EIGKTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S. No.
SENATE
336
'
of t!ir £■ TtMp
•19 JUL11 All'05
RECEIVSn O1'
Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA A. VILLAR
AN ACT
REQUIRING NEW COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, AND RESIDENTIAL 
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN  METRO MANILA AND MAJOR CITIES IN  
THE PHILIPPINES TO INSTALL RAINWATER HARVESTING OR RETENTION 
FACILITIES, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Being 
an 
archipelago, 
the 
Philippines 
is 
abundant 
in 
w ate r 
resources. 
And w hile the co u n try, on account o f its geographical 
location at the Pacific typhoon belt, 
is fre que nte d by num erous 
typhoons th a t ofte n tim e s w reak havoc to its residents, 
the same 
phenom ena all to g e th e r bring in to rre n tia l ra in fa ll th a t con tinuo usly 
replenish our w ater resources.
And so, the dw ind ling w ate r supply we experience nowadays, 
p a rtic u la rly 
in 
M etro 
Manila 
and 
neighboring 
areas, 
is 
an 
ironic 
predicam ent 
given 
th a t 
heaps 
o f 
ra in w ate r 
are 
poured 
in to  
the 
P hilippine te rrito ry  year in and year out, even com m only re su ltin g  to 
flo o d in g . 
W hile a lo t have surm ised th a t the blam e belongs to the 
governm ent re gula tors and the concessionaires fo r the apparent lack o f


planning, 
fo re sig h t 
and 
in fra stru ctu re s, 
re sulting 
to 
the 
cu rre n t 
d e fic ie n t w ate r suppiy; 
to my m ind. I'd  ra th e r see the w isdom  o f 
considering the cu rre n t predicam ent as an o p p o rtu n ity fo r us to re th in k 
ou r c u rre n t w ater conservation practices and to s ta rt w ith resourcefui 
ways o f conserving w ater, such as ra in w ate r harvesting.
R ainw ater harvesting as a way o f conserving w a te r is no t a new 
concept o r technology. 
Researches show th a t it was practiced during 
the 
ancient 
tim es 
as 
evidenced 
by 
the 
discovery 
o f w a te rp ro o f 
receptacies or cisterns to collect rain, w hich is traced back to the 
period o f N eolithic Age (o r around 10,000 BC to 4500 BC)1. 
In  In d ia , a 
technique th a t has been used fo r hundreds o f years is the build ing o f 
w a te r harvesting system s on to p  o f the roofs o f houses; it is a sim ple 
technology th a t has been replicated in countries, such as Brazil and 
C hina.2 
In  
the 
P hilippines, 
early use o f ra in w a te r harvesting 
is 
indicated by the presence o f the Banaue rice terraces, believed to  be 
b u ilt some wo thousand (2 ,000 ) years ago by the Ifu g a o  p e ople .3 
Thus, ra in w a te r harvesting may be considered an an cient practice but 
it s till finds relevance and p ra ctica lity even in the present tim es, 
p a rtic u la rly given the increased extrem e w ea ther events (i.e . extrem e 
heat, long periods o f d ro u g h t) broug ht by clim ate change.
There is so much p o te n tia l to be gained in m ainstream ing anew 
ra in w a te r harvesting in the country. 
According to Dr. W illiam  Dar (a 
fo rm e r a g ricu ltu re  secretary), the P hilippines receives around 2,400 
mm o f ra in w a te r annually, w hich is considered one o f the highest level 
o f ra in fa ll; 
and 
yet, 
despite the abundant ra in fa ll, 
the co u n try's 
ra in w a te r harvest is only about fo u r percent (4 % ).4 
This is measly 
com pared to  In d ia 's sixty percent (60% ) ra in w a te r harvest ra te. 
The
1 https://rotoplasusa.com/old-rainwater-harvesting-history-human-inncwation/
2 https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/main/rainwater-harvesting-information/history-of-
rainwater-harvesting/
3 http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/water/paper/drinkingwater/rainwater/introduction.html
^ https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1065432


w ate r th a t w ill be collected via ra in w a te r harvesting is a w elcom e 
a d dition to ou r scarce w ater supply and could be very w ell used fo r 
household and o th e r practical purposes.
The attached bill requires new com m ercial, in s titu tio n a l, and 
re sid en tial in fra s tru c tu re  projects, w ith an area o f a t least 1,500 square 
m eters, in M etro Manila and m ajor citie s in the P hilippines to install 
ra in w a te r harvesting or re te n tio n  fa c ilitie s  th a t w ill bring ab out an 
e ffic ie n t conservation o f w ate r, w hich may be used fo r household, or 
o th e r practical purposes and thereby help in addressing the shortage o f 
w a te r supply as w ell as in m itig a tin g  the floo ding problem  in affected 
areas in M etro Manila and m ajor cities in the P hilippines. 
I t  is a bill 
o rig in a lly file d  by R epresentative Luis Raymund "LR ay" F. V illa fu e rte  Jr. 
o f the Second D istrict o f Cam arines Sur d u ring the 17th Congress, and 
I am 
pleased to file  its co u n te rp a rt bill in the Senate th is 18th 
Congress.
In  view  o f the forego ing, I recom m end the im m ediate approval o f 
th is b ill.
CYNTHIA A. VILLAR


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No.
336
o( tl)!' €r • ■ < *>";■
*19 
JUL11 
A ir-0 5
RECEIVl D 3V.
Introduced by SENATOR CYNTHIA A. VILLAR
AN ACT
REQUIRING NEW COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, AND RESIDENTIAL 
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN  METRO MANILA AND MAJOR CITIES IN  
THE PHILIPPINES TO INSTALL RAINWATER HARVESTING OR RETENTION 
FACILITIES, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Phiiippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Tide. -  This Act shall be known as the "Rainwater Harvesting
2 
Facility Act".
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration o f Policy. -  It is the declared policy of the State to
4 
promote the health and welfare of its citizens, and exercise sufficient powers to
5 
preserve the natural ecology within its territory. Further, it is the policy of the State to
6 
provide adequate supply of clean and unpolluted water for domestic and for other useful
7 
purposes. Thus, the State shall adopt practical measures that will efficiently conserve
8 
water and help in addressing the deficient water supply in Metro Manila and other
9 
major cities in the country.


1 
Sec. 3. Definition o f Terms. -  As used in this Act, the following terms shall be
2 
defined as:
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21
a) 
Department refers to the Department of Public Works and Highways 
(DPWH);
b) 
Green infrastructure means any storm water management technique or 
practice employed with the primary goal of preserving, restoring, or 
mimicking natural hydrology;
c) 
Rainwater means precipitation on any public or private parcel that has 
not entered an offsite storm drain system or channel, a flood control 
channel, or any other stream channel, and has not previously been put 
to beneficial use;
d) 
Rainwater harvesting faciiity refers to a flood control structure such as 
a vertical detention tank, horizontal water tank, open retarding basin, 
and multi-use water catchment area, or an on-site regulation pond 
used to capture, retain, and store rainwater flowing off a building, 
parking lot, or any other manmade, impervious surface consequently 
preventing or delaying the release of rainwater into the public drainage 
system; and
e) 
Return period refers to the average length of time in years for a rain- 
related natural disaster of given magnitude be equaled or exceeded by 
the length of time that a rainwater-related disaster may probably recur.
22 
Sec. 4. Rainwater Harvesting Facility Requirement. -  An owner or developer
23 
of a new commercial, institutional and residential development project in Metro
24 
Manila and other major cities, with an area of at least one thousand five hundred
25 
(1,500) square meters and requiring the issuance of building permit shall reserve,
26 
develop, and maintain at least three (3%) of the total area, exclusive roads, service
27 
streets and alleys, as a rainwater harvesting facility.


1 
The owner or developer of an ongoing commercial, institutional, and
2 
residential development project in Metro Manila and other major cities that has no
3 
existing provision for a rainwater facility shall build the facility within a period of
4 
three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act, or suffer the penalty imposed in
5 
Section 8 hereof.
6 
To conserve potable water, rainwater collected by a harvesting facility may
7 
be used for non-potable and suitable purposes, such as gardening and air-cooling
8 
processes.
9 
It is the intent of the Act that the use of rainwater for non-potable uses
10 
should not be constrained by standards for drinking water or recycled water but shall
11 
fully comply with water quality requirements.
12 
Sec. 5. Design Approval. -  The provision for a rainwater harvesting facility
13 
shall be required by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development
14 
(DHSUD) and local government units (LGUs) to be incorporated in the design of all
15 
new commercial, institutional, and residential development projects in Metro Manila
16 
and other major cities, and project design shall be approved for construction unless
17 
it includes such facility. The DHSUD and the LGUs shall ensure that these facilities
18 
are built during the construction phase of the projects.
19 
Sec. 6. Design Requirements. -  The rainwater harvesting facility must be
20 
designed to cope with a pre-determined flood and rain return period and must have
21 
a storage capacity prescribed by the Department of Public Works and Highways
22 
(DPWH). The design of the rainwater harvesting facility includes the following:
23
24
25
a) 
Size, shape and physical characteristics of available space;
b) 
Construction plans with specified material type including lining and 
coating requirements;


2
3
1
c) 
Detailed drawing on how the installation will drain into an outfall 
structure as a drywell or a percolation chamber, storm drain system, 
drainage channel, or natural wash; and
d) 
Mechanism to exclude mosquitoes and not permit mosquito production.
5 
Sec. 7. Building Permits. -  If the design of a new commercial, institutional,
6 
and residential project in Metro Manila and other major cities with an area of at least
7 
one thousand five hundred (1,500) square meters does not provide for a rainwater
8 
harvesting facility, the LGU concerned shall deny the request for issuance of a
9 
building permit for such project.
10 
Sec. 8. Reportorial Requirements. -  The DPWH shall require the owner or
11 
developer of all new commercials, institutional, and residential development projects
12 
covered under this Act to submit a compliance report within 12 months from the
13 
date of the completion of the project.
14 
The DPWH shall henceforth require the building owners to submit an annual
15 
report of the performance of such rainwater retention facility which may include, but
16 
is not limited to information on the total volume of retained rainwater and its
17 
utilization.
18 
Sec. 9. Penalties. -  The owner or developer of all new commercial,
19 
institutional, and residential development projects in Metro Manila and other major
20 
cities who fails to construct a rainwater harvesting facility in violation of Section 4 of
21 
this Act shall suffer the penalty of a fine of not less than Five hundred thousand
22 
pesos (Php500,000.00), but not more than Two million pesos (Php2,000,000.00) for
23 
every year of non-compliance.
24 
In the case of a partnership, association, corporation or any juridical person,
25 
the fine shall be imposed upon the president, treasurer, or any officer or person
26 
responsible for the violation.


1 
If the offender is a foreigner, the foreigner shall be deported immediately
2 
without further proceedings after payment of fine.
3 
The head of the government institution who violates Section 4 of this Act, or
4 
government officials, employees, and agents who issue licenses or permits in
5 
violation of Section 8 of this Act, shall suffer the penalty of suspension of not less
6 
than ten (10) days, but not more than one hundred eighty (180) days after due
7 
notice and hearing in an appropriate administrative proceeding.
8 
Sec. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). -  Within sixty (60) days
9 
from the effectivity of this Act, the Department shall, in coordination with relevant
10 
government agencies and other stakeholders, promulgate the rules and regulations
11 
for the effective implementation of this Act. The implementing rules and regulations
12 
shall include the standards and guidelines for the design, construction, installation,
13 
materials, site selection and planning, site-specific considerations, and maintenance
14 
of the rainwater harvesting facility.
15 
Sec. 11. Separability Clause. -  If any portion or provision of this Act is
16 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder of this Act or any provisions
17 
hereof not affected thereby shall continue to be in force and effect.
18 
Sec. 12. Repealing Clause. -  Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
19 
executive order, letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent or contrary to
20 
the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
21 
Sec. 13. Effectivity Clause. -  This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days
22 
following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general
23 
circulation.
24
Approved,