Arbor Day Act of 2012

Section 2 declares State policy to protect and advance the people’s right to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.
Section 2 recognizes the vital role of trees in ecological stability and calls for coordinated State and citizen efforts to combat loss of natural resources and rejuvenate the environment through nationwide tree planting and effective maintenance measures.
Section 2 requires every province, city, and municipality with its component barangays to revive Arbor Day by an appropriate proclamation of the local chief executive at an appropriate fixed date every calendar year.
Section 2 encourages uniform Arbor Day dates across a province and its component municipalities and cities, but allows varying dates to provide planning flexibility and to align with the proper planting season and period for the trees selected.
Section 2 allows varying Arbor Day celebration dates depending on local budgetary allotments and the suitability of the planting time for selected trees.

Section 3 requires creation of an Arbor Day Celebration Committee in every province, city, and municipality in the country.
Section 3 makes the local chief executive responsible for selecting the committee composition.
Section 3 provides that committee members preferably come from field officers of various government agencies based in the locality.
Section 3 includes, as preferred committee members, representatives from:
- Local sanggunian;
- Local Environment and Natural Resources Office;
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);
- Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI);
- Department of Education (DepED);
- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);
- Commission on Higher Education (CHED);
- Department of Agriculture (DA);
- Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR);
- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
- Department of Tourism (DOT);
- Philippine National Police (PNP);
- Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP);
- Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA);
- Civic organizations;
- Sangguniang Kabataan (SK);
- Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB); and
- Media associations.

Section 4 requires all provinces, cities, and municipalities with their component barangays to declare an Arbor Day or Tree Planting Day.
Section 4 requires declaration by appropriate proclamation of the local chief executive through an ordinance passed by the local sanggunian.
Section 4 mandates a fixed date every calendar year that is conducive to the proper time and season for planting in the locality.
Section 4 encourages uniform dates but allows varying dates to allow flexibility in planning and implementation of tree planting programs.
Section 4 requires the Arbor Day designated to be declared as a public working holiday to ensure participation of different sectors of society, and provides that this declaration may be embodied in the proclamation the local chief executives are authorized to issue under the Act.

Section 5 requires each local sanggunian to provide for allocation of resources for implementing the Act at its own local government level.
Section 6 requires all local government units (LGUs) to submit to the DILG the actual date of the Arbor Day Celebration in their respective localities for information and monitoring purposes.
Section 7 directs the BPI, in coordination with the PCA, to supply and distribute seedlings to LGUs for the Tree Planting Program.

Section 8 requires all able-bodied citizens of the Philippines who are at least twelve (12) years of age to plant one (1) tree every year.
Section 9 requires the local Arbor Day Celebrations Committee to specify the area within the LGU to be planted or reforested.
Section 9 requires that if the area to be planted or reforested is a protected area or a protection forest, the committee shall encourage the use of endemic or indigenous species during Arbor Day observance.
Section 9 requires Arbor Day tree planting activities to be done in any of the following areas:
- Public school grounds, gardens, or other available areas within school premises;
- Idle or vacant public lands;
- Public parks in urban and rural areas; and
- Private schools, parks, and lands with the consent of the owner thereof.

Section 10 assigns maintenance responsibility to barangay officials for the trees.
Section 10 assigns maintenance responsibility to deputized non-governmental organizations as well.

Section 11 requires the DILG, in coordination with LGUs, DENR, and DA, to promulgate rules and regulations to effectively implement the Act.
Section 12 provides a separability clause: if any provision or part is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.
Section 13 repeals, amends, or modifies all laws, presidential decrees, proclamations, executive orders, regulations, and other issuances inconsistent with the Act’s provisions and/or purposes.

The Act is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 3146 and House Bill No. 4330.
The Senate and House of Representatives passed the Act on May 30, 2012 and June 5, 2012, respectively.