THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
-u4 Jlll -7 P 1 25 
CZ 
First Regular Session 
1 
S E N A T E 1  
~~!ICE!\IED P,Y:,.,---.---**- 
\ 
S. B. No. .__ 
Introduced by Senator Pangilinan 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
-Television-.is one of the most popular means of communication as it 
serves as a good source of information and entertainment and consequently, 
influences the lives of may Filipinos. Unfortunately, some individuals are born 
with or have infirmities that render them incapable of fully enjoying and 
appreciating the value of television. These are the hearing-impaired 
individuals, who aside from being denied the full audio-visual experience, are 
also prevented from obtaining the information that television can ably offer. 
This limitation faced by hearing- impaired individuals need not continue. 
Technology now allows captions to be put in television so the hearing-impaired 
can follow the events on the screen. This technology has been in use for some 
time now in other countries. 
By way of introducing this technology and allowing the hearing-impaired 
to benefit from television, this bill seeks to require all franchise holders, 
operator and producers of domestic television stations and television programs 
to have their news programs and newscasts aired with closed caption. 
Hence, the immediate approval of this bill is requested. 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
’04 JUL - 7  P 1 :25 
C C  
csm ’ 
If I 
S E N A T E  
i;l:.l,,k.IVEB BY: ..- 
S. B. No. 
Introduced by Senator Pangilinan 
AN ACT REQUIRING ALL OWNERS OR OPERATORS OF TELEVISION NETWORKS 
OR STATIONS AND PRODUCERS OF TELEVISION NEWS PROGRAMS TO HAVE 
THEIR NEWS PROGRAMS BROADCAST WITH CLOSED - CAPTION AND 
PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREFOR 
Be enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION I Closed- captioning of New Programs. All owners or 
operators of tei5vision networks or stations and producers of television 
programs are required to have their newscast or news programs, which are 
national and regional in scope with close - caption in order to benefit persons 
with hearing disabilities, Provided, however, That the words of the close - 
captioning will be in the language spoken in the same program. 
SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act. 
(1) “Closed -caption” shall refer to the method of subtitling television 
programs by coding statements as vertical interval data signal that 
are decoded at the receiver and superimposed at the bottom of the 
television screen. 
(2) “Newscast or news program” shall refer only to report of happenin2s 
of recent occurrence of a varied character, such as political, social, 
moral, religious and other subjects intended for the information of 
the general public. It shall also refer to straight news reporting as 
distinguished from news analyses from news analyses or editorials, 
commentaries and opinions. 
SECTION 3. Penalties. Any owner or operator of television networks or 
stations and any producer of television news programs who shall violate the 
provision of Section 1 shall be punished by a fine of not less than Fifty 
Thousand Pesos (P50,OOO.OO) but not more than One Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(PlOO,OOO.OO), or by imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more 
than one (1) year or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the 
court. 
If the offender i s  a corporation, partnership or association, or any other 
judicial person, the president, manager, administrator or the person-in-charge 
of the management of the business shall be Liable therefore. In addition, the 
license or permit to operate the business shall be cancelled. 
SECTION 4. lmplementing Rules and Regulations. - The National 
Telecommunications Commission and the Movie and Television Review and 


Classification Board, in consultation with concerned agencies and entities, shall 
promulgate the 
necessary 
rules 
and 
regulations 
for 
the 
effective 
implementation of this Act. 
SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is hereby 
dedared invalid or unconstitutionat, the other sections or provisions thereof 
shall not be affected thereby. 
Approved,