sustainable coastal tourism plans and
program in their respective local jurisdictions.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

MANUEL "ABOCHAN III
Representative
Magdalo Para Sa Pilipino Party-List


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

6743

House Bill No.

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN IIL

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING SUSTAINABLE COASTAL TOURISM, PROVIDING
MECHANISMS FOR ITS INSTITUTIONALIZATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Sustainable Coastal
Tourism Act.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State recognizes the indispensable role of
coastal tourism in promoting rapid and inclusive growth among coastal provinces and
affected local government units. The State further recognizes the pressure which coastal
tourism bears upon marine and coastal environments. To this end, the State hereby declares it
a policy to promote sustainable coastal tourism to reconcile the social and economic growth
from coastal tourism with the people’s right to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord
with the rhythm and harmony and nature.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — For the purpose of this Act:

(a) Coastal Local Government Unit/Coastal LGU refers to LGUs bordering a coast
regardless of income classification;

(b) Coastal Recreational Area refers to coastal areas including shores, sand bars,
bays, lagoon mouths and coastal estuaries within the tidal zone, which are used by
the public for recreational activities such as swimming, bathing, surfing, skim
boarding, snorkeling and any other water sports;

(c) Council refers to the National Council for Sustainable Coastal Tourism
established under this Act;


(@) Local Sustainable Coastal Tourism Plans refers to the plans to be formulated by
coastal provinces under this Act in consultation with affected cities, municipalities
and communities;

() National Coastal Recreational Area Quality Framework refers to the Framework
to be established by the Council under this Act;

(© Sustainable Coastal Tourism refers to an approach to coastal tourism which
reconciles tourism with environmental stability.

SEC. 4, Establishment of the Council. - The National Council for Sustainable

Coastal Tourism is hereby established. The Council shall be the policy-making, standard-
setting, planning, coordinating, enforcing, monitoring and advisory body of the government
on sustainable coastal tourism. The Council shall be an independent agency attached to the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with a separate budget under the General
Appropriations Act.

to:

SEC. 5. Powers and Functions of the Council. ~ The Council shall be empowered
(a) Formulate the National Coastal Recreational Area Quality Framework which shall

include but not limited to the following measurable requirements:

(1) Ecological Waste Management;

(2) Water Quality and Sanitation;

(3) Accessibility;

(4) Preventing and Reversing Coastal Degradation;

(5) Protection of Marine Flora and Fauna;

(6) Presence of Emergency Health Services; and

(7) Other measurable and reasonable quality of standards pursuant to the declared
State policy of this Act or other related laws or rules and regulations.

(b) Supervise the formulation and implementation of Local Sustainable Coastal
Tourism Plans;

(c) Utilize the Sustainable Coastal Tourism Challenge Fund created under this. Act as
an incentive for LGUs to implement the provisions of this Act;


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(@) Recognize meritorious and/or extraordinary implementation of this Act by LGUs
through awards;

(©) Review, harmonize, and identify gaps in existing rules and regulations on
sustainable coastal tourism;

() Conduct an inventory and assess the quality of all existing and potential coastal
recreational areas in the country;

(g) Compile, use, and provide access to data on coastal recreational areas, which shall
include but not be limited to location, magnitude, tourist arrivals, revenue from
sustainable coastal tourism, coastal degradation, water quality and sanitation,

ity, and habitation of marine wildlife;

access

(h) Research and develop community-based and sustainable coastal tourism models
and promote their adoption among local government units;

(i) Receive grants, contributions, donations, endowments, bequests, or gifts in cash,
or in kind from local and foreign sources in support of the development and
implementation of climate change programs and plans: Provided, that such
donations shall not be used to fund personal services expenditures and other
operating expenses of the Council;

(Provide capacity building and technical assistance to coastal municipalities, cities
and provinces in evaluating, formulating, and reviewing local sustainable coastal
tourism plans;

(k) Mobilize non-government, private and international participation in local
sustainable coastal tourism plans and projects; and

(1) Provide awards and other forms of recognition to coastal provinces and affected
LGUs which provide good examples of implementing sustainable coastal tourism.

SEC. 6. Composition of the Council. — The Council shall be composed of:
(a) The Secretary of the DENR, or his duly authorized representative, as Chairperson;

(b) The Secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT), or his duly authorized
representative, as Co- Chairperson;

(©) The Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), or his duly authorized
representative;


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(d) The Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), or his
duly authorized representative;

(©) The Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH), or his duly authorized
representative;

(© The Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, or his duly
authorized representative;

(g) Two (2) representatives from the academe who shall be experts in sustainable
coastal management and/or related disciplines; and

(h) Three (3) representatives from reputable non-government organizations working
on sustainable coastal tourism. The representatives from the academe and non-
government organizations shall be appointed by the Council.

SEC. 7. National Sustainable Coastal Recreational Area Quality Framework. ~ The
Council shall formulate a National Coastal Recreational Area Quality Framework, herein
referred to as "The Framework", within ninety (90) says from the effectivity of this Act. The
Framework shall be used to:

(a) Assess the quality of all coastal recreational areas in the country;

(b) Guide national government agencies in formulating, implementing and monitoring
policies, programs and projects in relation the goals of this Act;

(©) Guide coastal provinces, coastal cities and coastal municipalities in formulating
their respective local sustainable coastal tourism plans.

SEC. 8. Components of the Framework. ~ The Framework shall include, but not be
limited to, the following measurable components:

(a) Ecological Waste Management,

(b) Water quality and sanitation;

(©) Presence of floatable materials, such as plastics, aluminum cans, and bottles;
(@ Accessibility;

(©) Preventing and reversing coastal degradation;

(®) Coastal cleanliness and/or visible pollution;


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(g) Presence of emergency health services;
(h) Protection of marine flora and fauna; and

(i) Other measurable and reasonable quality standards pursuant to the declaredstate
policy of this Act or other related laws or rules and regulations.

SEC. 9. National Inventory and Assessment of Coastal Recreational Areas. —
Within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act, and every three (3) years thereafter, the
Council shall create a database of existing coastal recreational areas in the country and assess
them using the Framework.

SEC. 10. Sustainable Coastal Tourism Challenge Trust Fund. ~ The Sustainable
Coastal Tourism Challenge Fund, hereafter referred to as "the Fund”, is hereby established.
‘The Council shall use the Fund as an incentive for LGUs to comply with and implement the
provisions of this Act.

The Fund shall be sourced from the equivalent of five percent (5%) of any annual
increase of the revenues collected from the excise tax on manufactured oils and other fuels. It
shall be indicated as a separate line item under the budget of the Council.

SEC. 11. Role of National Government Agencies. — In addition to their duties as
members of the Council, the concerned agencies shall also perform the following functions to
ensure the successful implementation of this Act:

(a) The DOT shall provide technical and financial assistance in marketing, promoting
and developing sustainable coastal tourism projects. The DOT shall also
coordinate with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in formulating and
disseminating information against the collection of flora and fauna in coastal
recreational areas;

(b) The DPWH shall construct access roads and other essential infrastructure that are
sustainably master planned for coastal recreational areas, in coordination with the
DOT, the DILG and the concerned coastal provinces and affected local
government units: Provided, that all infrastructure constructed pursuant to this Act
shall be planned and maintained in a environmentally sustainable manner;

(©) The DOTr shall assist in the provision of transportation services for coastal
recreational areas, in coordination with the DOT, the DILG, and the concerned
coastal provinces and affected local government units;

(@) The DENR and its attached agencies shall provide technical and financial
assistance in monitoring and the status of flora and fauna in coastal recreational
areas and maintaining their assistance;


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(©) The DOH and the DENR- Environmental Management Bureau shall formulate
and enforce water quality and sanitation standards for coastal recreational areas.
The DOH shall also provide technical assistance to coastal provinces and affected
local government units in monitoring such standards in coastal recreational areas;
and,

(© The DILG, in coordination with the Council, shall take the lead in raising
awareness of sustainable coastal tourism among coastal provinces and affected
local government units.

SEC. 12. Local Sustainable Coastal Tourism Plans. — Coastal LCDs shall formulate
and implement their respective Local Sustainable Coastal Tourism Plans, herein referred to as
“the plan", to ensure the quality of coastal recreational areas within their jurisdiction. The
plans shall include, but not be limited to:

(@) Promotion and marketing of sustainable coastal recreational areas in their
jurisdiction;

(b) Provision of proper and well-equipped waste management facilities which can
accommodate 50% more than the total number of waste produced by the coastal
area in a day;

(©) Provision of facilities for coastal tourism, including the acquisition of equipment,
regulation and supervision of business concessions, and security services for such
facil

(d) Clean-ups of coastal recreational areas;

(©) Banning tourists and locals from collecting samples of flora and fauna found in
coastal recreational areas;

(f Collection of tourism access fees from coastal recreational areas: Provided, that
all amounts collected pursuant to this provision shall accrue to the city or
municipal government from which it was collected and which shall be accounted
for in accordance with existing government rules and regulations: Provided
further, that the all amounts collected shall be used by the LGU to implement the
provisions if this Act;

(g) Inspection and regulation of water quality and sanitation in coastal recreational
areas;

(b) Construction and maintenance of sustainably planned and maintained access
roads near coastal recreational areas;


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(i) Enforcement of easement zones as provided in Presidential Decree No. 1067, s.
1976, otherwise known as the Water Code of the Philippines;

(i) Provision of emergency health services;
(k) Dismantling of structures which prevent access to coastal recreational areas; and

() Moratorium on mining of sand and other minerals in or near coastal recreational
areas.

Local sustainable coastal tourism plans shall integrate the measurable indicators used
in the National Coastal Recreational Area Quality Framework. Coastal LGUS shall consult
affected communities in formulating their respective plans.

SEC. 13. Appropriations, — The amounts necessary to implement this Act shall be
taken from the current budget of the Department of Environment and National Resources.
Thereafter, such amounts necessary to effectively carry out the provisions of this Act shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 14. Penalty for Non-Compliant LGUs. — Local government officials who fail to
formulate and implement their Local Sustainable Coastal Tourism Plan shall be charged with
the penalty of dereliction of duty as defined under Chapter IV, Section 6 of Republic Act No.
7160 under Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the "Local Government Code of
1991",

SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. ~The DENR, DOT, DOTr, DPWH,
DOTr, DOH, DILG shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations of this Act
within ninety (90) days from its effectivity.

SEC. 16. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected by such declaration shall remain in force

and effect.

SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. — All laws, executive orders, administrative orders, and
rules and regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 18. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,