Prohibiting the Cutting of Trees and Plants Along Public Roads and Other Public Pleasure Ground

June 21, 1963

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 3571

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE CUTTING, DESTROYING OR INJURING OF PLANTED OR GROWING TREES, FLOWERING PLANTS AND SHRUBS OR PLANTS OF SCENIC VALUE ALONG PUBLIC ROADS, IN PLAZAS, PARKS, SCHOOL PREMISES OR IN ANY OTHER PUBLIC PLEASURE GROUND

SECTION 1. In order to promote and conserve the beauty of objects of scenic and ornamental value along public places and help preserve cool, fresh and healthful climate, it is the policy of the Government to cherish, protect and conserve planted or growing trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of ornamental value along public roads, in plazas, parks, school premises or in any other public ground.

SECTION 2. For the purpose of carrying out effectively the provisions of this Act, the Director of Parks and Wildlife shall have the power to create a committee in each and every municipality in the Philippines and shall appoint any civic conscious and well-travelled citizen as chairman, and the municipal mayor, the municipal treasurer, the supervising school teacher, and the municipal health officer, as ex officio members thereof. The Director of Parks and Wildlife shall also have the power to issue and promulgate rules and regulations as may be necessary in carrying out the provisions of this Act.

The chairman shall receive compensation of one peso per annum to be paid out of the funds of the city or municipality concerned, and the members shall not receive extra compensation. The Committee shall have the power to implement the rules and regulations issued by the Director of Parks and Wildlife under the provisions of this Act.

The Committee shall coordinate with the Director of Parks and Wildlife in the beautification of their respective locality and shall, under its supervision, require school children on Arbor Day to plant trees and flowering plants of useful and scenic value in places provided for in the preceding paragraph.

SECTION 3. No cutting, destroying or injuring of planted or growing trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of scenic value along public roads, in plazas, parks, school premises or in any other public ground shall be permitted save when the cutting, destroying or injuring of same is necessary for public safety, or such pruning of same is necessary to enhance its beauty and only upon the recommendation of the committee mentioned in the preceding section, and upon the approval of the Director of Parks and Wildlife. The cutting, destroying or pruning shall be under the supervision of the committee.

SECTION 4. Any person who shall cut, destroy or injure trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of scenic value mentioned in the preceding sections of this Act, shall be punished by prision correccional in its minimum period to prision mayor in its minimum period.

SECTION 5. All laws, Acts, parts of Acts, executive orders, and administrative orders or regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. cdt

Approved: June 21, 1963

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 59, No. 35, p. 5720 on September 2, 1963