Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 1866

Introduced by: HONORABLE ROSEMARIE CONEJOS PANOTES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to create a separate district engineering office for the Second District of
Camarines Norte that will have jurisdiction over the Municipalities of Basud, Daet, Mercedes, San
Lorenzo Ruiz, San Vicente, Talisay, and Vinzons, all located in the said legislative district.

The clamor for the creation of a separate district engineering office started in 2009 when
Congress passed Republic Act No. 9725, which divided the lone legislative district of the Province
of Camarines Norte into two (2) legislative districts. There were numerous requests presented to
the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and even reached the Office of the
President but all efforts of political leaders on this issue came to naught as these proposals were
not acted upon.

Fortunately, the urgency for the creation of a separate district engineering office for each
legislative district has been recognized when the DPWH issued Department Order No. 74, Series
of 2022, which created the Camarines Norte Sub-District Engineering Office (Camarines Norte
Second District Engineering Office) from the existing Camarines Norte District Engineering
Office in the Province of Camarines Norte. However, there are certain limitations in terms of
creating pantilla positions, operationalization and other factors that require appropriations in
Department Orders and similar issuances unlike in an Act of Congress, which will already
authorize the disbursement of public funds, and has a degree of permanence unless repealed by a
subsequent Act of Congress.

This bill was already approved on Third Reading by the House of Representatives and was
approved by the Senate Committee on Public Works and Highways. However, due to lack of
material time, this important piece of legislation was not included among those bills approved by
the Senate during the Nineteenth Congress.

The foregoing reasons warrant the immediate approval of this bill.

nosemarhlteseios PANOTES

Representative
Second District, Camarines Norte

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATV.
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 1866

Introduced by: HONORABLE ROSEMARIE CONEJOS PANOTES

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE CAMARINES NORTE FIRST DISTRICT ENGINEERING
OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS (DPWH) IN
THE MUNICIPALITY OF LABO, PROVINCE OF CAMARINES NORTE, RENAMING
THE EXISTING DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF
DAET AS THE CAMARINES NORTE SECOND DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE,
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. A district engineering office of the Department of Public Works and
Highways is hereby established in the Province of Camarines Norteto be known as the Camarines
Norte First District Engineering Office. It shall be located in the Municipality of Labo and shall
serve the municipalities of Capalonga, Jose Panganiban, Labo, Paracale, and Santa Elena, all in
the First Legislative District of the Province of Camarines Norte.

SEC. 2. The existing district engineering office of the Department of Public Works and
Highways in the Municipality of Daet is hereby renamed as the Camarines Norte Second District
Engineering Office and shall serve the municipalities of Basud, Daet, Mercedes, San Lorenzo
Ruiz, San Vicente, Talisay, and Vinzons, all in the Second Legislative District of the Province of
Camarines Norte.

SEC. 3. The Secretary of Public Works and Highways shall include in the Department’s
program the operationalization of the Camarines Norte First District Engineering Office and the
Camarines Norte Second District Engineering Office, the funding of which shall be included in
the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 4, This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,