Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. VINCENZO 
RENATO LUIGI R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA, AND 
HON. TERRY L. RIDON 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The fisherfolk sector remain to be one of the most vulnerable and poorest sectors in 
the Philippines. It is the mandate of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 
to support the fisherfolk and provide livelihood programs for their progress. Our fisherfolk plays 
a crucial part in adding to our daily food supply as they make it their life’s mission to catch fish 
and sell them. However, just like any other sectors, they likewise face challenges such as 
climate change, overfishing, illegal fishing, limited access to markets, and competition with 
commercial fishing, which makes their livelihood more difficult.  
Being part of the fisherfolk sector is far from easy as they have made their livelihood 
the core of how they live each day. In order to ensure constant access to fish, they need to 
live in coastal barangays to gain direct access to fishing grounds. According to Fish Forever 
Philippines, the country is the 5th largest coastline in the world which is made up of 22,584 
miles of coast. Furthermore, 80% of Filipinos live in the coastal municipalities while 85% of 
the Filipino fishers are registered as small-scale fishermen. Fifty percent of our daily fish are 
caught by these small-scale fishermen.1  
Agonizingly, many of our fisherfolk are always displaced due to natural disasters such 
as storms, typhoons, and sea-level rise because they live near bodies of water. Therefore, in 
order to support and empower our fisherfolk sector, this bill mandates the Department of 
Agriculture, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, and the Local 
Government Units to establish fisherfolk resettlement areas within their jurisdictions that shall 
be considered as their housing site still with access to fishing grounds.  
This is a re-filed bill from the 19th Congress, and was approved on Third and Final 
Reading and was transmitted to Senate. Thus, in light of the foregoing, the immediate passage 
of this bill is earnestly sought. 
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
1 Rare. (n.d.). Fish Forever in the Philippines. https://rare.org/program/philippines/ 
July 10, 2025
6:49 pm
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HON. VINCENZO RENATO LUIGI R. VILLAFUERTE 
HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
HON. TERRY L. RIDON 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. VINCENZO 
RENATO LUIGI R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA, AND 
HON. TERRY L. RIDON 
AN ACT MANDATING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FISHERFOLK RESETTLEMENT 
AREAS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENTOF HUMAN 
SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT  
AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS, AMENDING  
FOR THE PURPOSE SEC. 108 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8550, OTHERWISE KNOWN 
AS THE "PHILIPPINE FISHERIES CODE OF 1998," AS AMENDED BY  
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10654" 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 108 of Republic Act No. 8550, otherwise known as "The Philippine 
Fisheries Code of 1998", as amended by Republic Act No. 10654, is hereby amended to read 
as follows: 
"SEC. 108. Fisherfolk Settlement Areas. - [The Department shall establish and 
create fisherfolk settlement areas in coordination with concerned agencies of the 
government, where certain areas of the 6 public domain, specifically near the 
fishing grounds, shall be reserved for the settlement of the municipal fisherfolk. 
Nothing in this section shall be construed to vest ownership of any resettlement 
area to a municipal fisherfolk for whom said areas may have been reserved for or 
had been actually granted to.] THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, 
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND THE 
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OF CITIES OR MUNICIPALITIES EXERCISING 
JURISDICTION OVER COASTAL AREAS AND MUNICIPAL WATERS, SHALL 
IDENTIFY, ESTABLISH, AND CREATE SETTLEMENT AREAS WHICH HAVE 
ADEQUATE ACCESS TO FISHING GROUNDS: PROVIDED, THAT IN 
PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED OR ESTABLISHED SETTLEMENT AREAS WITH 
ADEQUATE ACCESS TO FISHING GROUNDS, FISHERFOLK SHALL BE 
GRANTED PREFERENCE IN THE AWARD OF SETTLEMENT RIGHTS 
THEREAT: PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 
SETTLEMENT AREAS SHALL BE IN FAVOR OF FISHERFOLK WHO ARE 
REGISTERED AS SUCH WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CITY OR MUNICIPALITY 
AND WHO ARE WITHOUT REAL PROPERTY: PROVIDED, FINALLY, THAT 
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS EXERCISING JURISDICTION OVER COASTAL 
AREAS AND MUNICIPAL WATERS ARE HEREBY MANDATED TO 
INTEGRATE 
SETTLEMENT 
AREAS 
FOR 
FISHERFOLK 
IN 
THEIR 
RESPECTIVE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANS". 
1789


 
SECTION 2. Separability Clause. – If any portion or provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other portions or provisions hereof, which are not affected 
thereby, shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 3. Repealing Clause. – All other laws, decrees, orders, circulars, issuances, rules 
and regulations and parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, 
amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 4. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,