Reelectionist senator Francis Escudero yesterday said he is hopeful that a bill pending in the Senate on the automatic retention of shares of revenues from protected areas in the country will be passed on third reading in June when Congress reconvenes.

At a press conference, Escudero said the House Bill, authored by Rep. George Arnaiz (Neg. Or., 2 nd District) was passed at the Senate on second reading but due to time limitations until adjournment of Congress for the May 13 elections, it failed to make it to third reading.

House Bill 2123 is entitled “An Act Amending Section 16 of Republic Act Number 7586 Otherwise Known As The National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992”.

But, Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on environment and natural resources, said he is confident that by June the bill will be ratified and despite a different version at the Lower House, this could be passed into law, if the President will sign it.

He said both Houses should adopt the Senate version of the bill, but for it to become a law is highly dependent on President Benigno Aquino III.

The proposed measure aims to allow the local government units with protected areas to directly gain access to their 75 percent share of revenues, Arnaiz had earlier said.

The law mandates that despite a 75-25 percent sharing between the national government and the LGUs, all revenues from the different protected areas in the country go directly to the national coffers.

The LGUs, through their different Protected Area Management Boards, only get their 75 percent share after submitting a proposed plan of expenditures and projects.

Arnaiz noted that with the current law, it is disadvantageous to the LGUs as sometimes it would take two years or more before they could receive their share of revenues.

One of the noted protected areas in Negros Oriental is the internationally renowned dive destination, Apo Island, whose PAMB has been clamoring for years to have the law modified.*JFP

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