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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
1 
8 
RPR 15 ;:9 2 i 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
1 
S E N A T E  
S. NO. $156 
Introduced by Senator Manuel “Lito” M. Lapid 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Forest cover is decreasing in many tropical landscapes following decades of 
logging, fire and other human disturbances. At the same time, there are large and 
growing areas of degraded forest lands that need to be rehabilitated to again provide 
forest goods and services and meet local livelihood needs. 
The Philippines, like many other Asian countries, lost its forest cover rapidly 
through heavy logging, upland migration and agricultural expansion over the last 
century. The once lush tropical rainforests of the Philippines have experienced 
extensive deforestation and degradation over the last century. The Philippines has had 
an unrelenting onslaught on forest resources, leading to its current diminished and 
degraded state. Up to 59 percent (9.3 million hectares) of the country’s official forest 
lands could be non-forested at present, with grass or shrub cover, or under cultivation. 
The country also faces timber shortages and relies on imports to meet a large 
proportion of its demand. Heavy flooding and landslides occurring almost annually are 
often attributed to deforestation and fuel calls for halting logging and rehabilitating 
degraded forest lands. 
Given the current state of the Philippines’ forest lands and the demands placed 
on it, rehabilitation has become a major agenda in order to lead this country towards the 
path of sustainable development. Forest rehabilitation has also been identified as one of 
the major programs in the “General Program of Actions for the Forestry Sector from 
2005-2010, which was recently drafted by the Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources (DENR). 
With our denuded forests - and our denuded government coffers -this proposed 
measure will greatly assist in the rehabilitation of our forests thus saving us from 
unwanted “man induced” natural calamities such as great floods. This is also a cost 
effective way of preserving our environment and addressing the environmental 
problems faced by our country due to the denudation of our forest lands. 
Various studies have shown that the planting of trees in our denuded lands have 
a great impact in reducing the problem of global warming and in reducing the problem of 
air pollution in our cities and metropolis. 
It is in this regard that the early passage of this bill is 
MANUEL “LITOn RII. LAPID ‘ 
Senator 
P 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
1 
8 nrn 15 ;i;J 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
1 
S E N A T E  
s. B. NO. m
6
 
Introduced by Senator Manuel “Lito” M. Lapid 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING PROBATIONERS TO PLANT AT LEAST THIRTY (30) TREES 
A YEAR AS PART OF THEIR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, AMENDING 
FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 10 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 968 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE PROBATION LAW OF 1998 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 10 of Presidential Decree No. 968 is hereby amended to 
read as follows: 
“SEC. I O .  Conditions of Probation. - Every probation order issued 
by the court shall contain conditions requiring that the probationer shall: 
[(k) Satisfy any other condition related to the rehabilitation of the 
defendant and not unduly restrictive of his liberty or incompatible with his 
freedom of conscience.] 
(K) PLANT AT LEAST THIRTY (30) TREES A YEAR AS PART 
OF HIS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY: PROVlD€D, HOWEVER, 
THAT THIS SHALL BE ACCOMPLISHED UNDER THE STRICT 
SUPERVISION OF HIS PROBATION OFFICER WHO SHALL CERTIFY 
TO THE COURT THE COMPLETION OF SAID REQUIREMENT. 
(L) 
SATISFY ANY OTHER CONDITION RELATED TO THE 
REHABILITATION OF THE DEFENDANT AND 
NOT UNDULY 
RESTRICTIVE OF HIS LIBERTY OR INCOMPATIBLE WITH HIS 
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE.” 
SEC. 2. 
Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or the application 
of such provision to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any reason, the other 
1 


provisions or their application to other persons or circumstances not affected thereby 
shall remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 3. 
Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, orders, rules, regulations 
and issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or 
amended accordingly. 
SEC. 4. 
Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
2