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BillHBN-857220th Congress

Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef and Underwater Environs (Bohol) as a Tourism Destination

In committee Filed May 6, 2026
◷ Where it standsIn Committee
FiledCommittee2nd Reading3rd ReadingBicamEnacted

Filed on May 6, 2026, and referred to the Committees on Tourism, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, and Finance; it has been pending in committee since May 19, 2026, with no recorded action since then.

Should you care?
Relevance to you
Moderate

The bill aims to boost local tourism while ensuring environmental protection.

TouristsLocal residentsBusiness ownersGovernment agencies
Timeliness
Timely

The bill addresses the need for tourism development in Bien Unido, which is timely given the growing interest in eco-tourism.

Affects you ifTourists visiting BoholLocal businessesMunicipal Government of Bien UnidoEnvironmental groups
Impact assessment
AI read — verify with source
Overall impact
2.3/ 10
Long title

Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef and Underwater Environs (Bohol) as a Tourism Destination

Plain-language summary
AI Summary

This bill declares the Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef and its surrounding underwater areas in Bohol as a tourism destination, aiming to enhance tourism development while ensuring environmental conservation.

What this bill actually requires
RequiresThe Municipal Government of Bien Unido must prepare a tourism development plan within one year after the approval of this Act.
RequiresThe Municipal Government of Bien Unido must promulgate rules and regulations to implement this Act within sixty days from its effectivity.
FundsThe funding for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual budget of the Municipal Government of Bien Unido.
FundsThe Department of Tourism may augment the budget allocation with internally generated funds.
DeadlineOne year after the approval of this Act
DeadlineSixty days from the effectivity of this Act
ⓘ AI-generated — verify with the source.↗ Official Senate PDF
What changes from current law

Compared with current law:

Today

The Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef is not recognized as a tourism destination.

This bill

The Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef will be officially declared a tourism destination, leading to prioritized development.

ⓘ AI-generated comparison — verify against the bill and the cited law.
Ask this bill

The main purpose of the bill is to declare the Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef and its immediate underwater environs as a tourism destination, which will prioritize its development and support from the Department of Tourism.

Source · full text
Issue areas
HealthEducationLocal GovernmentLocal GovernmentTourism DevelopmentEnvironmental conservationBien UnidoBohol

✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.

Legislative history
May 6, 2026Senate
Introduced by Representatives MARIA VANESSA C. AUMENTADO, ELEANDRO JESUS F. MADRONA, JUNARD "AHONG" Q. CHAN, ROSALIE ANG SALVAME, ROMMEL RICO T. ANGARA, etl. al.;
May 6, 2026Senate
Approved on Third Reading by the House of Representatives on May 5, 2026;
May 6, 2026Senate
Sent to the Senate requesting for concurrence;
May 19, 2026Senate
Read on First Reading and Referred to the Committees on TOURISM; ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES AND CLIMATE CHANGE and FINANCE;
✦ AI insight

Stalled: the bill was filed on May 6, 2026, and has been pending in committee for over four months with no further action recorded since its referral on May 19, 2026.

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Floor activity

No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.

Full text
HBN-8572 — verbatim textAs filed

CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES TWENTIETH CONGRESS First Regular Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H. No. 8572 BY REPRESENTATIVES AUMENTADO, MADRONA, CHAN (J.), SALVAME, ANGARA, ALVAREZ (J.), KHO (E.), TUAN, MIRAFLORES, HORIBATA, YAP (J.G.), AGYAO, ALANO, DALOG, MOMO, SINGSON (R.V.), CALDERON, YNARES, CORVERA, REGENCIA, CASTRO, GONZALES (A.M.), TUPAS, PLEYTO, BANCORO, RODRIGUEZ (E.), BELTRAN, DAZA, DEL MAR, GUINTU, BARBA, CAGAS, CAYTON, COLLANTES, ROMAN, ROQUE, UMALI AND SUAN AN ACT DECLARING THE BIEN UNIDO DOUBLE BARRIER REEF AND ITS IMMEDIATE UNDERWATER ENVIRONS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF BIEN UNIDO, PROVINCE OF BOHOL, AS A TOURISM DESTINATION Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: SECTION L The Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef and its immediate underwater environs, located in the Municipality of Bien Unido, Province of Bohol, are hereby declared a 3 tourism destination. Pursuant thereto, its development shall be prioritized and supported by the 4 Department of Tourism (DOT), subject to the rules and regulations governing the development 5 of tourism destinations.

SEC. 2. Within one (I) year after the approval of this Act, the Municipal Government

7 of Bien Unido shall, in coordination with the DOT, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and concerned agencies of the government, prepare a tourism development

1 plan that shall include the construction, installation, and maintenance of such appropriate 2 infrastructure and facilities to ensure accessibility and the security of tourists in the area: 3 Provided, That said development plan shall ensure the preservation and conservation of the 4 marine life and underwater geological significance of the area: Provided, further, That the implementation of the tourism development plan shall be included in the budget of the 6 Municipal Government of Bien Unido.

SEC. 3. The DOT shall assist the Municipal Government of Bien Unido in the

implementation of the tourism development plan by providing technical assistance in tourism capacity building. It shall also include the Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef and its immediate underwater environs in its national and regional promotion programs.

SEC. 4. The funding for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual

12 budget of the Municipal Government of Bien Unido. The DOT may augment such allocation with internally generated funds.

SEC. 5. Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Municipal

15 Government of Bien Unido shall, in consultation with the DOT, DENR, and concerned agencies of the government, promulgate the rules and regulations to implement this Act.

SEC. 6. All laws, rules, regulations, presidential decrees, and other issuances

inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official

Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Approved,

Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.