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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 2113
Introduced by Representative Jose Manuel F. Alba 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE DELINEATION OF THE SPECIFIC FOREST LIMITS 
OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
One of the key legislative agenda of the DENR under the Climate 
Change and Mitigation Cluster is the delineation of Specific Forest Limits. 
The same is also included in the Philippine Development Plan under the 
past administration. This policy direction intends to pursue the action plan 
by identifying and providing the specific boundaries limits its of forestlands 
per province and delineate areas in which no other land use may prevail. 
This measure puts flesh to the Constitutional mandate of ascertaining 
the specific boundaries of forest and protected areas, with the objective of 
conserving and protecting these areas from further degradation. This 
measure also proposes to establish a National Review and Evaluation 
Committee to conduct competent review, assessment, and validation of 
existing boundaries of forest lands, and shall recommend to Congress such 
boundaries. 
For the foregoing reasons, the immediate consideration and approval 
of this bill is earnestly sought. 
JOSE MANUEL F. ALBA 
Representative, 1st District, Bukidnon 
July 21, 2025
11:56 am


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 2113 
Introduced by Representative Jose Manuel F. Alba 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR THE DELINEATION OF THE SPECIFIC FOREST LIMITS 
OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the "Forestland 
Limits Act". 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy - It is the policy of the State to conserve, 
protect and develop the forest resources of the country in order to attain 
ecological balance, preserve valuable ecosystems, prevent environmental 
degradation and promote sustainable development for the present and 
future generations. To achieve these ends, Section 4 of Article XII of the 
Constitution mandates Congress to determine by law the specific limits of 
forestlands and national parks marking clearly their boundaries on the 
ground. 


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SEC. 3. Definition of Terms - As used in this Act: 
a) “Agricultural lands” refer to alienable and disposable lands 
of the public domain which have been the subject of the 
land classification system and declared as not needed for 
forest purposes; 
 
b) “Delimitation” refers to the establishment of permanent 
boundary monuments of forestland through land survey in 
accordance with existing standards and practices; 
 
c) “Delineation” refers to the conduct of site investigation, field 
reconnaissance and assessment, and staking of boundaries 
between forestlands, national parks and agricultural lands 
verified in the field in accordance with the criteria set forth 
under Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
Administrative Order No. 2008-24; 
 
d) “Forest” refers to a land with an area of more than 0.5 
hectare and tree crown cover Of equivalent stocking level of 
more than ten percent (100/0) with trees at a minimum 
height of five (5) meters at maturity, in situ. It consists 
either of closed forest formations, where trees of various 
stories and undergrowth cover a high proportion of the 
ground or more than forty percent (40%), or open 
formations with a continuous vegetation cover in which tree 
crown cover exceeds ten percent (100/0) but less than forty 
percent (40%). Young natural stands and all plantations 
established for forest purposes, which are yet to reach a 
crown density of more than ten percent (10%) or tree height 
of five (5) meters are included under forests. 
 


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e) “Forest Reservations” refer to forestlands which have been 
reserved by the President of the Philippines for any specific 
purpose or purposes;  
f) 
“Production” forest lands refer to forestlands available for 
timber and agro-forestry production, range lands for 
grazing and other forest lands special uses;  
 
g) “Protected Area” refers to identified portions of land and/or 
water set aside by reason of their unique physical and 
biological significance, managed to enhance biological 
diversity 
and 
protected 
against 
destructive 
human 
exploitation. 
 
h) “Protection forest” lands refer to all areas within the 
forestlands 
devoted 
primarily 
for 
the 
protection, 
conservation of forest resources to ensure environmental 
stability, conservation of biological diversity, improvement 
of ecosystem functions and services, and provision of 
ecological and economic benefits. All mossy and primary or 
old growth forests and natural beach, key biodiversity 
areas, areas which are highly erodible or too rocky for 
establishment as production regardless of slope and 
vegetation cover that are developed for the principal 
objective of establishing vegetative cover to prevent erosion, 
conserve water and nurture wildlife, freshwater, swamps, 
and marshes, all areas along the bank of the rivers and 
streams, and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout 
their entire length and within the zone of three (3) meters in 
urban areas, twenty (20) meters in agricultural areas, and 
forty (40) meters in forest areas, along their margins which 
are subject to the easement of public use such as for 
recreation, settlements, navigation, floatage, fishing or 
salvage 
shall 
also 
be 
sub-classified 
as 
protection 


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forestlands. Cutting of trees and mining are banned in 
these protection forestlands: Provided, That the provisions 
of the Republic Act No. 8371, the Indigenous People's 
Rights Act (IPRA) and Republic Act No. 7586, the National 
Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act shall be 
respected. 
 
i) 
“Tenured migrant communities” refer to communities within 
forestlands which have actually and continuously occupied 
such areas for five (5) years before the designation of the 
same as forestlands in accordance with this Act and are 
solely dependent therein for subsistence. 
 
SEC. 4. Forestlands – The following shall constitute forestlands: 
 
a) All lands of the public domain already classified as forestland based 
on existing land classification maps issued by the DENR; 
 
b) All permanent forest reserves proclaimed as such by the President or 
declared by law; and 
 
c) Such areas within the unclassified ked* of the public domain that 
were assessed and delineated by the DENR in accordance with 
pertinent laws, rules and regulations and which may hereafter be 
classified as forestland by the DENR. 
 
SEC. 5. Determining the Specific Limits of Forestlands. – The following 
guidelines and procedures shall be followed in determining the specific 
limits of forest lands in the country: 
 
a) The previously established Land Classification (LC) survey lines per 
province with their respective technical descriptions UDs) and 
maps shall be the basic data and information that will be used as 


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reference material in undertaking the validation, assessment and 
delineation process. 
 
b) All completed assessment and delineation reports for a given 
province shall be endorsed to the National Review and Evaluation 
Committee as created herein to be headed by the Secretary of the 
DENR for final approval; 
 
c) The same process shall be followed by other provinces with on— 
going assessments and delineation activities until such time that 
all the boundaries of forestlands of the whole country shall have 
been delimited: Provided that all assessments, validations and 
delineations shall be completed not later than one (1) year after the 
passage of this Act. 
 
SEC. 6. National Review and Evaluation Committee – Pursuant to the 
mandate embodied in Section 4, Article XII of the Constitution, and in view 
of the urgent need to establish the permanent limits of the forestlands of the 
country, a National Review and Evaluation Committee, hereinafter to be 
referred to as the Committee, is hereby created to process, evaluate and 
approve all completed assessment and delineation reports referred to in the 
immediately preceding section. The Committee, in its evaluation and 
approval of the reports, shall adhere strictly to established laws, policies, 
rules, regulations and guidelines pertinent thereto. 
 
The Committee shall be composed of the following: 
a) Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
(DENR) as Chairperson; 
b) Secretary of the Socioeconomic Planning and Director-General of 
the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as Vice 
Chairperson; 
c) Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government 
(DILG) as Member; 


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d) Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) as Member; 
e) Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) as Member; 
and 
f) 
Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating 
Council (HUDCC) as Member. 
 
The assessment and delineation reports as approved by the 
Committee shall be adopted as constituting the final boundaries of the 
forestlands covered by the reports. The Committee shall submit to Congress 
the approved assessment and delineation reports for each province which 
shall thereafter form part of its official records. 
 
SEC. 7. Demarcation and Delimitation of Forestland Boundary - 
Immediately after the passage of this Act, the forest line determined and 
established by the DENR shall be adopted as the forestland boundary of the 
country and all monuments established shall be deemed permanent. Maps 
of the forestland boundary prepared by the DENR shall be attached as an 
integral part of this Act for reference. 
 
SEC. 8. Permanency of the Specific Forestlands Limits. – The permanent 
forestland established pursuant to this Act shall not be diminished nor 
reduced except by an act of Congress. The DENR, in coordination with all 
agencies and branches of government, shall see to it that the forest cover 
and vegetation therein shall be protected, preserved and enhanced. 
 
SEC. 9. Sub-classification of the Forestlands. – The DENR shall 
undertake the sub classification of permanent forestlands into protection 
forests and production forests. 
 
SEC. 10. Recognition of the Rights of the Indigenous Cultural 
Communities/ Indigenous Peoples and Tenured Migrant Communities. – In  
the ground delineation of the permanent forest limits, the occupation by 
indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples and tenured migrants 


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shall be recognized and respected consistent with the provisions of Republic 
Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, Republic Act No. 8371 
or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997, and Presidential Decree 
No. 705, as amended, or the Forestry Code of 1975. 
 
SEC. 11. Accessibility of Records. – All records and information 
pertaining to the specific forest limits delineated pursuant to this Act shall 
be made available to all local government units (LGUs), other government 
agencies, and to the general public. 
 
SEC. 12. Classification of Conflict by the Adjudication Board. – A Land 
Classification Conflict Adjudication Board, herein referred to as the Board, 
is hereby created to resolve controversies arising front land classification as 
a result of the delineation of forest lands pursuant to this Act. The Board 
shall be composed of the following: 
 
a) Secretary eff the Department of Justice OOJ) as Chairperson; 
b) Administrator of the Land Registration Authority (LRA) as Member; 
c) Representative from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) as 
Member; 
d) Representative from a reputable College of Forestry as Member; 
and 
e) Representative from the private sector 
 
SEC. 13. Powers and Functions of the Board. – The Board shall have 
the following powers and functions: 
1) Adjudicate cases on land conflicts; 
2) Summon witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony and require 
the submission of reports;  
3) Compel production of books and documents and answers to 
interrogatories; and  
4) Issue subpoena duces tecum, writs of possession, writs of 
execution and other writs to enforce its orders and decisions. 


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In any proceeding before the Board, the Rules of Evidence prevailing in 
courts of law of equity shall not be controlling and it is the spirit and 
intention of this Act that shall govern. 
 
The Board shall use every and all reasonable means to ascertain the 
facts in each case speedily and objectively. The findings of facts of the Board 
shall be conclusive and binding on the parties and its decision or order shall 
be final and executory. A petition for review by certiorari on any question of 
law may be filed by the aggrieved party with the Supreme Court within thirty 
(30) days from receipt of the order or decision of the Board. 
 
SEC. 14. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting System. – To attain the 
objectives of this Act, a field monitoring, evaluation, and reporting system 
shall be adopted by the Secretary of the DENR to regularly keep track of the 
state of the country's forestlands after their delineation and ensure that 
these lands are protected and conserved. 
 
SEC. 15. Appropriations. – The Secretary of the DENR shall include in 
the Department's program the implementation of this Act, the initial funding 
of which shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the 
Department and, thereafter, shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act. Funds for the implementation of the provisions of this 
Act shall be supplemented from any available official development 
assistance (ODA) and from joint projects between agencies of the Philippines 
and an assisting country. Local government units shall also allocate 
counterpart funds to be taken from their internal revenue allotment (IRA) 
and other LGU income for the delineation of the forest limits within their 
respective territorial jurisdictions. 
 
SEC. 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) 
days from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the DENR shall issue 
the 
corresponding 
Implementing 
Rules 
and 
Regulations 
for 
its 
implementation. 


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SEC. 17. Separability Clause. — When any portion of this Act is 
declared unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and 
effectivity of the other provisions not affected thereby. 
 
SEC. 18. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, letters of instruction, 
executive orders, rules and regulations, and other issuances of parts thereof 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 19. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general 
circulation. 
 
Approved,