An Act Declaring Santiago Cove in the Municipality of Santiago, Province of Ilocos Sur a Tourist Destination, Providing for its Development and Appropriating Funds Therefor

Seventeenth Congress
Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-third day of July, two thousand eighteen.

REPUBLIC ACT No. 11408

An Act Declaring Santiago Cove in the Municipality of Santiago, Province of Ilocos Sur a Tourist Destination, Providing for its Development and Appropriating Funds Therefor

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:

Section 1. The Pinsal Falls in the Municipality of Santa Maria, Province of Ilocos Sur, is hereby declared a tourist destination. As such, its development shall be prioritized by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and shall be subject to the rules and regulations governing the development of tourist destinations.

Section 2. The technical descriptions of Pinsal Falls, being declared a tourist destination, are as follows:

Section 3. Within one (1) year after the approval of this Act, the DOT, in coordination with the concerned local government units and agencies of the government, shall prepare a tourism development plan involving the construction, installation, and maintenance of appropriate infrastructure and facilities that shall encourage tourism in the area: Provided, That said development plan shall ensure the preservation and conservation of the natural beauty and resources of the area: Provided, further, That any activities and developments to be carried out in the area should conform with the concept of ecotourism as provided in the national ecotourism strategy jointly issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the DOT.

Section 4. The DOT and its concerned attached agencies shall take immediate steps to implement the tourism development plan that will suit the natural characteristics of Pinsal Falls, and shall incorporate the same in its tourism development program for the ensuing calendar year. It shall also include Pinsal Falls in all its national, regional and local promotion programs.

Section 5. The Secretary of the DOT shall include in the Department’s program the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act and from internally generated funds of the DOT.

Section 6. Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the DOT, in consultation with the local government of Santa Maria, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the proper implementation of this Act.

Section 7. All laws, rules, regulations, proclamations, executive orders or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby amended accordingly.

Approved,

(Sgd) VICENTE C. SOTTO III
President of the Senate

(Sgd) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was passed by the House of Representatives and Senate of the Philippines on June 4, 2019.

(Sgd) MYRA MARIE D. VILLARICA
Secretary of the Senate

(Sgd) DANTE ROBERTO P. MALING
Acting Secretary General
House of Representatives

(Sgd) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
President of the Philippines

Approved: August 22, 2019.