SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.No. 
2991 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
'15 
OCT14 P3:39 
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TO ESTABLISH AN INTER-AGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE THAT 
WILL ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF UNDERAGE DRINKING 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 13 provides: 
Section 13. The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-
building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, 
intellectual, and social well-being, It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism 
and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic 
affairs, 
Young people begin to take risks and experiment as they undergo a transition 
period from childhood to adulthood. Without support and guidance, some young people 
may engage in behaviors that place them and others at risk - including using alcohoL 
Experts continuously issue their warnings about the risks of underage drinking. 
During adolescence, the brain goes through dynamic changes, thus, alcohol can result in 
damage to long-term and short-term growth processes. Even short-term drinking impairs 
learning and memory far more in youth than adults, and adolescents need only to drink 
half as much to suffer the same negative effects. Moreover, long years of alcohol abuse 
can seriously affect the functioning of the liver. In the long run, the heart muscle is also 
weakened, leaving it unable to pump blood efficiently, which may affect the lungs, liver 
and brain. 
1 


Adolescents should be properly informed regarding the risks involved in underage 
drinking. For that reason, there is a need to create a body to oversee a coordinated 
approach to prevention, intervention, treatment, and research on the problem of underage 
drinking.' 
~'-
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MIRlAM DEFE~OR SA"NTIJflO 
:If 
1 This bill was originally filed in the Thirteenth Congress, Second Regular Session. 
2 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.No. 
2991 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
1'5 
OCT 14 P 3 :39 
TO ESTABLISH AN INTER-AGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE THAT 
WILL ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF UNDERAGE DRINKING 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. -
This Act shall be known as the "Inter-Agency 
2 
Coordinating Committee to Prevent Underage Drinking Act". 
3 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to recognize the 
4 
vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, 
5 
moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. 
6 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall 
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mean: 
8 
A. 
"Alcohol" shall refer to ethyl alcohol, ethanol, or spirits of wine including 
9 
all dilutions, purifications and mixtures thereof, from whatever source by whatever 
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process produced and shall include whisky, brandy, rum, gin, tequila, vodka, and other 
11 
similar products or mixtures. It shall also include malt beverages, mixed or fermented 
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liquors, including tuba, basi, tapuy, and lambanog; 
13 
B. 
"Alcoholic beverage industry" shall refer to the brewers, vinters, distillers, 
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importers, distributors, and retail outlets that sell and serve, beer, wine, and distilled 
15 
spirits; 
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1 
C. 
"Committee" shall refer to the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee to 
2 
prevent underage drinking; 
3 
D. 
"Frequent heavy drinking" shall refer to five or more drinks on at least five 
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occasions in the last 30 days; 
5 
E. 
"Heavy drinking" shall refer to five or more drinks on the same occasion in 
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the past 30 days; 
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8 
F. 
G. 
"Minor" shall refer to any person under the age of 18; 
"School-based 
prevention" 
shall 
refer 
to 
programs 
which 
are 
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institutionalized, and run by staff members or school-designated persons or organizations 
lOin every grade of school, kindergarten through high school; and 
11 
H. 
"Secretary" shall refer to the Secretary of the Department of Health; 
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SECTION 4. Establishment of the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee to 
13 
Prevent Underage Drinking. - There shall be established an inter-agency coordinating 
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committee, which shall focus on drafting measures to prevent underage drinking. 
15 
A. 
Chair - The Secretary of the Department of Health shall serve as the chair 
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of the Committee 
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B. 
Other Agencies - The Committee shall be composed of the following 
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government agencies: 
19 
l. 
Department of Health; 
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2. 
Department of Social Welfare and Development; 
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3. 
Department of Education; 
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4. 
National Youth Commission; 
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5. 
Sangguniang Kabataan; and 
24 
6. 
Other agencies as the Chair determines to be appropriate. 
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1 
SECTION 5. Duties and Functions. - The Committee shall have the following 
2 
functions: 
3 
A. 
Guide policy and program development across the national government and 
4 
local government units with respect to underage drinking; 
5 
B. 
Actively seek the input of and shall consult with all appropriate and 
6 
interested parties, including public health research and interest groups, foundations, and 
7 
alcohol beverage industry trade associations and companies; 
8 
9 
C. 
Submit an annual report to the Congress that summarizes the following: 
1. 
all programs and policies of government agencies designed to 
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prevent underage drinking; 
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12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
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2. 
3. 
the extent of progress in reducing underage drinking nationally; 
data that the Chair shall collect with respect to the following 
information: 
a. 
patterns and consequences of underage drinking; 
b. 
measures of the availability of alcohol to minors and the 
exposure of this population to messages regarding alcohol in advertising 
and the entertainment media; 
c. 
surveillance data, including information on the onset and 
prevalence of underage drinking; 
d. 
any additional finding resulting from research conducted or 
supported under Section SeD); 
e. 
evidence-based best practices to both prevent underage 
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drinking and provide treatment services to those youth who need them; 
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D. 
Collect data and conduct or support research on underage drinking with 
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respect to the following: 
3 


1 
1. 
the short and long term impact of alcohol use and abuse upon 
2 
adolescent brain development and other organ systems; 
3 
2. 
comprehensive community-based programs or strategies and nation-
4 
wide systems to prevent underage drinking, across the underage years from early 
5 
childhood to young adulthood, including programs funded and implemented by 
6 
government entities, public health interest groups and foundations, and alcohol 
7 
beverage companies and trade associations; 
8 
3. 
improved knowledge of the scope of the underage drinking problem 
9 
and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking; and 
10 
4. 
annually obtain more precise information than is currently collected 
11 
on the type and quantity of alcoholic beverages consumed by underage drinkers, 
12 
as well as information on brand preferences of these drinkers and their exposure to 
13 
alcohol advertising. 
14 
SECTION 6. Appropriations. - To carry out the provlSlons of this Act, such 
15 
amount as may be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National 
16 
Treasury. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous operation of the Inter-
17 
Agency Coordinating Committee to prevent underage drinking shall be included in the 
18 
annual operations of the Department of Health. 
19 
SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
20 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
21 
provisions hereof. 
22 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances, or 
23 
portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby 
24 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
4 


1 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
2 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
iaml2015 
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