Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
 First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO 
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many of the problems we
are facing now in our urban areas. As of the last census in 2020, the National
Capital Region has a population of 13.4 million people, which would be even
greater at present. Population density, lack of urban planning, and lack of
opportunities in the provinces are all contributing factors to many of the
problems experienced by Metro Manila that are further aggravated by the
Covid-19 pandemic.  
Local government units (LGUs) found themselves overwhelmed with
the number of residents they needed to assist. While some of them can cope
and lay down effective policies, these are all but temporary solutions. After
COVID-19,  we  will  still  have  to  face  the  problems  brought  about  by
population  density,  such  as  lack  of  sufficient  health  facilities,  health
personnel to patient ratio, limited resources of the LGU compared with the
number of its residents, traffic, and road congestion, among others.
Thus, this representation proposes the Buhay Probinsya national policy
to provide a long-term solution. We envision a future in which provinces are
alive and thriving. We want to put rural development in a primary position,
so a comprehensive national policy must first be created. 
This  national  policy  shall  consider  industrial  or  commercial
development, agriculture, and sustainable tourism. We want the policy to
harness, but at the same time protect, our existing resources so that they
can  be  used  for  the  overall  national  development.  We  want  our  fellow
Filipinos to see and feel development within their provinces so that they will
never have to uproot their lives and leave their family to move into the big
urban  cities.  We  want  the  provinces  to  thrive  through  the  inflow  of
businesses, investors, agricultural advances, and sustainable tourism,  mga
July 13, 2022
4:43 pm
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probinsyang buhay at puno ng buhay, iyan po ang obhektibo natin. It is for
these reasons that the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
  ALFRED C. DELOS SANTOS
Representative, Ang Probinsyano Partylist


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
 First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO 
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF
PROVINCES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION  1.  Short  Title.  –  This  Act  shall  be  known  as  the  “Buhay
Probinsya Law.”
SECTION  2. Declaration of Policy. –  It is the policy of the State to
promote rural development. It is likewise the policy of the state to ensure the
equitable distribution of wealth and opportunity to each Filipino. The State
shall thus endeavor to provide and implement programs that will ensure a
decentralized economic development that will now focus on provinces and
rural areas. Toward this end, the State shall implement measures to achieve
the following objectives:
a) Creation and implementation of policies focused on the economic
development of provinces and rural areas;
b) Determination of areas within each province that are suitable for
industrial, agricultural, and eco-tourism hubs;
c) Creation and implementation of sustainable tourism policies per
area;
d) Creation and implementation of policies that will attract various
industries  to  invest  and  maintain  their  manufacturing  or
production sites in rural areas;
e) Provide  avenues  for  agricultural  development  which  shall
consider other agriculture activities that fit the characteristics of
the province and not just crop planting;
f) Encourage Filipinos to work and reside in provinces and rural
areas; and
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g) Effectively decongest urban areas by decentralizing business and
job opportunities.
SECTION 3. Philippine Regional and Rural Development Council.  – A
Philippine Regional and Rural Development Committee (PRRDC) is hereby
created, which shall be composed of the following:
a) Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA);
b) Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG);
c) Secretary  of  the  Department  of  Public  Works  and  Highways
(DPWH);
d) Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT);
e) Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);
f) Secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT);
g) Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); 
h) Secretary  of  the  Department  of  Environment  and  Natural
Resources (DENR);
i)
Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD);
j)
Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH);
k) Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM);
l)
Secretary of the Department of Finance (DOF);
m)Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd);
n) Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED);
o) Director-General  of  the  Technical  Education  and  Skills
Development Authority (TESDA);
p) Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority; and
q) Chairperson of the Cooperative Development Authority.
Each committee member shall designate a permanent and alternate
representative who shall have the authority to decide for, and on behalf of
the department, agency, or office they are representing, and to perform
other functions as necessary.
The  Committee  shall  be  assisted  by  a  Secretariat,  headed  by  the
General  Manager  of  the  National  Housing  Authority,  which  shall  provide
technical and administrative assistance to the Committee. The Secretariat
shall be composed of personnel from the NHA and the member agencies of
the Committee.
The  Committee,  in  coordination  with  other  relevant agencies, shall
formulate  a  comprehensive  national  policy  for  the  creation  of  business,
industrial, agricultural, and eco-tourism hubs or zones for every province,
depending  on  the  capacity  and  characteristics  of  the  province.  The


Committee shall release the national policy within one (1) year from the
effectivity of this Act. 
SECTION 4. National Policy Direction. – The national policy shall include
short, medium, and long-term sub-policies on the following focal areas: a)
agriculture;  b)  local  industries  and  MSMEs;  c)  sustainable  tourism;  d)
employment  and  social  welfare;  e)  public  health,  and  f)  education.  The
national  policy  shall  have  a  holistic  approach  to  rural  development  and
improving the quality of life of the inhabitants of rural areas.
The  national  policy  shall  provide  for  measures  that  will  encourage
businesses to move their operations into the industrial hubs, including but
not limited to local tax holidays, expedited processing, or waiver of other
requirements for the establishment of their business, among others. Micro,
Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) shall be given fiscal incentives and
transition assistance such as local tax holidays, expedited processing, or
waiver of other requirements for the establishment of their business, among
others, by LGUs and the national government.
It shall also provide for measures on agricultural development, which
may  be  but  are  not  limited  to  planting  crops,  fisheries,  production  or
processing of agricultural products, dairy farming, or livestock raising. The
determination of which agricultural venture or ventures will be undertaken
shall be based on the discretion of the LGU, considering its capability and
geographical characteristics.
The  national  policy  shall  likewise  include  measures  for  developing
tourism and tourism-based livelihood and businesses, with high regard for
sustainability and environmental impact. No measure shall be undertaken if
it damages or destroys the environment,  and all measures shall include
safeguards that will ensure compliance with the standards set by the DENR
and the DOT.
The national policy shall provide for the employment of Filipinos before
foreign nationals, but in no way shall the latter be discriminated against or
prevented from occupying the position if there is no Filipino qualified and
available to perform the job.
The  national  policy  shall  ensure  that  a  sufficient  number  of  well-
equipped hospitals are available for each province. It shall also consider
public health principles in creating health policies for rural development.
The national policy shall ensure that the transition of families from
urban to rural areas is supported by sufficient transportation, social welfare,
and other necessary assistance from the government.


 SECTION 4. Implementation by the Local Government Units. -  The
national  policy  shall  be  forwarded  to  the  existing  regional  development
councils  and  provincial  local  government  units  for  assistance  in  the
implementation. LGUs shall assist in implementing the national policy but
shall have the authority to modify aspects of the policy implementation to
tailor-fit  the  needs  and  available  resources  of  their  territory.  LGUs  shall
submit a bi-annual accomplishment report to the Committee.
SECTION  5. Incentives  for  Businesses.  –  The  provincial  LGUs  shall
implement  the  incentives  laid  out  in  the  national  policy  created  by  the
Committee,  including  but  not  limited  to  local  tax  holidays,  expedited
processing, or waiver of other requirements for establishing their business.
The  provincial  LGUs  shall  also  have  the  discretion  to  provide  additional
incentives for businesses that will migrate from the urban areas or establish
operations in their territorial jurisdiction. 
SECTION 6.  Incentives for Workers. –  Workers and their families who
decide to move to and take up employment in the provinces shall be given
transportation assistance for their person and their belongings by the DOT in
coordination with the LGU which has jurisdiction over the chosen residence
of the worker. 
The DSWD shall provide a Buhay Probinsya financial assistance of ten
thousand pesos (PhP10,000.00) for every family who will move from Metro
Manila or other urban cities to the provinces or rural areas and will pursue
employment, trade, or profession in such locality. A family who received the
Balik Probinsya financial assistance shall be disqualified to receive the same
within three (3) years from receipt of the grant.
The  DSWD  shall  formulate  the  guidelines  for  the  documentary
requirements  and  release  of  the Buhay Probinsya  financial assistance  to
qualified families. The DSWD shall also maintain a comprehensive database
of families who availed of the financial assistance to avoid duplication.
SECTION 7.  Technical Skills Training for Members of the Urban Poor
Communities and Informal Settlers; Benefits for Trainees. –  The Technical
Education Skills Development Authority, in coordination with DSWD, shall
formulate and implement training programs for interested members of the
urban poor communities and informal settlers in Metro Manila and other
urban cities. The training programs should sufficiently provide the necessary
skills  training  required  by  commercial,  tourism-related,  and  agricultural
industries and businesses.
TESDA, in coordination with the DOT, shall provide its trainees with
free transportation and a daily meal allowance. TESDA shall thereafter assist
training graduates in looking for employment opportunities in the provinces.


Once employed, DSWD shall assist the employee in moving to the province
where his employer is located. 
SECTION 8.  Provincial Wage Rate Rationalization. –  The Secretary of
DOLE,  through  the  National  Wages  and  Productivity  Commission,  shall
submit a provincial wage rationalization plan to the Committee. The said
plan shall lay out the gradual increase of regional wage rates outside Metro
Manila in five (5) years. The annual increase shall lead to a uniform national
wage rate. The increase shall begin one (1) year after the issuance of the
national policy by the Committee.
SECTION 9. Reporting. – The Committee shall submit to the President a
quarterly  report  on  the  status  of  the  implementation  of  this  Act,
accomplishments, and budget utilization.
SECTION  10.  Appropriations.  –  The  amounts  necessary  for  the
implementation  of  this  Act  shall  be  charged  against  the  existing
appropriations of the member agencies and from other sources as identified
by the DBM. 
Local government units shall also be allowed to include in their budget
the amounts required to implement the national policy created under the
Buhay Probinsya Act. The appropriation for the implementation of this law
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SECTION 11. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is
held invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts unaffected
shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION  12. Repealing  Clause. –  All  laws,  executive  orders,
presidential  decrees  or  issuances,  letters  of  instruction,  administrative
orders, rules, and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions
of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general
circulation.
Approved,