THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF 
Firsf Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
THE REPUBLIC 
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S E N A T  
Introduced by Senator S. R. OsmeAa 111 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Conventional economic wisdom makes a simple dichotomy between 
private markets and the government sector, Much of the more recent work in 
economics, however has increasingly ventured into what celebrated sociologist- 
economist Herbert Simon calls “institutional economics,” which is neither private 
market nor government. 
In our local experience, the phenomenon of people banding together to 
work for their common interests 
is most clearly exemplified by what we call 
“people’s organizations.’’ Formalizing the role of people’s organizations in the 
life of the ‘nation is important. 
For economic development to be truly democratic in both intent as well 
as in outcome, it must be firmly anchored and underpinned by the participation 
of the people expressing themselves through their legitimate organizations. The 
development process, especially in the rural areas can only begin to take 
place if the people themselves finally realize their stake in the various collective 
initiatives 
that are 
impelled and fueled by their own preferences and 
aspirations. 
This bill, provides the mechanisms for the registration and consultation 
of people’s organizations at all levels of social, political and economic decision- 
making as the key process that will integrate them into the life of the nation. 
This process will merely legitimize and affirm those people’s organizations 
which have demonstrated their viability through a capacity to promote collective 
interests, 
and ‘aspirations, 
with identifiable 
leadership, membership and 
st ru ct u re. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly 
requested. 
f 
pz, 
SERGIO OSMENA 111 
Senator 


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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLI 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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S. No. 
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Introduced by Senator S. R. Osmefia 111 
AN ACT 
TO GUARANTEE THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATIONS, AND FOR 
OTHERPURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress’ assembled: 
SECTION 1. 
Title. - 
This Act shall be known as “The People’s 
Organization Act of 2004.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration ofPolicy. - It is hereby declared to be the policy 
of the State to recognize and respect the role of independent people’s 
organizations for the purpose of enabling the people to pursue and protect, within 
the democratic framework, their legitimate and collective interests and aspirations 
through peaceful and lawful means. To this end, the State shall safeguard and 
protect the right of the people and their organizations to effective and reasonable 
participation at all levels of social, political and economic decision-making, by 
facilitating the establishment of adequate consultation mechanisms. 
SECTION 3. Definitions. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall, 
unless the context otherwise indicates, have the following respective meanings: 
(a) “People’s organizations” are bona fide associations of citizens with 
demonstrated capacity to promote the public interest and with identifiable 
leadership, membership, and structure. 
(b) “Bona fide associations’’ are those which genuinely reflect and foster the 
legitimate and collective interests and aspirations of 
their respective 
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memberships, and not the personal interests merely of one or several 
individuals or minority groups within or outside of the association. 
(c) “Demonstrated capacity to promote the public interest” shall refer to the 
association’s proven ability to adopt, undertake and/or implement actual 
projects, programs and activities that benefit or redound to the benefit of its 
membership and/or 
the community in which the members of the 
association reside, during a period of not less than three (3) consecutive 
years, and shall be substantiated by appropriate documentation thereof. 
(d) “Identifiable leadership” shall refer to the persons who are duly empowered 
officers of the association and recognized by its membership as such, and 
whose identifies are named and disclosed in writing by the association at 
the time of its registration pursuant to this Act. 
(e) “Identifiable membership” shall refer to those persons listed and disclosed 
as members of the association at the time of its registration pursuant to this 
Act. Only citizens shall be members of people’s organizations. 
(9 “Identifiable structure” shall refer to the defined organizational structure of 
the association, and shall include that of any chapter, branch and/or unit 
which may be established by the association, as well as the relationship of 
chapters, branches and/or units to one another and to their parent 
association. 
(9) “Local development councils” shall refer to those councils at all regional, 
provincial, city, municipal or barangay levels, created by law or pursuant to 
law, that are constituted for the purposes of policy-making or planning and 
decision-making and for project planning and monitoring. 
(h) The term “effective and reasonable participation” shall refer to the provision 
of opportunities to attend, participate, and deliberate in hearings of local 
government councils, including planning meetings and public hearings of 
local development councils, 
of Sangguniang Bayan, 
Sangguniang 
Panglungsod, 
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, 
of 
various 
government 
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agencies and committees of Congress or of the Executive Branch pursuant 
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to the provisions of this Act. 
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SECTION 4. Registration. - All people’s organizations shall be required to 
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recognized as such and to enjoy the corresponding rights conferred by law. 
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SECTION 5. Procedure for Registration, - 
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(a) Who may Apply for Registration. - Any bona fide association as defined in 
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this Act may apply for registration as a legitimate “people’s organization.” 
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(b) Requirements for Registration, - The following shall be the requirements 
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for registration: 
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I. 
Filing of an application for registration duly signed by the majority of all 
the members of the association; 
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2. Submission in writing of the names of the officers of the association, 
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their 
addresses, the principal office address of the association, the 
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minutes of the organizational meetings and the list of members who 
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attended such meetings; 
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3. Submission of the list of members indicating their names, residences 
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and citizenships, certified under oath by the secretary of the association, 
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and the name of the association’s duly authorized representative to the 
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.council or committee in which registration as a participating people’s 
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organization is being effected; 
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4. Submission of two (2) copies each of the constitution or articles of 
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association and by-laws of the applicant association, minutes of the 
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adoption or ratification thereof as well as the list of members who 
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participated therein as evidenced by their signatures; and 
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5. Submission of two (2) copies of the certificate of registration issued by 
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the Securities and Exchange Commission, if duly incorporated under the 
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Corporation Code of the Philippines, or, in the case of unincorporated 
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associations not registered with the Securities and Exchange 
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Commission consisting of five (5) to fifteen (15) members based in 
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barangays, a written statement of the barangay captain attesting to the 
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existence of the organization in the barangay for a period of at least 
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three (3) years and a list of the activities and projects of the organization 
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during the same period 
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(c) Where to Register. - The applicant association shall file its application for 
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registration with every local government council (s), local development 
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council(s) , Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod, Sangguniang 
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Panlala wigan, govern men t agency( ies) and/or comm ittee( s) of Cong ress 
or of the Executive Branch in which the association intends to effectively 
and reasonably participate pursuant to this Act. The registration therewith 
by an association as a people’s organization shall serve as a definite 
manifestation of its clear intention to effectively and reasonably participate 
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therein as such. 
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The local government council(s) 
local development council(s), 
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Sangguniang 
Bayan, 
Sangguniang 
Panlungsod, 
Sangguniang 
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Panlalawigan, government agency(ies) and/or committee(s) of Congress 
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or of the Executive Branch concerned shall each maintain a registration 
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desk in its secretariat or in the office of the head of agency or department 
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as the case may be, 
for the purpose of receiving and processing 
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applications, issuing certificates of registration, verifying registrations and 
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(d) Issuance of Certificate of Registration. 
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Upon compliance with the 
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requirements for registration under this Act, a certificate of registration 
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under this Act, a certificate of registration shall be issued by the said office. 
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Applications for registration shall be processed within thirty (30) days from 
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filing thereof. 
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The certificate of registration shall be valid for a period of five (5) years 
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ma i n t a in i n g an u pd ated reg i ste r of people’s org an izat ion s . 
only from the date of its issuance. 
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SECTION 6. Rights of People’s Organization, - 
A duly registered 
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authorized representatives therefor; 
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(b) To be informed of and be invited to participate in, and to act as the 
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representative of its members for the purpose of participating in meetings, 
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and hearings of the local government council (s), 
local development 
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council(s) 
Sangguniang Panlungsod, 
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, 
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government agency(ies) 
and/or committee(s) of Congress or of the 
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Executive Branch in which is has been fully registered as a people’s 
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organization: Provided, That notices of or invitations to such meetings and 
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hearings shall be sent or served by said councils or committees upon the 
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people’s organizations concerned through their respective duly authorized 
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representatives, as disclosed and declared in their respective registration 
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papers: Provided, furfher, That receipt of such notice or invitation by the 
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duly authorized representative shall be deemed sufficient notice to the 
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people’s organization concerned: Provided, however, That no change by 
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a people’s organization of its authorized representative to a convening 
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council or committee meeting or hearing shall be effective unless such 
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change has been previously recorded in the registration office of the 
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convening council or committee concerned in which the people’s 
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(c) To act as the representative 
of its members in any negotiations or 
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proceedings in meetings called by the barangay captain 
in matters 
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pertaining to the interests of the community where the members reside; 
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and 
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people’s organization shall have the following rights: 
(a) To act as the representative of its members for the purpose of effective 
and reasonable participation as defined in this Act and to designate duly 
organization is officially registered pursuant to this Act; 
(d) To be informed of decisions reached, plans and projects approved to be 
imp I em en ted . 
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SECTION 7. Non-abridgement of Rights of People’s Organizations. - 
It shall be unlawful for any person to restrain, coerce, discriminate against or 
unduly interfere with the rights of people to self-organize, and those of their 
organizations, as provided for in this Act. 
SECTION 8. Notice of Hearing and Meetings. - For the purpose of 
providing opportunities for participation of people’s organization, the following shall 
constitute notice of hearings and meetings, without prejudice to the provisions of 
Section 6 of this 
Act: 
(a) Publication of date, time, venue and subject matter of hearing and meeting 
in a newspaper of local circulation, if any; 
(b) Posting of notice of date, time, venue and subject matter of hearing and 
or residence of the 
meeting in the municipal and/or barangay hall, 
barangay captain; 
(c) Service of notice of date, time, venue and subject matter of hearing and 
meeting on the president of the association or in his absence, any officer 
or the association, or 
(d) Broadcast through radio of notice of date, time, venue and subject matter of 
hearing and meeting as evidenced by the written radio announcement 
furnished to the radio broadcaster. 
The government agency, local development council, 
national or local 
legislative body conducting the hearing of meeting shall be responsible for 
publication and posting of meeting or hearing. In the case of matters of local 
application (municipal and barangay) only posting of notice in municipal and 
barangay halls will be required. 
SECTION 9. Verification of Notice of HearingAWeefing. - In all meetings 
and hearings conducted by any of the agencies and councils mentioned in Section 
8 of this Act, the Chairman shall verify that the appropriate notice has been issued 
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in accordance with the provisions of this law and this verification shall be 
constituted as part of the records of the meetinglhearing conducted. 
SECTION 10. Penalties. - Any person violating any of the provisions of 
this Act shall be punished by a fine not to exceed Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00) 
and/or imprisonment for not less than one(1) day nor more than six (6) months. If 
the person violating the provisions of this Act is a public officer, he shall be 
punished with the maximum penalty as provided herein. 
SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, letters of 
instructions, letters of implementation, rules and regulations or parts thereof 
inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby amended, modified, 
repealed or superseded insofar as they are inconsistent with the provisions or any 
provision of this Act. 
SECTION 12. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or the 
applicatioh of such provision to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any 
reason, the remainder of this Act or the application of such provision to other 
persons or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. 
SECTION 13. Effectivity, - This Act shall take effect immediately upon its 
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approval, 
Approved, 
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