8/20/2019 aug21.2015House okays bill reverting fishponds unutilized for three years to forestlands

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House okays bill reverting fishponds unutilized for three years to

forestlands

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a

measure reverting fishponds that have been unutilized or abandoned for three years to

forestlands.

House Bill 5845 authored by Rep. Linabelle Ruth R. Villaria !4th "istrit#

Bulaan$ shortens the proess of reverting the unutilized fishponds to forestlands# %hih

ould spur soio&eonomi development in the ountryside.

'(nvironmental la%s must be attuned to the demands of limate hange as %ell as

the soio&eonomi needs of the inreasing number of people living in our ommunities#'

Villaria said.

Villaria said the bill amends )etion 4* of +residential "eree ,o. -5# other%ise

/no%n as the Revised 0orestry Reform 1ode of the +hilippines.

The measure substituted House Bill 5283 and %as endorsed for plenary approval by

the House 1ommittee on ,atural Resoures# haired by Rep. 0raniso T. atugas !st"istrit# )urigao "el ,orte$.

Villaria said under +" -5# mangrove and other s%amps released by Bureau

of 0isheries and 67uati Resoures !B06R$ for fishpond purposes that have been

unutilized and abandoned for a period of five years from the date of suh release should

revert to the ategory of forestland.

The bill see/s to shorten the period of reverting to forestlands the fishponds# %hih

have been unutilized or abandoned from five to three years# Villaria said.

The fishponds ould be utilized for mangrove propagation or promotion of eo&

tourism ativities to umpstart the eonomy of ommunities %anting in soio&eonomi

development# aording to Villaria.

Villaria# hairperson of the House 1ommittee on 9omen and :ender (7uality#

said under +" -5# strips of mangrove forest bordering numerous islands# %hih protet

the shoreline# the shoreline roads# and even oastal ommunities from the destrutive fore

of the sea during high %inds and typhoons# shall be maintained and shall not be alienated.

Villaria said suh strips must be /ept free from artifiial obstrution so that

flood%ater %ill flo% unimpeded to the sea to avoid flooding or inundation of ultivated

areas in the upstream.

NR # 3933

AUG 21, 2015

8/20/2019 aug21.2015House okays bill reverting fishponds unutilized for three years to forestlands

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;nder the bill# all mangrove s%amps set aside for oast&protetion purposes shall

not be subet to lear&utting operation.

The "epartment of 6griulture !"6$ and the "epartment of (nvironment and

 ,atural Resoures !"(,R$ are mandated to prepare a set of oint guidelines to determine

abandoned# undeveloped or under&utilized fishponds overed by 0ishpond Lease

6greements !0L6s$. !*$ lvc