Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5895

House Bill No.” *

Introduced by 2" District of Agusan del Norte Representative
HON. MA. ANGELICA M. AMANTE-MATBA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Climate change gives greater vulnerability to developing countries because of their limited resources in
adapting to such phenomenon. Many governments of these countries have given and provided measures to
address this large scale issue.

Based on a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change publication, in the next decades, it is
projected that billions of people, particularly in developing countries like the Philippines, will suffer water
and food shortages which will pose higher risks to health and life due to climate change. Greenhouse gas
emissions is expected to rise by 25 to 90 percent by the end of the next decade that would translate to a 3°
Celsius temperature rise.'

The global temperature increase will produce harmful effects not just to Filipinos but to all. Such expected
effects include reduced agricultural production, higher risk of hunger, spread of diseases and higher risk of
extinction of flora and fauna species.

A study conducted in Switzerland measured Earth’s forest restoration potential through analyzing the
measurements of forest cover around the world. The researchers’ evaluation showed that the world’s
ecosystems could support another 900 million hectares of forests which is 25 percent more than the current
forested area we have. They also stated that planting more than half trillion of trees would capture 205 billion
metric tons of carbon. This amount is sufficient to counter the human-induced carbon emissions for 20 years
or about the half of all carbon emitted by humans since 1960?

We are looking at big numbers to provide solutions and measure against climate change but we must take
steps, even the small ones, to help not just ourselves but the future generations.

This bill aims to combat climate change through the requirement of planting at least one tree to every high
school student in the country as a prerequisite to graduation. With over a million of high school graduates per
year, it is expected that more than ten million trees will be planted each decade.

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

ANGEL M. AM|ANTE-MATBA

* UNECC hutps:/hunfoce int/resource/docs/publicationv/impacts pdf
2 NASA hntps://limate. nasa gow/news/2927 examining-the-viablli)-of planting-tres-to-help-mitigate-climate-change/


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
House Bill No,_°838

Introduced by 2" District of Agusan del Norte Representative
HON. MA. ANGELICA M. AMANTE-MATBA

AN ACT REQUIRING ALL GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PLANT AT LEAST
ONE TREE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR GRADUATION AND FOR OTHER RELATED
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines in Congress

assembled:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. It is the declared policy of the state to promote and to pursue
environmental protection and sustainable development for poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity

conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

SEC. 2. Requirement of Planting at least one (1) tree as a Prerequisite to High School Graduation. To
pursue and promote biodiversity and environmental protection in the country, all graduating high
school/secondary education students shall be required by the Department of Education (DepEd) to plant at
least one tree as a mandatory prerequisite for their graduation. The tree planting areas shall be determined by
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in coordination with the Provincial

Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) where the school is located or where the student resides.

SEC. 3. Appropriations. The necessary budget to implement this Act shall be included in the budget of the

Department of Education and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.


BEC. %. Rules and Regulations. The Department of Education and the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective enforcement of the provisions

of this Act.
SEC. 5. Separability Clause. Any provision of this Act that may be declared unconstitutional shall not have
the effect of nullifying other provisions hereof, as long as such remaining portions can still subsist and can be

given effect in their entirety.

SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. All rules and regulations and other issuances or parts thereof, which are

inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 7. Effeetivity. This Act shall take effect within sixty (60) days upon its publication in at least two (2)

newspaper of general circulation of the Official Gazette.

Approved,