FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
'11 
NOV 17 P2 :27 
SEN~T£ 
S. No. 3u62 
., . 
. .. 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to conserve energy by banning the production of incandescent light bulbs 
and the promoting of the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs. 
One of the most serious problems humankind is facing IS global warming. Global 
warming results to increase in the earth's atmospheric temperature which causes climate change. 
Climate change brings about extreme weather conditions worldwide and causes strong typhoons, 
heavy rains and snowfalls, droughts, polar caps and glacier melts, rise in sea levels, flash floods, 
strong tornadoes, and other abnormal weather patterns. 
Global warming is brought about by greenhouse gases trapped in the earth's atmosphere. 
Examples of greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, 
nitrogen, and sulphur. These greenhouse gases come from the burning of fossil fuels to feed our 
energy needs and run our industries and transportation, as well as fiom deforestation and 
decomposition of agricultural wastes and other organic matters. 
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement which calls for the reduction of carbon 
dioxide emissions. The Philippines, which is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, has responded to 
this international agreement by instituting measures that will reduce the country's dependence on 
fossil fuels in generating electricity. One of the ways that the ordinary Filipino can contribute to 
reduce our fossil fuels dependence and minimize our carbon dioxide emission is to utilize energy 
efficient electrical appliances, lighlings, electronic gadgets and tools, and other electricity-
powered household items. 
Lighting is one of the areas where we can achieve significant energy savings. It has been 
established that incandescent light bulbs consume more electricity than fluorescent lamps or 
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compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Fluorescent light bulbs (including compact fluorescents) are 
more energy-efficient than regular bulbs because of the different method they use to produce 
light. Regular bulbs (also known as incandescent bulbs) create light by heating a filament inside 
the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. A lot of the 
energy used to create the heat that lights an incandescent bulb is wasted. A fluorescent bulb, on 
the other hand, contains a gas that produces invisible ultraviolet light (UV) when the gas is 
excited by electricity. The UV light hits the white coating inside the fluorescent bulb and the 
coating changes it into light you can see. Because iluorescent bulbs don't use heat to create light, 
they are far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.! 
A IS-watt CFL gives the same lumens as that of a 60-watt incandescent light bUlb. CFLs 
use around 20% of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs to produce the same amount of 
light. The switch to CFLs will result in household lighting costs falling by as much as 80%, and 
the Philippines' annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions falling 2 million metric tons. This is an 
equivalent of taking 250,000 cars off the road or planting 2 million trees a year. Also, national 
electricity demand is expected to fall by 2,000 megawatts, or the equivalent of electricity 
generated by six power plants. 
This bill aims to prohibit the manufactme, importation, sale, and use of incandescent light 
bulbs, and prescribe a phase-out period. It also establishes a Minimum Energy Performance 
Standards (MEPS) for lighting products and encourages the use of CFLs and other energy 
efficient lightings for our requirements.2 
(Lj~M"~ 4¥.vt~ ~¥;b~ 
()ti. MIRIAM DEFtrSOR S:t\NTI~O 
! http;llwww.gelighting.com/na/business_lighting/faqs/cfl.htm# I 0 
2 This bill was previously filed in the Fourteenth Congress by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri. 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENt\T.l\ 
S.No. 3u62 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
I 
AN ACT 
,~~l"t\~{~ il 
" 
\~I!He (If fhC!.;~ ,,~, "1"1! ~ 
'11 
I~OV 17 P 2 :27 
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PROHIBITING THE MANUFACTURE, IMPORTATION, SALE, AND USE OF 
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INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULBS, PRESCRIBING A PHASE-OUT PERIOD, 
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AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEREOF 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the ""Incandescent Light Bulb 
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Ban Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to 
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protect the environment, promote environmental awareness, and conserve our natural resources 
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consistent with the country's sustainable development plans. Toward this end, the State shall 
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reduce the utilization of fossil fuels and other greenhouse gas-emitting substances. FUliher, the 
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State shall also promote the use of energy-efficient appliances, lightings, electronic gadgets, 
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household implements, and other similar electrical devices. 
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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall be 
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taken to mean as follows: 
IS 
(A) 
"Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL)" - refers to a type of light bulb which has 
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electrodes at both ends of the tube, a gas containing argon and mercury vapor wherein a stream 
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of electrons flows through the gas from one electrode to the other which gives off ultraviolet 
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photons that hit the phosphor coating inside the tube and creates visible light, and other similar 
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light bulb; 
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(B) 
"Incandescent light bulb" - refers to a light bulb which has an electricity resistant 
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filament inside that turns electrical energy into heat and makes the filament white hot, the 
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"white" being the light, and other similar light bulb; 
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(C) 
"BPS" - refers to the Bureau of Product Standard, which is a bureau lmder the 
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Department of Trade and Industry; 
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(D) 
"DOE" - refers to the Department of Energy; 
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(E) 
"DOST" - refers to the Department of Science and Technology; 
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(F) 
"DTI" - refers to the Department of Trade and Industry; 
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(0) 
"LATL" - refers to the Lighting and Appliance Testing Laboratory of the DOE; 
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(H) 
"Lumens" - refers to a measure of light output; 
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(I) 
"PCIERD" - refers to the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy, which is an 
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attached agency of (he DOST; 
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(J) 
"TFL" - refers to Tubular Fluorescent Lamps, which uses the same research and 
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development technology as that of CFLs; 
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(K) 
"Watt" - refers to a measure of energy input. 
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SECTION 4. Prohibited Acts Under the Ban. - The manufacture, importation, sale, and 
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use of incandescent light bulbs and other similar lightings and fixtures which does not meet the 
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Minimum Energy Performance Standards shall be prohibited five (5) years from the passage of 
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this Act. 
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SECTION 5. Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS). - A Minimum Energy 
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Performance Standards shall be formulated by the DOE-LATL and the BPS for lighting products 
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which shall not be less than 15 lumens per watt. The concerned government agencies mentioned 
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in this Section may adjust the MEl'S every three (3) years in consultation with lighting 
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manufacturers, importers, consumers, and other stakeholders. 
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SECTION 6. Exemption. - Exempt from the prohibition as provided for in Section 4 of 
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this Act are those for use in scientific, reseaTch, medical, and technological purposes. Persons, 
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whether natural or juridical, who wish to avail of the exemption hereof shall secure a certificate 
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of exemption from PCIERD under the Department of Science and Technology. 
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SECTION 7. PhaSing-out Period. - A phasing-out period of tln·ee (3) years upon the 
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effectivity of this Act shall be in place. During this period the DTI and DOE shall formulate 
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mechanisms for the gradual phase-out of incandescent light bulbs in the market. PCIERD shall 
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identify other alternative lightings or bulbs aside from the TFLs and CFLs. 
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SECTION 8. Penalty Clause. - At the onset of the ban, any person who violates this Act 
or patis thereof shall be imposed a fine as follows: 
(A) 
If the violator is a mannfacturer or importer - A fine of not less than One Hundred 
Thousand pesos (PhPIOO,OOO.) but not more than Five Hundred Thousand pesos (PhP500,000.), 
or imprisonment of one (I) year to two (2) years or both, upon conviction by a competent COUlt. 
(B) 
If the violator is a seller -
A fine of not less than Fifty Thousand pesos 
(PhP50,000.) but not more than One Hundred Thousand pesos (PhPIOO,OOO.), or imprisonment 
of six (6) months to one (1) year or both, upon conviction by a competent court. 
(C) 
If the violator is a consumer or user of the product -- A fine of not less than Five 
Thousatld pesos (PhP5,000.) but not more than Ten Thousat1d pesos (PhPIO,OOO.), or 
imprisonment of one (I) month to six (6) months or both, upon conviction by a competent court. 
If the violator is a juridical person, the president or chief executive officer of the entity 
shall be held responsible for the violation. 
SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DTI, DOE, and DOST shall 
promulgate the implementing rules and regulations within three (3) months from the effectivity 
of this Act. 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision, or pm hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION II. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
lacs 
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