REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3854
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative TYRONE D AGABAS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill which seeks to require each graduating elementary,
high school, and college student to plant at least ten (10) trees as a
pre-requisite for graduation has already been approved by the House of
Representatives on its 3" and final reading in the 17% Congress. On
account of the bill’s importance in our battle against climate change, this
bill is being filed.

Today, the biggest threat we face is climate change. It is real as the
rise in global temperature over the last decade is now a concern of every
government worldwide. If one may ask, is it bad? The answer is no. It is
worse. Unlike decades back, no political candidate in the country can
now run a house to house campaign at 1:00 in the afternoon without
getting fried in the open. It is now becoming hotter and drier every year.
Even the sea level is now rising up as a result of global warming, not to
mention extreme flooding in recent years. If we will allow climate change
to run unchecked, there won’t be much of us left in the future. The issue
is survival. There is a need for us to individually and collectively adapt
measures which can mitigate the effects of climate change or global
warming.

One such measure is to require everyone to plant a tree. In this
legislative measure, all graduating students from elementary to college
will be required to plant at least ten (10) trees as pre-requisite for
graduation. With millions of graduating students each year, we are
looking forward to equivalent number of trees planted per year. This is
one way of requiring everyone to actively participate in mitigating the
growing effects of climate change. This is one step forward for our
survival.


In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

EOE D. AGABAS
Representative

6 District, Pangasinan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO. 3854

AN ACT

REQUIRING ALL GRADUATING ELEMENTARY, HIGH SCHOOL AND
COLLEGE STUDENTS TO PLANT AT LEAST TEN (10) TREES EACH AS A
PREREQUISITE FOR GRADUATION

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
“Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy - It is the policy of the State to
pursue programs and projects that promote environmental protection,
biodiversity climate change mitigation, poverty reduction and food
security. To this end, the educational system shall be a focus for
propagating ethical and sustainable use of natural resources among
the young to ensure the cultivation of a socially responsible and
conscious citizenry.

SEC. 3. Tree-planting as a Mandatory Requisite for Graduation.
- All Graduating students from grade school, high school and college
shall be required to plant at least ten (10) trees as a mandatory
prerequisite for their graduation. Said trees shall be their living legacy
to the environment and to future generations of Filipinos.

Sec. 4. Location — The trees to be planted under this Act shall
be located in any of the following areas:

(a) Forestlands;
(b) Mangrove and Protected areas;

(c) Ancestral domains;

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(d) Civil and military reservations;

(e) Urban areas under the greening plan of the Local
Government units (LGUs);

(f) Inactive and abandoned mine sites; and
(g) Other suitable lands.
Sec. 5. Preference for Indigenous Species — The planted

species of trees should be appropriate to the location, climate and
topography of the area with preference for the planting of Indigenous

‘species.

Sec. 6. Partner Agencies/Stakeholders. -— The Department of
Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) 31
shall implement the provisions of this Act, in partnership with the
following agencies:

(a) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);

(b) Department of Agriculture (DA);

(c) Department Agrarian Reform (DAR);

(d) Department of Budget and Management (DBM);

(e) Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);

(f) Department of Health (DOH);

(g) Department of Transportation (DOT?);

(h) Department of National Defense(DND);

(i) Department of Science and Technology (DOST);

() Department of Justice (DOJ);

(k) National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP);

() Technical Education and Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA); and

(m) Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
The responsibilities of these agencies shall include:

(1) Nursery establishment;

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(2) Seedling production and site preparation;
(3) Site identification and site preparation;
(4) Monitoring and evaluation;

(5) Provision of security, transportation, fire protection amenities
and medical support; and

(6) Technical support and extension services.

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulation - The DepEd and
the CHED, in coordination with the DENR and DILG, and in
consultation with other agencies, shall promulgate and issue the
implementing rules and regulations (IRR) necessary to implement this
Act within sixty (60) days after its approval

SEC. 8. Appropriations. - The Amount necessary to carry out
the provision of this Act shall be included in the budgets of the
implementing departments/agencies in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive
orders, ordinance, rules and regulations and other issuances or parts
thereof which are inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby
repealed, modified, superseded or amended accordingly.

SEC. 10. Separability Clause, - Should any portion or provision
of this Act be declared unconstitutional or invalid by a competent court,
the other provisions hereof shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 11. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,

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