HOUSE OF REPIiESENTATIVES

RECEIVED
Republic of the Philippines 13 JUL 2018
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City Kok i) |

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

} BEES oN

1525 ~

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACT
TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT PHILIPPINE PUBLIC FORESTS, MANGROVES AND
WILDLIFE THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM OF RENEWAL,
REPLANTING AND REFORESTATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Our fundamental law enjoins us to “conserve and develop our patrimony”. By “patrimony”,
we mean our public forests, mangroves, wildlife, and flora and fauna.

This bill is submitted with the view of honoring this mandate. Thus, it aims to establish a
mechanism that can help rehabilitate public forest lands and revert areas presently
denuded and eroded to become living thriving forest reserves. In addition, the bill seeks to
formulate a national renewal program of public forests, mangroves and to activate various
sectors, most especially the youth in carrying out these objectives.

Considering the lofty purposed of this bill, | enjoin our colleagues to help me pass the same
into law.

GLORIA/MACAPAGAL ARROYO
2n4 District, Pampanga


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1525

House Bill No:

Introduced by Representative GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACT

TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT PHILIPPINE PUBLIC FORESTS, MANGROVES AND
WILDLIFE THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM OF RENEWAL,
REPLANTING AND REFORESTATION, 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 "Comprehensive
Environment Program Act of 2016."

SEC. 2. Declaration of National Policy and Program Framework. - It is hereby
declared the policy of the State to conserve, protect, and support the renewal program of
public forests, mangroves and wildlife. To this end, the State hereby adopts the following
comprehensive program frameworks:

a)

b)

GO)

The specific limits of public forests, national parks and other forest reserve
areas, including mangroves with forest cover, shall be determined, by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources in consultation with
various stakeholders including _ individuals, non-governmental
organizations and public associations representing environmental
management, local governments, academic community and others. Public
consultations shall be conducted.

Public forests under lease and/or which have been denuded and
deforested due to logging shall be reforested, with tree species of its
original forested state or similar species, and reclassifies protection and
conservation forest.

Mangroves without forest cover which have been utilized and cut to the
detriment of ecological balance and to the destruction of marine, air and
other wildlife which take sanctuary shall be replenished with the
mangrove and other species of plants and reseeded with the wildlife which
would naturally thrive therein.


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d) Virgin forests and public parks and forest reserves declared as such shall
in case be opened for exploitation or reclassification and shall remain so
unless otherwise declared by law.

oo) The protection of marine, air and wildlife, including the endangered
species of Philippine fauna shall be the ultimate objective of the
government.

f) Philippine flora, both natural to our forests and those which would not

enhance ecological balance and the productivity and aesthetic value of our
public forests, shall be replanted and maintained in the public forests

A) Areas of the public forests leased or tolerated for use for social forestry or
agro-forestry shall be limited to the area and percentage of the total public
forests as may be indicated in the implementing rules and regulations that
will be issued for the purpose.

SEC, 3. Coordinating Council for the Conservation, Protection and Renewal of the
Nation’s Patrimony. - There is hereby created a Coordinating Council for the Conservation,
Protection and Renewal of the Nation's Patrimony. The Council shall be headed by the
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources as Chairman, with the Undersecretaries of
Agriculture and of Education as Vice-Chairmen. The members shall include three (3)
representatives from the government sector and three (3) representatives from the private
sector appointed by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources and from the list of nominees submitted
by the sectors themselves.

‘The Council shall formulate policies and develop projects to implement the national
policy and program framework as defined in this Act. It shall also promulgate rules and
regulations to carry out the purposes of this Act. It shall also promulgate rules and
regulations to carry out the purposes of this Act and adopt a code of services and guidelines
to conserve, protect and renew the nation’s patrimony.

To assist the Council, the Chairman shall designate an Executive Secretary and a
Secretariat from among the staff of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,
with such allowances as may be approved by the Council. The per diems and allowances of
the Council shall be approved by the Council, subject to the existing rules and regulations
and auditing and accounting laws.

SEC. 4. Reforestation and Renewal Program by the Youth - Subject to such rules and
regulations as the Council may promulgate, students and community youth below the age
of twenty-five (25) years, shall be harnessed for the reforestation and renewal of public
forests, mangrove and wildlife. Students who will render service as provided in this Act,
may be credited with the required units from the National Service Training Program.

SEC. 5. Coordination with Agricultural and Fisheries Schools. ~ Subject to such rules
and regulations as the Council may promulgate, agricultural and fisheries schools, both
public and private, shall be encouraged to participate in the programs envisioned in this
Act.

SEC. 6. Comprehensive Program. - In consultation with all stakeholders and various
sectors comprising the entire agriculture and fisheries sectors, agro-business and the
concerned academic communities, a comprehensive program including the projects that
may be supported by the Council shall be formulated to serve as guide for the effective
implementation of this Act.


SEC. 7. Conservation, Protection and Renewal Fund.-The amount of One Million Pesos
(P1,000,000.00) is hereby authorized for the operations of the Council, and Ten Million
Pesos (P10,000,000.00) for the projects under this Act to conserve, protect and renew
public, forests, mangroves, and the wildlife under the comprehensive program framework
of this Act.

Thereafter, the operating expenses of the Council and the projects planned and
implemented under this Act shall be included in the budget of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources as part of its annual appropriation.

The Council may receive donations from national and international sources for the
implementation of this Act or for a specific project/s.

Donations received shall be placed in a trust fund for specific purposes and projects,
as approved by the Council, subject to existing auditing and accounting regulations and for
the purposes of this Act.

‘The program harnessing youth for reforestation shall be funded by project funds of
the Council or from donations earmarked for the purpose.

SEC. 8 Separability Clause. - If any provisions, or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall
remain valid and subsisting.

SEC.9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,