PRESS
“ES

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
QuEzON CrTy

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No._270

Introduced by Representative SHIRLYN L. BANAS-NOGRALES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Bill seeks to create a full-fledged Department of Trade and Industry (DT!) office in
General Santos City, with complete manpower complement and budget allocation in the annual
General Appropriations Act, just like the way other city and provincial offices of the DTI
operate, Currently, the DTI in General Santos City is operating only as a satellite office of DTI
Regional Office XII with a Division Chief as the highest-ranked officer serving as a Caretaker.

General Santos City has a total land area of 492.82 square kilometers with a population
of 697,315 inhabitants and an average annual population growth rate of 3.42% based on PSA
2015 census. The then municipality was chartered as a city on 0S June 1968 and has been
declared as a highly-urbanized city on 05 September 1988.

General Santos City plays a vital role in the economy of Mindanao. General Santos
City, being the only highly-urbanized city in the South Central Mindanao and the 3" largest
economy in Mindanao, is the hub of commerce and trade in SOCCSKSARGEN or Region
XIL It has four (4) major gateways: the international airport, seaport, fish port, and land
transport hub. The city owed its growth and development from hosting major industries that
include agribusiness, banking, e-services, tourism, manufacturing, and trading. The city is home
to seven (7) out of eight (8) tuna processing plants in the country

The facilitation of a full-fledged DTI office in the city in terms of intervention and
participation to the international issues and export promotion of the tuna industry cannot be
overemphasized. The trade and commerce conferences and meetings in the region are mostly
held in General Santos City, thus, requires the representation of director level from the DTI.
Moreover, as the city now becoming a host to the growing community of business start-ups and
emerging as the regional center of ICT industry, the DTI satellite office needs sufficient numbers
of personnel to work for the enormous job.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this Bill is earnestly sought.

Us

SHIRLYN L. BANAS-NOGRALES


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
QUEZON City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No._270

Introduced by Representative SHIRLYN L. BANAS-NOGRALES

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
OFFICE IN GENERAL SANTOS CITY, APPRORPIATING FUNDS.
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

Section 1. There shall be a city office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DT!) in
General Santos City

Section 2. ‘The Department of ‘Trade and Industry Field Office shall be headed by a City
Director to be appointed by the President of the Philippines. The organizational structure and
additional plantilla positions to be created under this Act shall be determined by the Department
of Trade and Industry, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management and the
Civil Service Commission.

Section 3. The amount necessary to carry out the implementation of this Act shall be
charged against the appropriations of the Department of Trade and Industry for the current fiscal
year, Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for the operation and maintenance of the DTI
Field Office in General Santos City shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 4. Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of
‘Trade and Industry shall promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the implementation
of this Act.

Section 5. All laws, executive orders, issuances, rules and regulations inconsistent with
this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly

Section 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazatte or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,