WHEREAS, pursuant to Republic Act No. 4826 of 18 June 1966, the defunct Philippine Fisheries Commission was authorized to establish and maintain a fish sanctuary within Laguna de Bay in Rizal and Laguna Provinces;

WHEREAS, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) under its enabling legislations, Republic Act No. 4850 of 18 July 1966 and amended by Presidential Decree  No. 813 in 1975 and Executive Order No. 927 in 1983, has been tasked with the responsibility of implementing the declared national policy to promote and accelerate the development and balanced growth of the Laguna de Bay, and by virtue of this mandate, the LLDA has been authorized to manage and control all development activities in the Laguna de Bay Region including the establishment and maintenance of fish sanctuaries in the aforementioned lake;

WHEREAS, by virtue of the aforestated LLDA Charter as amended, the Authority has taken over such functions and responsibilities over fish sanctuaries in Laguna de Bay from the defunct Philippine Fisheries Commission;

WHEREAS , the LLDA, pursuant to its mandate, shall carry out the declared policy of the State to ensure the optimum development as well as the judicious disposition, management, renewal and conservation of the region ™s fishery and other natural resources for the benefit of the stakeholders, consistent with the necessity of maintaining sound ecological balance and protecting and enhancing the quality of the environment and the objective of making the development and utilization of such natural resources equitably accessible to the different segments of the region ™s population in the present and future generations;

WHEREAS, it is a declared policy of the State that Local Government Units shall be effective partners in the management of the country ™s natural resources;

WHEREAS, management of natural resources should always be a multi-sectoral concern; collective effort is the key to rehabilitate, conserve and enhance the ecological condition of our natural resources and the State recognizes the importance and participation of all concerned sectors in the Laguna de Bay Region;

WHEREAS, for the effective management of fish sanctuaries in the lake, there is a need to formulate rules and regulations on the establishment, safeguarding and maintenance of fish sanctuaries;

NOW, THEREFORE , foregoing premises considered, BE IT RESOLVED, as it is hereby RESOLVED, to adopt the following rules and regulations:

Section 1.       Title . - These rules shall be known and cited as the œRules and Regulations on the Establishment, Safeguarding and Maintenance of Fish Sanctuaries Within Laguna de Bay. 

Section 2.       Statement of Purpose . - The purpose of these rules is to provide the guidelines and regulations governing the establishment and management of specific reserved area/s in Laguna de Bay intended solely to maintain or preserve fish and other similar aquatic life, rehabilitate or restore depleted fishery areas and support fish population in adjacent lake areas where fishing is allowed.

Section 3.       Definition of Fish Sanctuary . - For the purpose of these rules and regulations, a fish sanctuary refers to a designated protected area where fish and other aquatic life are able to spawn, feed and grow undisturbed and where fishing and other activities that may damage the ecosystems of the area are absolutely prohibited.

Section 4.       Description of Fish Sanctuaries in Laguna de Bay . - The fish sanctuaries within the Laguna de Bay are hereby set inside and established within the body of water formed by imaginary straight lines under the following technical descriptions:

1.         5,000 has. Rayap Fish Sanctuary, Talim Island

Beginning at point marked œ1  being Bay Island:

Thence N 34 30 ™ W - 8,100 meters to point 2
Thence N 46 30 ™ E - 2,390 meters to point 3;
Thence N 37 00 ™ E - 1,395 meters to point 4;
Thence N 11 00 ™ E - 2,675 meters to point 5;
Thence S 81 00 ™ E - 3,440 meters to point 6;
Thence S 02 30 ™ W - 3,490 meters to point 7;
Thence S 25 00 ™ E - 1,180 meters to point 8;
Thence S 18 30 ™ W - 7,420 meters to point 1;

2.         126.27 has. Tabon Fish Sanctuary

Beginning from point marked œ1  being S 65 41 ™ 20  W - 1,362.451 m;

Thence N 63 56 ™ 23  E - 1,304.39 m to point 2;
Thence S 31 1 ™ 24  E - 1,048.114 m to point 3;
Thence N 76 10 ™ 33  W - 1,605.162 m to point 4;
Thence N 12 12 ™ 19  W - 725.081 m to point 1.

3.         30.12 has. Muntinlupa Fish Sanctuary

Beginning from point marked 1 being S 44 31 ™ 30  - 105.502 m.:

Thence S 89 46 ™ 25  E - 500.976 m to point 2;
Thence S 0 3 ™ 59 E - 605.172 m to point 3;
Thence N 89 7 ™ 43  W - 499.329 m to point 4;
Thence N 0 13 ™ 47  W - 5999.558 m to point 1.

Section 5.       Coordination with Local Government Units and Other Government Agencies. - The LLDA shall exercise policy setting and administrative functions over the established fish sanctuaries. It shall coordinate its efforts with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture (DA- BFAR), the Municipalities of Binangonan, Cardona, Jala-Jala in the Province of Rizal, the City Government of Muntinlupa and the Municipality of Bay in the Province of Laguna in the management, safeguarding and maintenance of fish sanctuaries in Laguna de Bay.

Section 6.       Law Enforcement. - The LLDA shall coordinate with the Philippine National Police-Maritime Command (PNP-MariCom) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) which shall take the lead in the enforcement of fishery laws for the sustainable management of fish sanctuaries in collaboration with the concerned LGUs. Other law enforcement agencies shall provide support and assistance to the PNP-MariCom and the PCG for the effective enforcement of fisheries laws in Laguna de Bay.

Section 7.       Prohibitions. - These acts are prohibited under these rules and regulations. No person, natural or juridical, shall:

a.   Undertake fishing operation in any manner within the above-described area;

b.   Throw or dispose into the sanctuary, any organic or inorganic matter or any liquid substance which may cause pollution therein; and

c.   Destroy or in any way damage any material, equipment and/or improvement installed therein for the purpose of the fish sanctuaries.

Section 8.       Penal and Civil Liability Clause . - Any person, natural or juridical, who shall violate any of the provisions of these rules and regulations, particularly Section 7 hereof, shall be held liable under the existing penal provisions of R.A. 4850, as amended.

The Authority shall impose an administrative fine of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) to the violators of the foregoing rules and regulations after due notice and hearing. If the violator is a corporation, partnership or association, the officers of the organization concerned shall be held liable thereof.

The Authority shall likewise pursue separate civil actions for damages resulting from infractions of these rules and regulations.

Section 9.       Amendments . - These rules and regulations may be amended and/or modified by the Authority at any time.

Section 10.    Effectivity. - These rules and regulations shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Adopted: 29 June 2000

(SGD.) JOSE D. LINA, JR. Chairman	(SGD.) ROSELLER S. DELA PE A Vice-Chairman
(SGD.) ARTURO L. TIU (SGD.) EMMANUEL B. CADAYONA (SGD.) JOAQUIN G. MENDOZA Directors	(SGD.) GODOFREDO C. VALERA (SGD.) ZENAIDA C. MAGLAYA Directors
Attested by:
(SGD.) LORETA D. VILLARUZ Board Secretary V