Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTHCONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 2984

Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila
encompasses an area of 619.57 square kilometers and a
population of 12,877,253 or 12.8 percent of total population as of
2015. (It is the country’s most densely populated region with a
population density of 21,000/km? and second most populous
region of the Philippines next to Region IV-A. It is also the 9th
most populous metropolitan area in Asia and the Sth most
populate urban area in the world.

The region contributes 36 percent of the country’s Gross
Domestic Product based on the Philippine Statistics Authority
2018 data. Its economic power makes the region the country's
premier center for finance and commerce.

In 2014, there are an estimated four million slum dwellers
living in Metro Manila. Homelessness is also a major problem in
Metro Manila. However, these are being addressed by creating
in-city relocation housing, and by relocating informal settler
families in low-density housing built in the nearby provinces of
Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.

Nonetheless, the present Covid-19 pandemic has shown
that these congested areas are vulnerable and a major public
health concern since they are the epicenters of the pandemic. It
also brought forth the issues of the lack of viable and sustainable


employment in rural areas, unbalanced regional development,
and unequal distribution of wealth.

The Constitution provides that the State shall promote a
just and dynamic social order that ensures the prosperity and
independence of the nation and free the people from poverty.
Furthermore, the State shall promote full employment, a rising
standard of living, and a improved quality of life for all; and,
promote comprehensive rural development.

It|is imperative for the State to promote countryside
development to reverse the migration to NCR and other congested
metropolitan centers through balanced regional development and
agricultural development of the rural areas to achieve inclusive,
resilient and sustainable rural communities.

The passage of this measure is earnestly sought.

(eee
om LOL!


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTHCONGRESS
First Regular Session

| House Bill No, 2584
|

Introduced by: REPRESENTATIVE EDWIN L. OLIVAREZ

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE BALIK PROBINSYA,
BAGONG PAG-ASA PROGRAM, CREATING A COUNCIL
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be in 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 Balik
Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program or BP? of 2022.

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It shall be the policy of the
State to bring to the countryside viable and sustainable
employment opportunities, balanced regional development and
equal distribution of wealth.

The State shall ensure balanced regional development and
equitable distribution of wealth, resources and opportunities
through policies and programs that boost countryside
development and inclusive growth, provide adequate social
services, and promote full employment, industrialization and an
improved quality of life in rural areas. Towards this end, the
“Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP?) Program” shall be
institutionalized.

Section 3. - Creation of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa
Council, To ensure whole-of-government action on the
implementation of the BP? Program, the Balik Probinsya, Bagong


eet © (“Council”) is hereby created to be composed of

the following:
Chairperson

Vice copipereon

Members

Executive Secretary

Secretary for Socio-Economic
Planning and Director-General,
National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA),
Secretary, Department of Interior
and Local Government (DILG),
Secretary, Department of Social

Welfare and Development
(DSWD),
Secretary, Department of

Agriculture (DA),

Secretary; Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR),

Secretary, Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI)

Secretary, Department of Labor
and Employment (DOLE),
Secretary, Department of Health
(DOH),

Secretary, Department of
Information and Communications
Technology (DICT),

Secretary, Department of Finance
(DOF),

Secretary, Department of Budget
and Management (DBM),
Secretary, Department of Public
Works and Highways,

Secretary, Department of
Transportation (DOTr),

Secretary, Department of Tourism
(DOT),

Secretary, Department of Human
Settlements and Urban
Development (DHSUD),

Secretary, Department of
Education (DepEd),


Chairperson, Commission on
Higher Education (CHED),

Secretary, Department of
Environment and Natural
Resources

(DENR),

Director General, Technical
Education and Skills
Development

Authority (TESDA),

Chairperson, Mindanao
Development Authority; and,
Chairperson, Cooperative

Development Authority (CDA).
A member of the Council shall designate a permanent and
alternate representative, who is fully authorized to decide for and
on behalf of his or her respective department, agency, or office
and perform the functions as hereafter provided.

The Council shall be assisted by a Secretariat, to be headed by
the General Manager of the National Housing Authority (NHA) as
Executive Director, which shall provide technical and
administrative support to the Council. The Secretariat shall be
composed of personnel from the NHA and, as may be necessary,
from member agencies of the Council.

Section 4. Powers and Functions of the Council. - The Council
shall have the following powers and functions:

a. Formulate within thirty (30) days from the issuance
hereof, the guidelines necessary to implement this Act,
lincluding the BP? Program Framework as defined herein;

b. Provide overall direction in the implementation of the BP?
‘Program, including guidance and technical assistance to
government agencies and local government units (LGUs)
in its implementation;

c. Approve or modify key areas and components of the BP?
Program, as well as ensure the compliance of government
agencies involved in its implementation;

d. Develop a strategic communications plan to educate the
people and advocate for supportive policies in the local


level, in coordination with the Presidential
Communications Operations Office;
e. Identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes to
romote balanced regional development and recommend
to the Congress the enactment of such reforms into law;

f. Engage, consult and coordinate with LGUs in the
formulation of policies, and implementation of the
components of the BP? Program that will allow for
resource-sharing arrangement through, among others,
co-financing mechanism with development partners;

g. Enlist the support and assistance of other government
agencies, instrumentalities, government -owned or -
controlled corporations and state universities and
colleges, as well as consult and provide avenues for the
private sector, relevant stakeholders, advocacy groups
land non-government organizations to participate in the
attainment of the objectives of this Order;

h. Create sub-groups, technical working groups or
‘committee as may be deemed necessary to implement the
objectives of this Act;

i. Adopt mechanism, such as but not limited to an online
platform, and establishment of BP? desks in all offices of
member agencies, to facilitate accessibility to the public,
‘enhance monitoring of implementation, and ascertain the
‘compliance of beneficiaries; and

j. Perform other tasks as the President may direct.

Section 5. The Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program
and Its Key Areas. The BP? program is hereby established as
national program of the government and adopted as a continuing
strategy to drive inclusive and balanced urban and rural
development, ensure rural prosperity and complement initiatives
towards attaining resilient and sustainable communities.

The BP? Program Framework shall be divided into key areas,
each having measured policy objectives:

a. Empowerment of Local Industries - introduce a
lsustainable program for public sector investment and
\private sector participation that promotes regional
development. Support shall be particularly provided to
micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to foster



e continued growth of the sector, and the
ationalization of a purposeful system of fiscal incentives
shall be prioritized to develop forward and backward
linkages and export- and domestic-oriented enterprises,
access to markets and a fully integrated value chain and
encourage the transfer of medium and large businesses
to provincial hubs.

5 Food Security and Agricultural Productivity - Encourage

id facilitate innovations and _ technologies for
aeeaceaebae production, such as modern rice farming
‘techniques, seed production and farm mechanization,
conducive to long-term and_ sustainable rural
development. Local agricultural industries shall be
supported, and loans sourced from the Agricultural
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, as well as existing
incentives given to agriculture cooperatives.

Measures to take advantage of economies of scale in
agricultural production, promote value chain
development, increase farm incomes, and improve the
quality of life of farmers, shall be pursued.

. Social Welfare, Health and Employment ~- Comprehensive
assistance packages shall be designed to encourage the
voluntary and immediate movement to their respective
‘home provinces of workers and overseas Filipino workers,
especially those stranded in the NCR due to the
Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

Local health facilities shall be upgraded, and local health
capacity shall be improved to address the health need of
the community, such as building more hospitals and
clinics, providing more ambulances and enhancing
medical scholarship programs, among others.

Educational institutions and technical and vocational
schools shall be built in strategic rural areas, state
universities and colleges shall be linked to industries,
though, among others, conversion of their idle lands into
science or technology parks. Access to Open Distance
Learning shall also be enhanced in rural communities.


Employment shall be created and restored through
various support programs and assistance packages,
lincluding resettlement to provincial township sites and
community interventions or projects based on
‘area/resettlement site.

d. Development of Infrastructure - Infrastructure such as

means of transport and communications, power resource,
and irrigation facilities which support the operation and
development of other sectors of the economy shall be de
‘eloped in all the different regions of the country. The
completion of existing and future railway projects to
facilitate movement of people, as well as the creation and
improvement of transport terminals and construction of
public markets in communities, shall be prioritized.

Section 6. Categorization of the BP? Program Framework

Compoi

ments. - The components of the BP? Program Framework to

be formulated by the Council shall be aligned with the key areas

mappe
specifi

a.

in the preceding Section, and shall be categorized under
progress points, as follows:

Short-term - Pipeline or existing programs, activities or
projects (PAPs) with available funds or appropriations,
which can be adapted to support the required
interventions under the BP? Program, and which can be
readily implemented during the Enhanced and General
Community Quarantine. Due priority shall be given to
individuals and enterprises qualified under the
implementing guidelines mentioned in Section 4 (a)
hereof.

For the efficient voluntary movement of individuals and
enterprises from NCR to identified rural areas, initial
assessment may be provided for assistance, such as but
not limited to the following:

Isrts Hs: Transportation and relocation coursed through
the DOTr an DILG which are tasked to coordinate
with the LGUs concerned. For this purpose, the
Department of National Defense (DND), the


ii.

Armed Forces of the Philippines, and all its main
service branches, as well as the Philippine Coast
Guard, may be called to render the necessary
logistical support;

Transitory support from existing DSWD and NHA
programs;

Livelihood and employment packages that are
implemented or may be developed by the DOL
and DTI;

Agri-based support services offered by the DA;
Educational programs, including intern-based
learning, through the DepEd, CHED and TESDA;
Fiscal incentives and transition assistance for
MSMEs, including but not limited to tax
incentives and fast -tracked processing of licenses
and permits, as may be applicable; and

Other forms of aid as may be necessary or
formulated by relevant government agencies.

. Medium-term - Existing PAPs with available funds or
appropriations to support required interventions or new
PAPs for funding, which can be implemented when he
ECQ or travel restriction is lifted. It may consist of, but is

\not limited to the following:

\v.

Identification of existing special economic zones, as
well as development of MSME-oriented industries;
Livelihood and employment opportunities suitable to
rural development;

Strengthening and prioritizing the National Spatial
Strategy integrated in the Philippine Development
Plan and spearheaded by the NEDA;

Integration of institutional assistance such as
progression of formal education, improved
healthcare services and medical facilities,
maintenance and promotion of peace, order, and
security; and,

Establishment of new special economic zones in
Visayas and Mindanao including the Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region.


c. Long-term - PAPs that require longer time horizons to
implement but whose initial steps must already be taken
‘by national government agencies, such as but not limited
lto the proposed decentralization of powers and seat of
governance, p([priority legislation on rationalized and
results-based tax incentives for agricultural or tourism
lindustries and the National Land Use Act, and the
creation of new urban centers outside of the NCR and
existing major urban centers.

Section 7. Funding. - The amount necessary for the
implementation of this Act shall be charged against existing
appropriations of the member agencies of the Council, and from
sources to be identified by the DBM, subject to existing
budgeti ing, accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations.
To the extent permitted by law, agency heads are hereby
authorized to realign items in their respective appropriations to
fund PAPs approved as part of the BP? Program. Funding
respective for the succeeding years shall be included in the

respective budgets of government agencies implementing the BP?
Program.

Section 8. Reporting. - The Council shall submit to the
President, a bi-annual report on the implementation of this Act,
including its accomplishments in terms of short-, medium- and
long-term goals and budget utilization.

Section 9. Separability Clause. - If any part or section shall
be declared unconstitutional or invalid, such declaration shall
not affect the other parts or sections of this Act.

Section 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, rules and
regulations inconsistent with any provision of this Act shall be
deemed repealed or modified accordingly.

ction 11. Effectivity. - This shall take effect after fifteen

(15) days from its publication in two (2) national newspaper of the
general circulation or in the Official Gazette.

Approved.