THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
2350 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILUI\R- 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Section 16 of Article II of the 1987 Constitution provides: 
“The State shall protect and advance the right of the 
people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the 
rhythm and harmony of nature.” 
Planting of trees along Philippine roadways that is, National, 
Provincial, City, Municipal, and Barangay, have the following purpose: 
a) 
to carry out a national tree-plantinglreplanting program 
which complements the country’s reforestation goals; this legislation 
expands the meaning of the term “reforestation” to include public roads 
situated even in the hearts of cities and provinces; 
b) 
c) 
to promote healthful ecology as well as conserve and 
beautify the environment pursuant to State policy “to protect and advance 
the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with 
the rhythm and harmony of nature. 
Accordingly, the urgent passage of this bill is hereby 
recommended. 
as a measure of defense against floods and the elements: 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
6 JUN -7 ?4?2 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE PLANTING 
OF TREES ALONG ALL NATIONAL, PROVINCIAL, 
CITY, MUNICIPAL, AND BARANGAY ROADS 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
if- 
Be,,enacted 
by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Section 1. 
Tile - This Act shall be known and cited as the 
Philippines in congress assembled: 
“Philippine Roadways Planting Act. ’’ 
Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the 
national policy to plant trees along all national, provincial, cities, 
municipal, and barangay roads to promote a balanced and healthful 
ecology as well as conserve and beautify and enhance the environment. 
Section 3. Scope.- This Act shall apply to the following roadways: 
Section 2. 
a) National roads; 
b) Provincial roads; 
c) City roads; 
d) Municipal roads; 
e) Barangay roads. 
Section 4. Definition of Terns: As used in this Act: 
a) 
Ecology - the science concerned with the relations 
between living organisms and their environment; 
b) 
Environment - surroundings; all the conditions, 
circumstances and influences surroundings and affecting the 
development of an organism or group of organisms; 
c) RoadslRoadways - a way made for traveling between 
places by vehicles, persons, and animals; that part of roads used 
by vehicle, persons, and animals. 
Section 5. Objectives. - Pursuant to the policy declared herein, it 
is the objective of this Act: 
a) To plant trees along all roadways @e., national, provincial, city, 
municipal, and barangay roads) the species to vary according to the 
condition, and location of the roads; 
b) To provide scenic environment along all Philippine roadways; 


c) To provide along all roadways ample forest cover as defense 
against floods and the elements. 
Section 6. 
National Committee. - A National Tree Planting 
Committee is hereby created with the Secretary of Public Works and 
Highways (DPWH) as chairman and’ the respective secretaries of the 
Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG), the Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Department of 
Education (DE) as members. 
The National Committee shall initiate, coordinate and monitor all 
the activities of the tree planting program throughout the country. The 
National Committee may tap any or all government agencies, 
corporations and instrumentalities, non-governmental organizations 
(NGOs), peoples organizations (Pos), the Governor’s League of the 
Philippines, the City and Municipal Mayors’ League of the Philippines, 
and the Barangay Associations of the Philippines as local committees to 
provide resources and assistance in the implementation of this Act. 
The National Committee shall have the power to promulgate the 
pertinent rules and regulations as may be necessary to fully implement 
the objectives and purposes of this Act within a period not to exceed three 
hundred sixty five (365) days from approval. 
Section 7. Specific Functions of the Executive Departments. - For 
purposes of carrying out effectively the provisions of this Act: 
a) The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) shall: 
provide the necessary technical data respecting the 
classification, location, condition, and length of all 
existing National, Provincial, City, Municipal, and 
Barangay roads; 
provide the 
necessary tools, 
equipment 
and 
manpower to effect the rapid planting of trees along 
all national, provincial, city, municipal, and barangay 
roads; 
provide effective and optimum maintenance and care 
of the trees planted along all national, provincial, city, 
municipality, and barangay roads. 
b) The Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) 
shall: 
(1) mobilize all local government units to ensure prompt 
and effective implementation of this Act in every province, city, 
municipality, and barangay; 
effect the apprehension and the prosecution of all 
persons violating Section 8 of this Act. 
c) 
(DENR) shall: 
(2) 
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources 


(1) determine the suitable species of trees and provide 
seeds or sappings therefore, suited to the kind, classification, and 
condition of the roads and environment: 
(2) determine the proper distance between trees to be 
planted, suited to the nature, needs and characteristics of the 
species therefore and in turn complementing the kind, 
classification, and condition of the roads and environment; 
(3) 
provide for effective measures and ways for the 
optimum maintenance and healthy growth of trees and plants 
along the roads. 
(d) The Department of Education shall: 
(I) 
involve all schools in the planting of trees in plazas, parks, 
(2) educate and inculcate in the young the values and benefits 
of a balanced and healthful ecology and environment. 
Section 8. Prohibited Acfs. - No cutting, destroying, or injuring of 
planted or naturally growing trees of any kind along all national, 
provincial, city, municipal, and barangay roads shall be permitted except 
when the cutting, destroying, or injuring of the same is necessary for 
public safety, or such pruning of the same is necessary to enhance its 
beauty and only upon recommendation and approval of the National 
Committee and/or of the appropriate local committees, as provided in 
Section 6 hereof, for national, provincial, city, municipal, and barangay 
roads respectively. 
Section 9. Persons liable and Penalties therefore.- Any person 
who cuts, destroys, damages or injures naturally-growing or planted trees 
of any kind, as provided in Section 8 hereof, shall be punished with 
imprisonment for not less than six (6) months to not more than two (2) 
years or a find of not less than five thousand pesos to not more than ten 
thousand pesos, or with both such imprisonment and find, at the 
discretion of the court, except when the cutting, destroying, or injuring is 
necessary to enhance its beauty, and only upon the recommendation and 
approval of the National Committees, and/or the corresponding local 
committees as provided in Section 6 hereof, as the case may be. 
Section I O .  Submission of Reporfs. - The National Committee 
shall within ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act and every one 
hundred eighty (180) days thereafter submit periodic reports to both 
Houses of the Congress of the Philippines for evaluation and 
consideration. 
and school premises; 
Section 11. Funding. - The sums needed for the implementation 
of the trees planting program in this Act shall be taken from any available 
appropriation in the General Appropriations Act for 2006: Provided, that 
funds for this purpose shall also be included in the General 
Appropriations Act for 2007 and thereafter, if still necessary in every 
annual General Appropriations Act: Provided, finally, that there shall be 
equitable and proportionate appropriations of funds annually for this 
purpose for all provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays. 
In 
addition, adequate portion of financial grants and concessional loans 


extended to the Philippines by foreign governments and multilateral 
agencies every year, the amount to be determined by the President, shall 
be allocated to augment the annual appropriations until this Act is fully 
implemented along all national, provincial, city, municipal, and barangay 
roads throughout the Philippines. 
Section 12. Sepafabiliy Clause. - If any provision or part of this 
Act is declared unconstitutional, such declaration of unconstitutionality will 
not affect the other provisions of this Act. 
Section 13. Amending and Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, 
rules and regulations, or parts thereof, inconsistent with this Act are 
hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
Section 14. Effecfivify Clause. -This Act shall take effect upon its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,