Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2)
House Bill No, 3602

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and 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" is meant 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 purposes of this bill, we enjoin our colleagues to help
us pass the same into law.

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DIOSDAD -APAGAL ARROYO StoRM ACAPAGAL, ARROYO
Second District, Camarines Sur Second District, Pampanga


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 3602

DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

Introduced by Representatives

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 and cited as the

“Comprehensive Environment Program Act of 2010.”

SECTION 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 the wildlife. To this end, the

State hereby adopts the following comprehensive program frameworks:

(a)

(b)

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
reclassified protection and conservation forest.

(c) 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.

(4) Virgin forests and public parks and forest reserves declared
as such shall in no case be opened for exploitation or
reclassification and shall remain so unless otherwise
declared by law.

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

(g) | 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.

SECTION 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 Environmental and Natural
Resources as Chairman, with the Undersecretaries of Agriculture and of
Education as Vice-Chairmen. The members shall include three (3)
Tepresentatives 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 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.

SECTION 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 for the National Service Training Program.

SECTION 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.

SECTION 6. Comprehensive Program. — In consultation with all
stakeholders and various sectors comprising the entire agriculture and fisheries
sectors, agro-business and the concemed 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.

SECTION 7. Conservation, Protection and Renewal Fund. — There is
hereby authorized the amount of One Million Pesos (P1,000,000.00) 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 or projects.

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 purposes of this Act.


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

SECTION 8. Separability Clause. — If any part of provision of this Act is held
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. — Any law, decree, rule, regulation,
executive order or part thereof inconsistent with this Act is hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity. — This Act shall be effective upon its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of
general circulation, whichever comes earlier.

Approved,