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 GROUND.
 SECTION 1
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 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.
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 prison correctional in its
minimum period to prison 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of this Act, are hereby repealed.
PNG FILE

This Act shall take effect upon its

approval.
 The application for special permit to cut trees,
particularly protected hardwoods, inside public school
grounds and in private land, is usually acted upon by
DENR authorities only upon compliance of certain
requisites, or upon submission among others of the
following:
1. Vicinity map and sketch of the area where the trees to be cut are
located
2. Inventory of the trees to be cut which covers
a. Number and species
b. Diameter and height of each tree and estimated volume of timber
to be generated
c. Estimate of total volume in board feet of cut lumbers/woods and
their estimated value
d. Utilization plan of the cut timbers
3. Infrastructure/physical development plan of the area where the
trees are found
4. Building permit
5. Community consultation on the cutting of trees
6. Confirmatory assessment by DENR environmental officers of the
site and the trees to be cut
 Once compliance is made, DENR may issue
the permit to the requesting party often
with certain conditions,

• possibility of saving some trees by

moving the construction of the building
a little away from premium trees, or by
earth-balling and relocating the trees;

• the submission of a replanting plan for

the replacement of the felled trees;
• fixing the schedule or timeframe of tree
cutting;

• and the supervision of the cutting by

the CENRO or other DENR environment
officer.
 The offenders and/or persons
liable and subject to arrest
• the cutter, gatherer, collector, receiver,
and the possessor, or in the case of a
corporation, the officer or officers who
appear to be responsible to the
commission of the offense.
 Penalty
• The violation of RA 3571 is punishable
by prison correctional in its minimum
period to prison mayor in its minimum
period.