NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
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S £ N 
S. No.
E
9
Senate
Of 11)E S’rti rt-lfy
•22 JL 13 P4 36
-R£C£ivrn
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
AN ACT
PROMOTING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CABLE 
TELEVISION (CATV) AND DIRECT-TO-HOME TELEVISION (DTH) INDUSTRY 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLt.NATORY NOTE
The 1987 Constitution recognizes the vital role of communication and 
information in nation-building1 and instructs the State to give priority to education, 
science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and 
nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and 
development2
The Constitution also promotes access to quality education by all Filipinos and 
mandates the State to take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to 
all.3 Education is undoubtedly one of the main pillars of our Constitution as it 
encourages non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning systems, as well as self­
learning, independent, and out-of-school study programs particularly those that 
respond to communib/ needs.4
These vital state policies will be realized by the passage of this bill Into law. 
The measure at hand clarifies the governance model of all cable television (CATV) 
and direct-to-home television (DTH) providers In the country. It addresses the gaps 
identified in Executive Order No. 205 (1987) and Executive Order No. 436 (1997) 
and makes certain the role of governing agencies like the National 
Telecommunications Commission, National Economic and Development Authority, 
Board of Investments, Department of Trade and Industry, and both the National and 
Local Government Units in its operations.
The measure also requires CATV operators to reserve at least one public, 
educational, and government access (PEGA) channel for the use of the national
1 Const. (1987), art. II, § 17.
2 Const. (1987), art. II, § 24.
3 Const. (1987), art. XIV, § 1.
4 Const. (1987), art. XIV, § 2(4).


government, and another one for the use of the local government unit where the 
CATV subscribers reside. Meanwhile, DTH operators are also required to reserve at 
least one PEGA channel for the use of the national government. By providing 
additional sources of instructional information and academic materials, education 
becomes more accessible for many Filipinos, especially those living in areas where a 
traditional school system is not established or difficult to come by.
Furthermore, our country's struggles in the previous year in dealing with a 
global pandemic and weathering typhoons have proven that we must squarely 
address the need of our people for more sources of news and relevant information 
regarding these calamities. By democratizing the CATV and DTFI IndustiX Filipinos 
will gain more sources from which they could get important news and relevant 
information to better prepare in case calamities of such magnitude strike once again.
I file this bill fully confident that its approval will mark a huge difference In the 
lives of many Filipinos, especially those residing In underdeveloped areas and 
belonging to underserved communities.
In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
* Jf GRACE POE
/


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N /LT E 
>. No. o o a
i
of tljc ^>cn crarj>
*22 Jll 13 P4 36
RtTFIVFDBYi
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
AN ACT
PROMOTING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CABLE 
TELEVISION (CATV) AND DIRECT-TO-HOME TELEVISION (DTH) INDUSTRY 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as UCATV-DTH Industry
2 
Development Act."
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes the vital role of the
4 
cable television (CATV) and direct-to-home television (DTH) industry in nation-
5 
building, and its role in promoting national goals and aspirations of the Filipino
6 
nation.
7 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms
8 
shall mean:
9 
(a) Cable - "Cable" refers to a physical medium, such as, but not limited
10 
to, copper wire, coaxial cable, or optical fiber, that is used to deliver
11 
CATV services.
12 
(b) CATV facility - A CATV facility shall be defined to mean a permanent
13 
structure, comprised of (a) all Installed electrical and electronic wiring,
14 
cabling, and equipment, (b) all supporting structures, such as utility,
15 
ground network, and electrical supporting structures, and (c) satellite
16 
downlink antennas, from which CATV services are delivered to and
17 
managed for subscribers.


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(c) CATV services - CATV services shall include cable television, which is a 
system of delivering television content to subscribers via electrical 
signals transmitted through coaxial cables, light pulses through optical 
fiber, or other similar means of transmission through cable, for a fee. 
CATV services may include the delivery of internet connectivity and ICT 
services. As CATV services do not form natural monopolies, CATV 
services shall not be defined as a utility. CATV services are not to be 
construed as mass media, telecommunications, or broadcast services.
(d) Content creator - A content creator Is a natural or juridical person who 
creates motion pictures, television programs, video publicity materials, 
or cinematography or videography material.
(e) Content distributor - A content distributor is a natural or juridical 
person, such as a film distributor, broadcast syndication lessor, video 
sharing platform, or content distribution platform, who may not be a 
content creator but possesses, in whole or in part, intellectual property 
rights over the content, and is authorized to distribute the content to 
CATV and DTH operators.
(f) Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) - service provider equipment 
used to provide the subscriber with CATV or DTH services, that is 
located at the physical location of the subscriber.
(g) DTH facility - A DTH facility shall be defined to mean a permanent 
structure, comprised of (a) all installed electrical and electronic wiring, 
cabling, and equipment, (b) all supporting structures, such as utility, 
ground network, and electrical supporting structures, and (c) satellite 
uplink and down link antennas, from which DTH services are managed 
for subscribers.
(h) DTH services - DTH services shall Include direct-to-home satellite 
television, which is a system of delivering television content to 
subscribers via radio-frequency signals transmitted by a satellite to a 
receive-only system at the location of the subscriber within the satellite 
footprint, for a fee. For purposes of this Act, the delivery of a television 
receive-only (TVRO) service, for a fee, shall also be defined as a DTH


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service. DTH services may include the delivery of internet connectivity
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and ICT services. As DTH services do not form natural monopolies,
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DTH services shall not be defined as a utility. DTH services are not to
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be construed as mass media, telecommunications, or broadcast
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services.
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(I) Passive infrastructure operator - an entity, that may be a power,
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water, sewerage or other public utility, a telecommunications company,
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a CATV services operator, a local cooperative, a municipal corporation,
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or a property developer that owns utility poles, streetlamp posts,
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microtrenches, underground culverts, shared utility corridors, and other
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related support structures, and/ or controls rights of way used or
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useful, in whole or in part, in the provision of CATV 
services,
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telecommunications, and utilities.
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(j) Public, educational, and government access (PEGA) television channel -
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a PEGA channel is a not-for-profit channel used for 
television
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programming for purposes of information dissemination, public service,
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public health, public safety, education, tourism, culture, 
the arts,
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disaster risk reduction and management, and other matters of public
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Interest and public welfare.
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Sec. 4. Qualifications of a CATV operator. - The provision of CATV services in
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the Philippines shall be open to all citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations,
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cooperatives, or associations subject to the relevant provisions of the Public Service
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Act governing public services, under a Certificate of Authority to Provide Local CATV
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Services granted by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Regional
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Office having jurisdiction over the place of business registration of the CATV
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operator. The business of a CATV operator shall be registered in the city or
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municipality where its primary CATV facility is to be operated, and shall pay
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business, income, and other relevant taxes to the local Revenue District Office where
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its CATV services are to be offered.
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Sec. 5. Qualifications of a DTH operator. - The provision of DTH services in
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the Philippines shall be open to all citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations,
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cooperatives, or associations subject to the relevant provisions of the Public Service
.pII


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Act governing public services, under a Certificate of Authority to Provide DTH
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Services granted by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Regional
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Office having jurisdiction over the place of business registration of the DTH operator.
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The business of a DTH operator shall be registered in the city or municipality where
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the primary DTH facility is to be operated, and shall pay business, income, and other
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relevant taxes to the local F’evenue District Office having jurisdiction over the
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primary DTH facility.
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Sec. 6. Service Area. - A Certificate of Authority to Provide Local CATV
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Services shall authorize a CATV operator to offer CATV services within a city or
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municipality on a non-exclusive basis. A Certificate of Authority to Provide DTH
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Services shall authorize a DTH operator to offer DTH services on a non-exclusive
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basis anywhere in the Philippines that is covered by its satellite footprint. Consistent
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with existing competition law, there shall be no limit to the number of CATV or DTH
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operators authorized to offer services in a service area.
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Sec. 7- Coverage of Certificate of Authority. - A Certificate of Authority shall
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be valid for a period of not to exceea ten (10) years, renewable for another similar
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period. A Certificate of Authority governing a service area shall not be granted on an
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exclusive basis. The NTC shall require the possession of a Certificate of Authority by
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the CATV or DTH operator for the issuance of the relevant licenses to use the radio
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frequency spectrum in its operations.
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Sec. 8. Provisional Authority for New Service Areas Only. - A Provisional
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Authority shall be valid for a period of not to exceed ten (5) years, governing a new
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service area where the CATV or DTH operator shall be offering services. A
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Provisional Authority shall not be renewable, and the grantee of a Provisional
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Authority must apply for a Certificate of Authority to continue operations.
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Sec. 9. Advertising and Paid Segments. -Subject to provisions of this Act and
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other relevant laws, CATV and DTH operators may carry advertisements and other
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similar paid segments for which the CATV or DTH operator may charge and collect
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reasonable fees.
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Sec. 10. Ciassification as to size. - Based on the number of subscribers It has,
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a CATV or DTH operator shall be classified Into one of the following categories:
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(a) Very Large CATV or DTH operator - over 500,000 subscribers;


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(b) Large CATV or DTH operator - between 150,000 to 500,000
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subscribers;
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(c) Medium CATV or DTH operator - between 50,000 to 150,000;
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(d) Small CATV or DTH operator - between 10,000 to 50,000 subscribers;
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(e) Very small CATV or DTH operator - less than 10,000 subscribers, or;
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(f) Community CATV or DTH operator - less than 1,000 subscribers.
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The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Board of
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Investments (BOI) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are authorized to
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recommend to the appropriate agencies the grant of incentives for the
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establishment, growth, and development of Community and Very Small CATV-DTH
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operators.
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Sec. 11. Relationship with content creators. - CATV and DTH operators shall
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comply with the Intellectual Property Code and other laws governing the
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transmission and broadcast of intellectual property and the prevention of piracy.
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Unless the right is assigned to the CATV or DTH operator by the content
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creator, no CATV or DTH operator shall infringe on broadcast television markets by
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inserting advertisements in the programs it carries or retransmits without the
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consent of the content creator concerned.
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Consistent with existing laws prohibiting child pornography, CATV and DTH
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operators shall not transmit child pornography content or online sexual abuse and
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exploitation of children (OSEAC) content.
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Sec. 12. Relationship with content distributors. - CATV and DTH operators
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shall comply with the Intellectual Property Code and other laws governing the
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retransmission and rebroadcast: of intellectual property whose distribution rights
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have been assigned by a content creator to a content distributor, and the prevention
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of piracy of such intellectual property.
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If the right is assigned by a content creator to a content distributor, no CATV
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or DTH operator shall infringe on broadcast television markets by inserting
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advertisements in the programs it carries or retransmits without the consent of the
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content distributor concerned.
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Consistent with existing laws prohibiting child pornography, CATV and DTH
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operators shall not retransmit child pornography content or online sexual abuse and


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exploitation of children (OSEAC) content. CATV and DTH operators shall report
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content distributors providing child pornography content or online sexual abuse and
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exploitation of children (OSEAC) content to the relevant authorities.
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Sec. 13. Relationship with national government and local government. - A
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CATV operator shall reserve at least one (1) PEGA channel for the use of the
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national government, and one (1) PEGA channel for the use of the local government
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unit where the CATV subscribers reside.
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A DTH operator shall reserve at least one (1) PEGA channel for the use of the
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national government. A DTH operator may opt to, but is not obligated to, reserve
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one (1) PEGA channel for the use of the local government unit where the majority of
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its subscribers reside.
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The use and management of CATV and DTH PEGA channels shall be
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governed by a CATV-DTH PEGA Channel Use Code developed for this purpose by a
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body chaired by the Department of Information and Communications Technology
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(DICT) and composed of CATV and DTH operators and national and local
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government stakeholders.
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National government stakeholders for the development of the CATV-DTH
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PEGA Channel Code shall be composed of representatives from the Office of the
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Senate President, the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
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Office of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Presidential Communications
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Operations Office (PCOO), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission
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on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development
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Authority (TESDA), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social
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Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the National Telecommunications
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Commission (NTC) Commissioner.
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Local government stakeholders for the development of the CATV-DTH PEGA
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Channel Use Code shall be composed of representatives from the League of Cities,
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the League of Municipalities, the League of Provinces, the Commission on Elections
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(COMELEC), the National Disaster RIsk Reduction and Management Council
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(NDRRMC), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the
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Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Tourism (DoT), the National
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Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Commission on


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Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the National
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Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), and the National Telecommunications
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Commission (NTC) Regional Directors.
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Revisions of the CATV-DTH PEGA Channel Use Code shall be proposed by
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any CATV or DTH operator, or any member of the public, and shall be approved by
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the majority of the body composed of CATV and DTH operators, and national and
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local government stakeholders, voting separately.
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CATV and DTH operators may form a non-profit organization for the
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implementation of the CATV-DTH PEGA Channel Use Code and for other purposes;
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provided that, the main source of funding for the non profit organization shall be
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donations by CATV or DTH operators and other donors; provided further, that such
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donations shall be exempt from tax.
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For purposes of additional funding. Congress may, voting separately, approve
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the collection of a non-taxable fund not exceeding one peso per subscriber of CATV
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or DTH services; provided that, the col.action shall be charged only to current
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subscribers of CATV or DTH services; provided further, that the non-profit
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organization may only make a request to Congress for funding no earlier than five
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(5) years after a previous request, and; provided finally, that the funds shall be used
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exclusively for the implementation of the CATV-DTH PEGA Channel Use Code
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.Sec. 14. Relationship with passive infrastructure operators. - Consistent with
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the provisions of existing law, CATV operators shall be allowed non-discrimlnatory
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access to infrastructure owned or controlled by passive Infrastructure operators,
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subject to relevant regulations, recognized standards of safety, industry best
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practices, and generally accepted engineering principles.
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Sec. 15. Special right of government - A special right is hereby reserved to
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the President of the Philippines, in times of war, rebellion, public peril or other
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national emergency and/or when public safety requires, to cause the closure of any
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CATV or DTH operator or to authorize the use or possession thereof by the
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government without compensation.
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Sec. 16. Prohibited Acts and Penalties. -


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(a) Sections 4 and 5 of Republic Act No. 10515, or the "Anti-Cable
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Television and Cable Internet Tapping Act of 2013" are adopted in
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their entirety, mutatis mutandis.
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(b) Consistent with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10667, or the
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"Philippine Competition Act", the Philippine Competition Commission
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(PCC) shall impose fines and penalties for anti-competitive behaviors
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committed by or against a CATV or DTH operator.
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(c) Consistent with the provisions of Republic Act No. 7394, or the
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"Consumer Act of the Philippines of 1991" and other laws protecting
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consumer rights, the Department of Trace and Industi7 shall impose
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fines and penalties related to misfeasance, nonfeasance, and
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malfeasance of the terms of contracts 
between CATV 
and DTH
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operators and third parties, and of the terms of subscription contracts
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of CATV and DTH subscribers, under the Consumer Act and other
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relevant laws.
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(d)The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) shall impose fines
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and administrative penalties related to poor quality of service delivered
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by a CATV or DTH operator to a subscriber, which include but are not
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limited to outages, poor signal reception, or poor quality of add-on and
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value-added services, that are within 
the control of the CATV or 
DTH
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operator.
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Fines and administrative penalties for poor quality of service shall not exceed
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the value of three (?) months of the maximum subscription cost offered to the
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public, for every subscriber affected, ror every day or fraction per day of outage or
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poor quality of service. Penalties for unlawful or criminal behavior committed by or
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against a CATV or DTH operator shall be consistent with the provisions of existing
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law.
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Sec. 17. Preparation of Implementing Rules ana Regulations (IRR). - Within
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180 days of approval of this Act, the National Telecommunications Commission
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(NTC), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and the Department of Trade and
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Industry (DTI) shall publish the IRR for the implementation of this act in a Joint
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Memorandum Circular.
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Within 30 days of publication of the IRR, the BIR shall publish a Revenue
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Memorandum Circular for the implementation of this Act.
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Within 30 days of publication of the IRR, the DTI shall publish a
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Memorandum Circular for the Implementation of fines and administrative penalties
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related to business-to business and subscription contracts related to CAT/ and DTH
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services under this Act, the Consumer Act and other relevant laws.
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Within 30 days of publication of the IRR, the NTC shall publish a
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Memorandum Circular for the Implementation of fines and administrative penalties
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related to the quality of CATV and DTH services under this Act and other relevant
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laws.
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Within two (2) years of the approval of this Act, the CATV-DTH Government
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Channel Use Code shall be published. Revisions to this Code shall be published no
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later than thirty (30) days after approval.
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Sec. 18. Separability clause. - If any provision ur part hereof is held invalid
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or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provisions not otherwise affected
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shall remain valid and subsisting.
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Sec. 19. Repealing clause - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
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executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation
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contrary co, or Inconsistent with, the provisions of tlds Act, is hereby repealed,
20 
modified, or amended accordingly. EO 205 series of 1987 and EO 436 series of 1997
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are hereby repealed.
22 
Sec. 20. Effectivity clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
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its online publication in the Official Gazette. Within se' en (7) days after its online
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publication, this Act shall be published on (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,