'V
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
S E N A T E
s. No. 
9 3 0
[[^1 
Senate
^ 
Bf ftr ftfcrftary
*19 
AUG 20 «1 :l<
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
RECEIVtBfr;
AN ACT
TO ENSURE EASIER COMMUTING BY ESTABLISHING A NETWORK OF 
SUSTAINABLE 
ELEVATED 
WALKWAYS 
ALONG 
ALL 
MAJOR 
PUBLIC 
THOROUGHFARES IN HIGH DENSITY URBAN AREAS, ESTABLISHING 
APPROPRIATE 
INFRASTRUCTURE AND 
FACILITIES, APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Explanatory Note
Elevated walkways are an effective response to overcrowding and urban 
chaos.1 Their primary purpose is to encourage commuters to walk instead of taking 
motorized transportation by connecting pedestrians from one consumer activity to 
the next. Some small-scale examples include the moving walkway systems such as 
the "Skylink" system at Manchester Airport, United Kingdom, which link airport 
terminals to railway stations.2 Another key example is the Central Elevated Walkway 
which spans Admiralty, Central and parts of Sheung Wan in Hong Kong.
Elevated walkways can be observed in some parts of Metro Manila. This 
includes the elevated walkways in Makati which connects important parts of the 
central business district. However, more needs to be done to mainstream elevated 
walkways as part of our urban infrastructure.
Thus, this bill seeks to establish a network of sustainable elevated pedestrian 
walkways in all major public thoroughfares in high density urban areas. 
For the 
walkways to be successful, they must be fully sustainable on all accounts: socially, 
economically and environmentally.3 Studies show that high density, connectivity, and 
quality of life comprise the three topmost elements in maintaining a sustainable
1 See J. Rotmeyer, Can Elevated Pedestrian Walkways be Sustainable? in The Sustainable City IV: Urban 
Regeneration and Sustainability 293-302 (2006), available at
http://www.witpress.eom/Secure/elibrarv/papers/SC06/SC06028FUl.pdf (accessed on Aug. 31, 2016).
2 See, e.g., Transpennine Express, Manchester Airport Travel Links, https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/train- 
destinations/manchester-airport/travel-links/ (accessed on Aug. 31, 2016); World Travel Guide, Manchester 
Airport Guide, http://www.worldtravelguide.net/manchester/manchester-airport (accessed on Aug. 31,2016).
3 See Rotmeyer, supra note 1, at 294.


elevated walkway system.4 The ultimate goal is to create a safe, comfortable, well- 
connected quality of life above the ground (grade) level, reclaiming without killing 
the street.5
Further, elevated walkways must be interlinked in a manner that connects 
pedestrian movement to retail, residential, commercial, and business activities, as 
well as adopt essential access points that facilitate pedestrian entry to and exit from 
ground level walkways. They must also make optimal use of densities and cater to 
the largest percentage of people in a given area. Finally, such a system must also 
address safety, pollution, law enforcement activity, and social inclusion (especially 
for PWDs), as well as consider right-of-way (ROW) and air rights issues and legal 
easements.
We envision sustainable elevated walkways as an integral part of a larger, 
more comprehensive solution to the traffic and transport crisis of Metro Manila and 
affected urban areas. The draft bill also calls for the establishment of a 'sustainable 
elevated walkway program', which will include educational and awareness programs 
on elevated walkway safety and use, health benefits, and social and economic 
benefits of aerial walkways.
Immediate approval of this measure is eagerly sought.
GRACE POE
Ald. at 301.
5 Id


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N  A,T.
S. No.
S ena te
#Siu of t(K hnTttnrf
'19 
AUG 20 W1 :16
RKtrlWitf-.
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
AN ACT
TO ENSURE EASIER COMMUTING BY ESTABLISHING A NETWORK OF 
SUSTAINABLE 
ELEVATED 
WALKWAYS 
ALONG 
ALL 
MAJOR 
PUBLIC 
THOROUGHFARES IN HIGH DENSITY URBAN AREAS, ESTABLISHING 
APPROPRIATE 
INFRASTRUCTURE AND 
FACILITIES, 
APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House o f Representatives o f the 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Sustainable Elevated
2 
Walkways A ct"
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration o f Policy. - It is the policy of the State to establish a
4 
sustainable network of safe, secure, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing elevated
5 
pedestrian walkways which separate pedestrians from vehicular movement, link
6 
pedestrians to public transit, integrate human activity with the built environment,
7 
and allow for a continuous flow of movement, without interruption from vehicular
8 
traffic, stop lights, and pollution.
9 
It is likewise a policy of the State to establish elevated pedestrian networks
10 
that are fully sustainable on all accounts, that is, socially, economically, and
11 
environmentally, to achieve a well-connected quality of life above the ground layer.
12 
High density, connectivity, and quality of life comprise the three topmost elements in
13 
maintaining a sustainable elevated walkway system.
14 
Towards this end, the State shall promote the use of sustainable elevated
15 
walkway networks and walkway facilities through a comprehensive elevated walkway
16 
program. The State shall ensure that the needs and safety of all pedestrians are fully
1


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integrated into the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of the country's
2 
areal walkway networks.
3 
Sec. 3. Elevated Walkways. -There shall be designated elevated walkways in
4 
all major public thoroughfares in high density urban areas, consisting of enclosed or
5 
covered footbridges serving as exclusive access-ways for pedestrians, under the
6 
parameters set forth in this Act.
7 
Elevated walkways which utilize air rights above the road rights-of-way
8 
(RROWs), being part of the public domain, shall be considered public spaces. Motor
9 
and non-motor vehicles are prohibited from being driven or parked on all such
10 
walkways.
11 
The design, purposes, and specifications of elevated walkways to be
12 
established under this Act shall be governed by the following standards:
13 
(a) Continuous flow -  Elevated walkways must maintain a continuous flow of
14 
pedestrian movement throughout the day and night, allowing pedestrians
15 
to move freely without vehicular congestion and interruptions from traffic
16 
lights and intersections. Way-finding provisions and directional signages
17 
shall facilitate flow within the system;
18 
{b)Hlgh density -  The design and location of elevated walkways must
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maximize the use of high density areas in order to relieve pressure from
20 
overcrowded streets by catering to the largest percentage of pedestrians
21 
throughout urban areas at any given time, displacing ground-level
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pedestrian movement to several levels, and enhancing 
movement within
23 
city centers;
24 
(c) Temperature 
control -  
Elevated 
pedestrian 
routes 
must 
provide
25 
climatically controlled continuous spaces, provide relief from extreme
26 
temperatures associated with hot, humid, and wet climates, distance
27 
pedestrians from vehicular pollution and vehicular contact, and adopt
28 
measures that maximize the use of shaded, cool, open-air zones. 
Both
29 
passive cooling techniques and artificial ventilation devices shall be used in
30 
a sustainable manner;
31 
(d) Connectivity -  Elevated walkways must be interlinked in a manner that
32 
connects pedestrian movement to retail, 
residential, commercial, 
and


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business activities, as well as adopt essential access points that facilitate 
pedestrian entry to and exit from ground (grade) level walkways;
(e) Safety -  Elevated walkways must directly address issues of pedestrian 
safety, including the separation of pedestrians from vehicular traffic, 
exposure to natural hazards, and compliance with disaster resilience and 
mitigation standards;
(f) Environmental sustainability -  The Program must maintain adequate 
spatial standards between the existing environment and all urban 
intervention under this Act; address potential ground floor decay and 
abandoned space; 
provide necessary safeguards and protection to 
walkway users who will be exposed to both air and noise pollution; and 
establish 
public address systems designed 
to warn 
all 
users 
of 
encountering such pollution upon entering and using the walkways. 
Energy and water conservation as well as solid waste management shall 
be the key sustainability features of the system;
(g) Social indusivity -  Elevated walkway networks must be socially inclusive 
by addressing potential social separation caused by the introduction of 
aerial 
walkways 
in 
areas 
of 
different 
income 
classes, 
and 
by 
accommodating persons with disability (PWDs) through the installation of 
structural and vertical access facilities that reasonably enhance their 
mobility consistently with existing disability laws, including, without 
limitation, B.P. Big. 344, otherwise known as the Accessibility Law, and 
R.A. No. n i l , as amended, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for 
Disabled Persons;
(h) Right-of-way interfacing -  The design and establishment of elevated 
walkways must consider affected portions of the road right-of-way and 
other key portions of the public domain. Of particular importance are the 
interfaces with grade level sidewalks allotted for exclusive use by 
pedestrians, for the elevated walkway supports/foundation and for the 
vertical access system; air rights directly above the sidewalks; required 
space for connectors that shall utilize air rights above the carriageway 
portion allotted for the exclusive use of vehicles using the road right-of-


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way; connection of air rights above the sidewalks at opposite sides of the 
road right-of-way; legal easements and their air rights along waterways in 
a manner that would enable such easements to host elevated walkways 
consistent with of P.D. No. 1067 (s. 1976), otherwise known as the Water 
Code, and R.A. No. 10752, otherwise known as the "The Right-of-Way 
Act".
(i) Vertical Access System -  As elevated walkways may have finished floor 
elevations above sidewalk surfaces, vertical access systems shall be 
established to connect the walkways to ground level pedestrians. Vertical 
access systems established under this Act shall include, without limitation, 
elevators, stairs, and escalators that shall be gender-sensitive, socially- 
inclusive, elongated and appropriately sloped, and constructed in a 
manner that will not unduly constrict connecting sidewalks. 
Sidewalks 
adjacent to elevated walkways shall give way to pedestrian drop-off areas 
catering to public transport commuters and private vehicle riders who 
desire to avail of vertical access systems to reach elevated walkway 
systems;
(j) Support facilities -  
Elevated 
walkway 
systems 
shall 
include 
the 
construction and maintenance of support facilities, such as bicycle parking 
lots, adequate lighting, crime prevention facilities and well-lit patrolling 
space for law enforcement personnel, closed-circuit television (CCTV) 
camera systems, access to restrooms, and adequate drainage. The 
maintenance of pedestrian infrastructure and functional public spaces 
above the street level shall be a requisite for sustainable elevated 
walkways;
(k) Active policing -  Elevated walkway networks established under this Act 
must provide for the administration of active policing and law enforcement 
coordination to prevent obstructions and nuisances;
(l) Adaptability to future technology -  Elevated walkway structures shall be 
designed in ways that will render them adaptable to future technology and 
technological capacity, including the capacity to be later fitted with 
walkalators to increase pedestrian capacity; and


1 
(m) 
Expandability -  Elevated walkway networks must provide for both
2 
horizontal and vertical expandability to accommodate increases 
in
3 
capacity.
4 
SEC. 4. Sustainable Elevated Walkway Program. - The Department of Public
5 
Works and Highways (DPWH) shall establish a comprehensive sustainable elevated
6 
walkway program C'the Program") to promote the establishment and use of
7 
sustainable networks of aerial pedestrian walkways along EDSA and major public
8 
thoroughfares in high density urban areas throughout the country. 
This Program
9 
shall be governed by the key indicators and standards set forth in the preceding
10 
section and in the provisions of this Act.
11 
To promote the objectives of this Act, the DPWH, in cooperation with the
12 
Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and affected local
13 
governments, shall establish educational and awareness programs on elevated
14 
walkway safety and use, general pedestrian safety, pedestrian infrastructure, health
15 
benefits, quality of life, and social and economic benefits of aerial walkways.
16 
Sec. 5. Prohibited Acts. -  The use of elevated walkways and vertical access
17 
systems for commercial and personal purposes shall be prohibited. Such prohibited
18 
acts include but are not limited to the following:
19 
(a) Driving or parking motor and non-motor vehicles on all such walkways,
20 
including its vertical access points and drop-off areas;
21 
(b) Alms or donation-seeking activities;
22 
(c) Doing house chores such as washing clothes, hanging clothes, and bathing;
23 
(d) Repair of vehicles of all types;
24 
(e) Dumping garbage;
25 
(f) Sports, games, and amusements;
26 
(g) Use of walkway to install pens of animals or keep animals in chains or tether;
27 
(h) Holding picnics/gatherings or storage of foodstuffs 
and beverages for such
28 
gatherings;
29 
(i) Drinking liquor;
30 
(j) Storing of junks and recyclable materials;
31 
(k) Storage of construction materials for sale (pipes, tubings, lumber, cement,
32 
and the like);


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(I) House extension or stall/store extension including installation of roofs or
2 
awnings;
3 
(m) 
Installation of temporary or permanent fences;
4 
(n) Use of walkways for plants, trees and plant boxes;
5 
(o) Signs or signboards above sidewalks and detached from the business
6 
establishment;
7 
(p) Any other purpose which violate the standards enumerated in Section 3.
8 
Sec. 6. Obstructions as nuisance per se. -  Without prejudice to the
9 
prosecution of prohibited acts defined under the immediately preceding section, all
10 
obstructions along elevated walkways are hereby presumed or declared nuisances
11 
per se and, as such, are subject to summary abatement without need of judicial
12 
proceedings.
13 
Obstructions include any 
structure, permanent or otherwise, movable or
14 
immovable, erected along, standing on, abutting or in any manner impeding safe
15 
and convenient passage through any elevated walkway; Provided, That property of
16 
the government including structures erected or installed for the purpose of
17 
regulating the flow of traffic shall not be deemed obstructions.
18 
Sec. 7. Penalties. -  The principal penalty for any violation of the provisions of
19 
this Act or its implementing rules shall be summary abatement, dismantling,
20 
forfeiture, and disposal of the obstruction to the walkway.
21 
In addition, any person, corporation, trust, firm, partnership, association or
22 
entity found violating this Act or the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder
23 
shall be punished by a fine not less than Three Thousand pesos (P3,000.00) which
24 
shall accrue to the National Treasury, or imprisonment of not more than 30 days, or
25 
both, at the discretion of the court. When the offender is a juridical entity, the
26 
officers or agents responsible for the violation shall be meted with said penalties.
27 
Any officer of the duly designated enforcement agency who neglects or fails
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to enforce the provisions of this Act shall be administratively liable and in addition,
29 
punished by a fine of not less than Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00), without
30 
prejudice to the filing of other appropriate administrative charges.
31 
The Secretary may enlist the assistance of other departments or government
32 
agencies to carry out this section.


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Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within thirty (30) days after 
this Act takes effect, a committee composed of the following members shall be 
created to formulate the draft implementing rules and regulations of this Act:
a. ) The Secretary of DPWH, or an authorized representative, who shall serve
as chair of the committee;
b. ) A representative from the Department of Transportation;
c. ) A representative from the Department of Budget and Management;
d. ) A representative from the National Economic and Development Authority;
e. )A  representative from the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources;
f. ) A representative from the Metro Manila Development Authority;
g. ) A professor from the University of the Philippines School of Urban and
Regional Planning;
h. )Two (2) 
representatives from 
non-government organizations which
advocate for alternative modes of transportation; and
i. 
) Other 
representatives 
of concerned 
entities 
and 
organizations 
as
determined by the committee as members.
Upon the release and consideration of the above draft implementing rules and 
regulations and in no case beyond six (6) months after this Act takes effect, the 
Secretary of DPWH shall promulgate and disseminate the implementing rules and 
regulations.
Sec. 9. Appropriations. -  To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount 
as may be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National 
Treasury. 
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous operation of the 
Program shall be included in the annual appropriation of the DPWH.
Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof not affected thereby shall 
continue to be in full force and effect.
Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary 
to or is inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or 
amended accordingly.


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Sec. 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
2 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,