Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.__3560

Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVES GAVINI “APOL” C. PANCHO,
JOEY S. SALCEDA and FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Water scarcity continues to increase as socioeconomic developments
progressively burden freshwater resources. To keep up with growing demands,
government has similarly continued to undertake interventions like land use and land
cover change projects, irrigation to increase food productivity, and the construction of
dams and reservoirs.

Dams and water impounding infrastructure in particular, have become an
integral component of government programs to address uncertainty in climate
conditions in addition to the continuing need for water storage, flood protection, and
hydropower production. Properly designed runoff water can also be effectively stored
in these reservoirs and other suitable appurtenant structures for the purposes of
storing surface water, agricultural irrigation, watering livestock, and domestic
consumption.

Within the province of Bulacan are three dams, Angat, Ipo and Bustos dams.
Angat dam, a hydroelectric dam, is the biggest of the three and drains an aggregate
area of 568 km2. The Ipo dam is primarily a diversion dam and diverts water from the
Angat and Ipo Rivers into tunnels that lead to La Mesa reservoir and Balara filtration
areas. Bustos Dam for its part, is an irrigation dam and has been helping support the
agricultural and livestock watering requirements of our farmers within the area.

However, a changing climate combined with projected increases in population
and shifting water demands, have also increased water risks and raised the question
‘on how to come up with environmentally and economically sound strategies to
integrate surface and groundwater storage infrastructure in local, regional, and
national water planning considerations to address these converging environmental
risks.

In response to this compelling need, this Bill proposes the construction of
‘smaller impounding structures down river from the Bustos Dam, in order to establish
a surface and groundwater storage infrastructure system which can significantly
support the objective of meeting the multiple needs associated with the evolving


demands for water supply for livestock, irrigation, and domestic use particularly during
a low-flow season.

With this purpose in mind, the immediate approval of this bill is strongly
requested.

GAVINI “AP
Representative,

. PANCHO: JOEY’S. SALCEDA
4 District of Bulacan Representative, 2™ District of Albay

FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ
Representative, 1* District of Leyte


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS:
First Regular Session

House Bit no__3560

Introduced by
REPRESENTATIVES GAVINI “APOL” C. PANCHO,
JOEY S. SALCEDA and FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ

AN ACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF IMPOUNDING STRUCTURES
DOWNSTREAM FROM THE BUSTOS DAM TO MEET THE MULTIPLE NEEDS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE EVOLVING DEMANDS FOR WATER SUPPLY FOR
LIVESTOCK, IRRIGATION, AND DOMESTIC USE PARTICULARLY DURING A
LOW-FLOW SEASON, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES THEREOF

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress of the
Philippines assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as “Bustos Downstream
Water Management and Intervention Act of 2019”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Principles. This Act is governed by the following
principles:

(a) All waters belong to the State.

(b) The State may allow the use or development of waters by administrative
concession for the following purposes:

1) Use of water for municipal and city purposes for supplying the water
requirements of the general public.

2) Use of water for livestock raising and irrigation for producing
agricultural crops.

3) Use of water for power generation for producing electrical or
mechanical power.

4) Use of water for industrial purposes in factories, industrial plants and
mines, including the use of water as an ingredient of a finished product.


(c) The utilization, exploitation, development, conservation and protection of
water resources shall be subject to the control and regulation of the government
through the its assigned agencies.

(e) Preference in the use and development of waters shall consider current
usages and be responsive to the changing needs of the country.

SECTION 3. Declaration of Policy.

(a) It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect and promote the rights
of the people to health, a balanced and healthful ecology and instill health
consciousness among them.

(b) The State shall pursue a policy of sustainable development, balancing
progress, the protection of the environment, and the health and welfare of its people.

(c) The State shall promote a comprehensive system of environmental planning
which seeks to conserve, rehabilitative and develop the physical environment and
natural resources of the nation that translates into physical and spatial considerations
policies on land capability, urbanization, agricultural development and natural
resources development.

(d) The State shall pursue the implementation of Art. 310f Presidential Decree
No. 1067 otherwise known as “The Water Code of the Philippines” which states that:
“Preference in the development of water resources shall consider security of the State,
multiple use, beneficial effects, adverse effects and cost of development’.

(e) Towards this end, the State shall approve the construction of smaller
impounding structures down river from the Bustos Dam, in order to establish a surface
and groundwater storage infrastructure system which can significantly support the
objective of meeting the multiple needs associated with the evolving demands for
water supply for livestock, irrigation, and domestic use particularly during a low-flow
season.

SECTION 4. Scope. This Act shall apply to the Bustos Dam Water system and
all agencies and corporations that will be tasked for the construction operation and
maintenance of additional dams and infrastructures for such purposes.

SECTION 5. Role of the Local Government Units. — the LGU’s shall have the
primary responsibility in the effort of enforcing the provisions of this Act and its IRR.

SECTION 6. Appropriations. The amount necessary to cary out the
provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriation of the
concerned government agencies. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the
operation and maintenance of this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations
Act.

SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within ninety (90) days
after the effectivity of this Act, the provincial government of Bulacan, together with the
Local Government of Bustos, Department of Environment and Natural Resources


(DENR), in consultation with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), shall
promulgate the implementing rules and regulations governing this Act.

SECTION 8. Separability Clause. if for any reason, any provision of part
hereof is declared invalid, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full
force and effect.

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - Any provision of the law, presidential
decree, executive orders, rules and regulations contrary to the provision of this Act is
hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation, whichever comes earlier.

Approved,