House panel OKs bill requiring construction of rainwater harvesting facilities in dev’t projects in MM
House of Representatives. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on Metro Manila development approved on Tuesday a bill requiring the establishment of rainwater harvesting facilities on all development projects in the metropolis.
The still unnumbered bill is a consolidation of four bills of the same nature filed by various House members.
The House already approved this proposed measure, then House Bill No. 4340, on third and final reading in the previous 17th Congress, however, the Senate failed to act upon it.
The bill seeks to mandate the establishment of rainwater harvesting facilities on all new public and private commercial, institutional, and residential developments in the metropolis.
The facilities are primarily to reduce flooding in the metropolis during heavy rainfalls and encourage the conservation of potable water.
Owners or developers of new development projects with an area of at least 1,500 square meters shall reserve, develop, and maintain at least three percent of the project’s total area as a rainwater harvesting facility.
Under the bill, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and local government units (LGUs) are tasked to monitor the construction of rainwater harvesting facilities.
LGUs also have the power to deny developers of their request for a building permit should their projects fail to incorporate a rainwater harvesting facility.
Developers shall face fines of not less than P500,000 but no more than P2 million for every year they fail to construct a rainwater harvesting facility in their new residential development projects.
Foreign national offenders, meanwhile, face deportation without further proceedings after payment of fine.
Government officials, employees and agents who also violate the law shall be suspended not less than 10 days but no more than 180 days after due notice and hearing in appropriate administrative proceeding.
