Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
Quezon City

eventeenth Congre:
Second Regular Se

House Bill No. 6154

Introduced by REP. MANUEL ANTONIO F, ZUBIRE

EXPLANATORY NOTE

It is the policy of the State to promote industrialization and full employment based on
sound agricultural development and agrarian reform by making full and efficient use of human
and natural resources in order to be competitive in both domestic and foreign markets. Since the
Philippines is first and foremost an agricultural nation, true economic development and food
security can only be attained if both the public and private sectors take the critical steps to
preserve, support and protect our nation’s agricultural industry.

While agricultural productivity has grown in leaps and bounds over the years through the
invaluable efforts of institutions such as the locally-headquartered International Rice Research
Institute which is credited for averting famine in Asia, the Philippine Government has not
provided enough support by way of linking our farmers to the rest of the nation, ‘To this end
imperative that the National Government take the lead in spearheading efforts to building the
necessary support facilities that would facilitate the movement of agricultural products from
initial production to final consumption, To this end, the National Government must take the
necessary concrete steps to invest in and build barangay roads and other local roads to link
producers to consumers. These barangay and local roads, in addition to farm to market roads will
greatly improve the mobility of agricultural products, services and other key players, but also
make job opportunities more accessible and facilitate the provision of basic social services to the
common tao. especially those living in the more inaccessible parts of the country

As we have seen in the past years, the national government has prioritized the
development of primary and national roads. bridges and other thoroughfares. leaving the
necessary support or feeder roads or tho: ified as “local roads”, most especially in the rural
areas, to the responsibility of their respective local governments. It is an ineluctable fact that not
all local government units have enough income to fund the construction of concrete support or
feeder roads and subsequently provide for their maintenance. Over the years. this glaring
disparity in budgetary priority between national and local roads results in unsold and wasted
produce that could have augmented the meager earings of our nation’s ageing farmers and
helped alleviate the suffering of the millions of Filipinos who do not have access to cheap but
good quality food which our nation produces in great abundance. Worse, our nation’s very own
food security is threatened since the youth are leaving their parents’ farms in hopes of seeking
greener pastures elsewhere. With the average age of the Filipino farmer hovering in the late
50's. who will produce our food when they finally retire in a few years?

This most unfortunate bias against local feeder roads can be gleaned from the fact that for
the year 2018, the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways. which
does not fund the construction of farm to market roads, is P643.3 billion, the great bulk of which
is concentrated in highly-urbanized and hyper-developed areas. Meanwhile, the budget allocated



to the Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year 2018, the only government agency funding
the establishment of farm to market roads is only P6 billion for the country’s 42,036 barangays
(as of the filing of this bill).

Since the instant Bill hopes to substantially improve and expand our nation’s network of
local feeder roads, it is hopeg that national development would be spurred — not only from the
marked improvement in the/movement of agricultural products and services from the point of
production to the point of ensumption but in so many other critical areas such as food security.
job creation and accessibilfty, rural-wide investments. etc.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

eventeenth Congress
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. 6154

Introduced by REP. MANUEL ANTONIO F. ZUBIRE

AN ACT MANDATING THE GOVERNMENT TO ALLOCATE FUNDS
FOR BARANGAY ROADS AND OTHER LOCAL ROAD:

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 “Barangay and Other Local Roads
Act of 2017".

Section 2. Declarati
to agriculture
adequate finan

of State Policy. ~ It is the declared policy of the State to provide support
ind its related industries through appropriate technology and research, and
production, marketing ana other support serv

To this end, the State shall give adequate support to Filipino agricultural workers by
constructing and completing farm to market, barangay, and other roads to expedite the
transportation of farm products and provision of other related services.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. —
“DA” shall refer to the Department of Agriculture.

“DPWH?” shall refer to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“DSWD” shall refer to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“IRA” shall refer to the Internal Revenue Allotment received by a local government unit
s distributive share in the revenues from the National Government of the Republic of the

“Local Government Units” shall include provinces. cities, municipaliti
and autonomous areas in the Philippines.

. barangays

“NAPC” shall refer to the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
“PSA” shall refer to the Philippine Statistics Authority
Section 4. Scope. — This Act shall cover all local government units.

Section 5. Allocation from the national government. — The government, through the DPWH.
DA, and such other agencies that have the authority to develop public roads and other
thoroughfares within the territory of the Republic of the Philippines. shall henceforth include in
its budget an allocation for the construction and completion of farm to market roads, barangay
roads, and other local roads for all local government units.



The poorest local government units shall have the highest priority for the development of
such roads mentioned in this Act. The socioeconomic status of said local government units shall
be determined using the data from the appropriate government agencies such as the PSA, NAPC
and DSWD.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to remove, reduce or otherwise diminish the
present responsibility and commitment of local government units to fund and/or spearhead the
construction and completion of their own farm to market, barangay roads. and other local roads
through their IRA and other sources of revenues.

Section 6. Responsibility for Administration and Enforcement. — Afier the completion of the
farm to market, barangay, and other local roads, it shall be the primary duty of the local
governments to effectively enforce the provisions of this Act.

It shall also be the responsibility of such local government units to maintain and keep the
cleanliness and orderliness of the aforementioned local roads. Furthermore, the local government
units shall perform such other functions as may be necessary for preservation of the farm to
market, barangay, and other local roads.

Section 7. Appropriation. — The funds required for the implementation of this Act shall be
taken from the budget of the DPWH for the current fiscal year.

Thereafter. the amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be included
in the General Appropriations Act of the year immediately following its enactment into law and
subsequent thereto.

Section 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. ~ Within ninety (90) days after the effectivity
of this Act. the DPWH. DA, PSA, NAPC, DPWH and other such concerned agencies. shall
adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations, to carry out the provisions of this Act and
which shall be effective fifteen (15) days following their publication in the Official Gazette or in
two (2) major daily newspapers of general circulation.

Section 9. Separability Clause. ~ If
invalid, the other provisions not otherwi

ny provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or
affected shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 10. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, executive orders, rules and regulations inconsistent
with or contrary to this Act are hereby deemed accordingly repealed or amended.

Section 11. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) di from

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.