Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by HON. EDWARD VERA PEREZ MACEDA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution recognizes the right of the people to information on matters of 
public concern.1 This mandate complements the State!s policy of full public 
disclosure in all transactions involving public interest.2 These provisions are 
aimed at ensuring transparency in policy-making as well as in the operations of 
the Government, and at safeguarding the exercise by the people of the freedom 
of expression.3 It has always been stressed that in a democratic society like ours, 
the free exchange of information is necessary, and can be possible only if the 
people are provided the proper information on matters that affect them.4 
Accordingly, laws, rules, regulations and other issuances that govern the conduct 
of citizenry shall, at all times, be accessible to them.  
In line with these Constitutional pronouncements, Article 2 of the New Civil 
Code provides: 
Laws shall take effect after fifteen days following the completion of 
their publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of 
general circulation in the Philippines, unless it is otherwise 
provided.5  
To highlight the importance of publication, the Administrative Code reiterated 
the same provision.6 Jurisprudence explains that the clear object of the above-
quoted provision is to give the general public adequate notice of the various laws 
which are to regulate their actions and conduct as citizens.7 Without such notice 
and publication, there would be no basis for the application of the maxim 
"ignorantia legis non excusat." It would be the height of injustice to punish or 
1 PHIL. CONST. art. III, § 7. 
2 PHIL. CONST. art. II, § 28. 
3 Sereno v. Committee on Trade and RelatedMatters (CTRM) of the National Economic and 
Development Authority (NEDA), G.R. No. 175210, February 1, 2016. 
4 Id.  
5 An Act to Ordain and Institute the Civil Code of the Philippines [CIVIL CODE], Republic Act No. 
386, art. 2 (1949) as amended by E.O. 200. 
6 Instituting the :Administrative Code of 1987” [ADMIN CODE], Executive Order No. 292, bk. I, ch. 
5, § 18 (1987). 
7 Tañada v. Tuvera, G.R. No. L-63915, December 29, 1986. 
4:27 pm
September 6, 2022
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1 
otherwise burden a citizen for the transgression of a law of which he had no 
notice whatsoever, not even a constructive one.8 
 
As we enter the Digital Era, development and adaptation has become 
indispensable, and the government has to formulate means for our laws to cope 
with the growing field that is digitization.  
 
A 2022 report found that 68% of the country’s total population translating to 
71.32 million Filipinos have access to the Internet.9 Access may be derived 
through their mobile devices, smartphones, and desktops. Evidently, the Internet 
has become part of the lives of the majority of the Filipinos. In fact, in an earlier 
study, it was reported that Filipinos aged 16-64 spend at least five (5 hours) using 
internet in their mobile devices.10 To take advantage of these figures, this bill 
seeks to make laws and other issuances available online by publishing its copies 
through digital means.  
 
This proposed measure will likewise supplement the administration’s goal to 
create, foster and sustain a digitally empowered and integrated government that 
provides responsive and transparent online citizen-centered services in the form 
of the proposed E-Government Act. 
 
A similar measure was approved on Third and Final Reading during the 18th 
Congress and copy of which were transmitted to the Senate for appropriate 
action. 
 
In the view of the foregoing, the swift approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDWARD VERA PEREZ MACEDA 
Representative, 4th District of Manila 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8 Id.  
9 Simon Kemp, DIGITAL 2022: THE PHILIPPPINES, available at 
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-philippines (last accessed September 4, 2022). 
10 Filipinos’ reliance on internet at an all-time high, manilastandard.net, June 18, 2021, available at 
https://manilastandard.net/spotlight/ph-best-communication-service-
providers/357427/filipinos-reliance-on-internet-at-an-all-time-high.html (last accessed 
September 4, 2022). 


2 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by HON. EDWARD VERA PEREZ MACEDA 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF LAWS IN THE PRINT 
OR ONLINE VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND OF A 
NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Article 2 of Republic Act No. 386, otherwise known as the “Civil 
Code of the Philippines,” is hereby amended to read as follows: 
“ARTICLE 2. Laws shall take effect [after] fifteen (15) days [following the 
completion] AFTER their publication [either] IN FULL, in the PRINT OR 
ONLINE VERSION OF THE Official Gazette, or in THE PRINT OR ONLINE 
VERSION OF a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, unless [it] A 
DIFFERENT PERIOD is otherwise [provided.] PRESCRIBED TO RESPOND 
TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY: PROVIDED, THAT PUBLICATION IN 
THE ONLINE VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND THE 
NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION SHALL INDICATE THE 
OFFICIAL DATE OF THE PUBLICATION. 
“AS USED IN THIS ACT, THE TERM “LAWS” SHALL REFER TO: 
“(1) ALL STATUTES ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE 
PHILIPPINES; 
“(2) ALL ORDERS, PROCLAMATIONS, CIRCULARS, AND OTHER 
ISSUANCES 
PROMULGATED 
BY 
THE 
PRESIDENT 
OF 
THE 
PHILIPPINES PURSUANT TO THE ORDINANCE POWER, AS 
PROVIDED FOR BY EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 292, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1987; OR 
“(3) 
ALL 
RULES 
AND 
REGULATIONS 
PROMULGATED 
TO 
IMPLEMENT OR ENFORCE STATUTES PURSUANT TO A VALID 
DELEGATION OF LEGISLATIVE POWER BY THE CONGRESS OF THE 
PHILIPPINES.” 
SECTION 2. Section 18 of Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the 
Administrative Code of 1987, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
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3 
 
“SEC. 18. When Laws Take Effect. – Laws shall take effect after fifteen (15) 
days following the completion of their publication in the PRINT OR 
ONLINE VERSION OF THE Official Gazette [or] AND IN THE PRINT 
OR ONLINE VERSION OF [in] a newspaper of general circulation, 
unless 
[it] 
A 
DIFFERENT 
PERIOD 
is 
otherwise 
[provided.] 
PRESCRIBED TO RESPOND TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY.” 
 
SECTION 3. Section 24 and 25 of the same Executive Order are hereby amended 
to read as follows: 
 
“SEC. 24. Contents. – There shall be published in the Official Gazette, IN 
ITS PRINT AND ONLINE VERSION, all legislative acts and resolutions 
of a public nature; all executive and administrative issuances of general 
application; decisions or abstracts of decisions of the Supreme Court and 
the Court of Appeals, or other courts of similar rank, as may be deemed 
by the said courts of sufficient importance to be so published; such 
documents or classes of documents as may be required so to be published 
by law; and such documents or classes of documents as the President shall 
determine from time to time to have general application or which he may 
BE authorized so to be published. 
 
 
“The publication of any law, resolution or other official documents 
in the Official Gazette shall be prima facie evidence of its authority. 
 
“SEC. 25. Editing and Publications. – The Official Gazette shall be edited in 
the Office of the President and published weekly in [Pilipino] FILIPINO 
or in English language IN PRINT OR THROUGH THE OFFICIAL 
GAZETTE 
WEBSITE 
MANAGED 
BY 
THE 
OFFICE 
OF 
THE 
PRESIDENT OR SUCH OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR 
OFFICE AUTHORIZED BY THE PRESIDENT. [It] THE PRINT 
VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE shall be sold and distributed by 
the National Printing Office which shall promptly mail copies thereof to 
the subscribers free of postage.” 
 
SECTION 4. If any portion or provision of this Act is subsequently declared 
invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are not affected 
thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 5. Executive Order No. 200, dated June 18, 1987, is hereby repealed. 
Sections 18, 24 and 25 of Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the 
Administrative Code of 1987, are hereby amended. All other laws, acts, 
presidential decrees, executive orders, presidential proclamations, issuances, 
rules and regulations or parts thereof which are contrary to or inconsistent with 
any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified 
accordingly. 
 
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,