EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
623
S. No.
[rSi''! : 5 
-■i:>cUUC
<5( tijt &rtrft«rp
•19 
JUL 18 P3 :42
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
REC t.
AN ACT
REQUIRING TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLES TO BE EQUIPPED WITH 
ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article 13, Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution recognizes the need for 
rehabilitation, self-development, self-reliance and integration of persons with 
disabilities into the mainstream of society. Batas Pambansa Big. 344, or the 
Accessibility Law, required the installation of architectural facilities or structural 
features to enhance the mobility of disabled persons in certain buildings, institutions, 
establishments, and public utilities.
People who are blind or visually impaired cannot rely on traffic lights at every 
intersection they cross. Without sufficient visual information, they merely depend on 
the sound or sense of traffic to identify a time when traffic has stopped and crossing 
the street is possible. The Canadian National Institute of the Blind posits that this 
technique is not without risks such as: when traffic volumes are low and there are fewer 
cues to use; when an advanced green display allows cars to turn left or right, a 
pedestrian can mistakenly assume that the surge of traffic is a signal to walk; or when 
relying on the surge of traffic as a crossing cue, the pedestrian may take several seconds 
to begin crossing and not have the time to complete the crossing before the light has 
changed.1 Although traffic sounds and vibrations can help a pedestrian safely cross a 
street, there are many intersections where this type of information is insufficient to 
assure a pedestrian who is blind or visually impaired a safe journey.
1 T h e  C a n a d ia n  N a tio n a l In s titu te  fo r th e  B lin d . “C N IB  P o s itio n  fo r A c c e s s ib le  P e d e s tria n  S ig n a ls  in  C a n a d a ’ . 15 
O c to b e r 2 0 0 3 . A c c e s s e d  fro m  w w w .c n ib .c a /e n /a b o u t/w h o /b e lie v e /d o c u m e n ts /c n ib % 2 0 A P S % 2 0 p o s itio n .d o c


Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) are designed to assist these pedestrians so 
that they can navigate intersections with increased confidence. They provide 
pedestrians with reliable information that they can use to know when traffic signals 
have required traffic to stop and have cleared the way for pedestrians to cross.
With over two million Filipinos who are blind or suffering from poor vision, the 
installation of APS in most, and ideally all, traffic signal posts shall aid them in being 
independently mobile and ensure a safe journey for everyone.
Early enactment of this measure is requested.
LF.ILA M. DE LIMA


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
623
S. No.
of 
& r ; r c r n r p
'19 JUL18 P3 ’42
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIIV^-
AN ACT
REQUIRING TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLES TO BE EQUIPPED WITH 
ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section i. Shoj’t Title. -  This Act shall be known as “Accessible Pedestrian
2 
Signals Act of 2019.”
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. -  Persons with disabilities are part of Philippine
4 
society, thus, the State shall give full support to the improvement of their total well-
5 
being and integration into the mainstream of society. Towards this end, the State
6 
shall adopt policies ensuring the self-reliance of this vulnerable segment of our
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population.
8 
Sec. 3. Accessible Pedestrian Signal. -  Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) is
9 
defined as a device affixed to traffic signal poles that communicates information
10 
about the “WALK” and “DON’T WALK” inten'als at signalized intersections in non-
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visual formats, such as audible, tactile, vibrotactile and other visible methods in
12 
order to provide crossing information to all pedestrians, including people who are
13 
blind or visually impaired.
14 
When an APS uses audible tones, it shall have a specific tone for the walk
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interv'al and clearance phases utilizing internationally recognized standards.
16 
Two distinct sounds shall be used for the WALK phase: one distinct sound for
17 
the North/South crossing and another distinct sound for the East/West crossing. In
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addition, there shall be a distinct sound for the North/South clearance phase and
19 
another distinct sound for the East/West clearance phase. The tones shall be at least


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two (2) decibels and no more than five (5) decibels greater than the ambient noise 
level, must be sensitive to level changes, and must be audible to the mid-point of the 
crossings.
Sec. 4. Installation of APS. -  Subsequent to the effectivity of this Act, all new 
traffic signal poles that have yet to be installed shall be equipped with an APS. For 
existing traffic signal poles, an APS shall be installed in an order of priority following 
a criteria set by the Department of Public Works and High\ vays (DPWH), which shall 
give preference to locations most populated by Persons with Disabilities.
Sec. 5. Duty-free Importation. -  The DPWH shall certify APS devices and 
parts that are unavailable in domestic markets and shall transmit such certification 
to the Department of Finance. The APS devices and parts so certified may be 
imported by any government agency or instrumentality exempt from taxes and 
duties on importation.
Sec. 6. Implementing Rules. -  Within ninety (90) days from the approval of 
this Act, the DPWH, in coordination with the Department of Transportation, the 
Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Finance, and the 
National Council on Disability Affairs shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.
Sec. 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, 
presidential proclamations, letters of instruction, rules and regulations or parts 
thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly.
Sec. 8. Separability Clause. -  If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof not affected thereby 
shall continue to be in full force and effect.
Sec. 9. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in 
the Philippines.
Approved,