Article 153p. 153

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS STATUTES and IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

and providing for measures for their protection until

such time when Congress shall have enacted a law

finally declaring such recommended areas as part of the

integrated protected area systems; and

3. Thereafter, the President shall send to the Senate and

the House of Representatives his recommendations with

respect

to

the

designations

as

protected

areas

or

reclassification of each area on which review has been

completed, together with maps and legal description of

boundaries. The President, in his recommendation, may

propose the alteration of existing boundaries of any or all

proclaimed protected areas, addition of any contiguous

area

of

public

land

of

predominant

physical

and

biological value. Nothing contained herein shall limit the

President to propose, as part of his recommendation to

Congress,

additional

areas

which

have

not

been

designated, proclaimed or set aside by law, presidential

decree, proclamation or executive orders as protected

area/s.

SECTION 6.Additional Areas to be Integrated to the

System. – Notwithstanding the establishment of the

initial

component

of

the

additional

areas

with

outstanding

physical

features,

anthropological

significance and biological diversity in accordance with

the provisions of Section 5d.

SECTION 7.Disestablishment as Protected Area. – When

in the opinion of the DENR a certain protected area

should be withdrawn or disestablished, or its boundaries

modified as warranted by a study and sanctioned by the

majority of the members of the respective boards for the

protected area as herein established in Section 11, it shall,

in turn, advice Congress.Disestablishment of a protected

area under the System or modification of its boundary

shall

take

effect

pursuant

to

an

act

of

Congress.Thereafter,

said

area

shall

revert

to

the

category of public forests unless otherwise classified by

Congress: Provided however, that after disestablishment

by Congress, the Secretary may recommend the transfer

of

such

disestablished

area

to

other

government

agencies to serve other priority programs of national

interest.

SECTION 8.Buffer Zones. – For each protected area, there

shall

be

established

peripheral

buffer

zones

when

necessary, in the same manner as Congress establishes

the protected area, to protect the same from activities

that will directly and indirectly harm it. Such buffer

zones shall be included in the individual protected area

management

plan

that

shall

prepared

for

each

protected area. The DENR shall exercise its authority over

protected areas as provided in this Act on such area and

designated as buffer zones.

SECTION 9.Management Plans. – There shall be a general

management planning strategy to serve as guide in

formulating individual plans for each protected area. The

management planning strategy shall, at the minimum,

promote the adoption and implementation of innovative

management techniques including if necessary, the

concept of zoning, buffer zone management for multiple

use

and

protection,

habitat

conservation

and

rehabilitation,

diversity

management,

community

organizing,

socioeconomic

and

scientific researches,

site-specific policy development, pest management, and

fire control. The management planning strategy shall

also provide guidelines for the protection of indigenous

cultural

communities,

other

tenured

migrant

communities and sites for close coordination between

and among local agencies of the Government as well as

the private sector.

Each component area of the System shall be planned

and administered to further protect and enhance the

permanent

preservation of its natural conditions. A

management

manual

shall

be

formulated

and

developed

which

must

contain

the

following:

an

individual

management

plan

prepared by three (3)

experts, basic background information, field inventory of

the resources within the area, an assessment of assets

and

limitations, regional interrelationships, particular

objectives for managing the area, appropriate division of

the

area into management zones, a review of the

boundaries of the area, and a design of the management

programs.

SECTION

10.Administration and Management of the

System.

–

The

National

Integrated

Protected

Areas

System

is

hereby

placed

under

the

control

and

administration of the Department of Environment and

Natural Resources. For this purpose, there is hereby

created

a

division

in

the

regional

offices

of

the

Department

to

be

called

the

Protected Areas and

Wildlife Division in regions where protected areas have

been established, which shall be under the supervision

of

a

Regional

Technical Director, and shall include

subordinate officers, clerks, and employees as may be

proposed

by

the

Secretary,

duly

approved

by

the

Department

of

Budget

and

Management,

and

appropriated

by

the

Congress.

The

Service

thus

established shall manage protected areas and promote

the

permanent preservation, to the greatest extent

possible of their natural conditions.

To carry out the mandate of this Act, the Secretary of the

DENR is empowered to perform any and all of the

following acts:

a. To conduct studies on various characteristic features

and conditions of the different protected areas, using

commonalities

in

their

characteristics,

classify

and

define them into categories and prescribe permissible or

prohibited human activities in each category in the

System;

b. To adopt and enforce a land use scheme and zoning

plan in adjoining areas for the preservation and control

of activities that may threaten the ecological balance in

the protected areas;

c. To cause the preparation of and exercise the power to

review all plans and proposals for the management of

protected areas;

d. To promulgate rules and regulations necessary to

carry out the provisions of this Act;

e. To deputize field officers and delegate any of his

powers under this Act and other laws to expedite its

implementation and enforcement;

f.To fix and prescribe reasonable NIPAS fees to be

collected from government agencies or any person, firm

or corporation deriving benefits from the protected

areas;

g. To exact administrative fees and fines as authorized in

Section

21

for

violation

of

guidelines,

rules

and

regulations of this Act as would endanger the viability of

protected areas;

h. To enter into contracts and/or agreements with private

entities or public agencies as may be necessary to carry

out the purposes of this Act;

i.To accept in the name of the Philippine Government

and in behalf of NIPAS funds, gifts or bequests of money

for immediate disbursements or other property in the

interest of the NIPAS, its activities or its services;

j.To

call

on

any

agency

or

instrumentality

of

the

Government

as

well

as

academic

institutions,

non-government organizations and the private sector as

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