Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING TELECOMMUNICATION SUBSCRIBERS AGAINST UNAUTHORIZED 
SERVICES AND CONSUMPTION OF LOAD CREDITS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
We currently live in a digital era wherein jobs, businesses, and even schools, require telecom 
services and internet services. Considering the importance of this service, this measure seeks to 
protect consumers from unauthorized services and charges which consume load credits of 
subscribers without notice. This has been a rampant problem for prepaid subscribers, preventing 
them from getting the full value of the load credits they paid for. This measure also prohibits the 
imposition of expiration on the validity of unused load credits and billing subscribers' accounts for 
unauthorized value-added services which have the effect of reducing the prepaid credit or 
increasing the postpaid amount due from a subscriber. Under this measure violators shall be 
subject to a fine ranging from one hundred thousand pesos (PHP 100,000.00) to one million 
pesos (P1,000,000.00). 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the 
Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
September 22, 2022
5:00 pm
5097


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING TELECOMMUNICATION SUBSCRIBERS AGAINST UNAUTHORIZED 
SERVICES AND CONSUMPTION OF LOAD CREDITS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the Philippines 
in session assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Telecommunication Subscriber's 
Protection Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State recognizes the vital role of telecommunication in 
economic growth and development. Towards this end, the State shall implement measures to 
achieve the following objectives: 
a) Safeguard telecommunication subscribers against deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable
trade acts and practices;
b) Provision for information, and education to facilitate sound choice and the proper exercise
of rights by the consumer; and
c) Provision for adequate rights and means of redress for subscribers.
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As  used in this Act, the term: 
a) Account refers to the financial credit of a subscriber;
b) Load credit refers to the monetary value or the consumable amount loaded to a mobile or
landline phone via pre-paid cards or electronic transfers that enable a consumer to use
telecommunication or value-added services;
c) Pre-paid refers to the type of mobile or landline phone account that requires its owners
to purchase load credit before services are used;
d) Pre-paid call and text card refers to a card with a corresponding peso value that has to be
purchased to enable a subscriber to use telecommunication services;
e) Unauthorized service refers to a service for which a subscriber did not provide expressed
and informed consent; and
5097


f) Unsought services refer to services that include ringing tones, polyphonic tones, video and 
picture messages, etc., that a subscriber did not purchase under his postpaid or prepaid 
account but are nonetheless sent or transmitted to him without permission. 
 
SEC. 4. Obligation to Provide an Electronic Receipt. – Every telecommunication company 
shall inform its subscribers via text message of the deduction to their load credit for calls, data, 
and value-added service usage. 
 
SEC. 5. Prohibited Acts. – An entity issuing load credit in exchange for telecommunication or 
value-added services shall be liable for any of the following acts: 
 
a) Imposition of an expiration period on the validity of unused load credit; 
b) Forfeiture of load credit stored on an active pre-paid phone account via pre-paid call and 
text card or electronic transfer; 
c) Refusal to give a refund to any pre-paid subscriber whose load credit was forfeited without 
any valid cause; 
d) Enrolling subscribers in unauthorized value-added services without the subscriber's 
consent; 
e) Billing subscribers' accounts for unauthorized value-added services which have the effect 
of reducing the prepaid credit or increasing the postpaid amount due from a subscriber; 
and 
f) Failure to provide an electronic receipt as provided under Section 4. 
 
SEC. 6. Penalties. – Any director, officer, employee, or agent of a telecommunication company 
providing telecommunication services who shall commit any of the acts under Section 5 hereof, 
shall, upon conviction, be subject to the penalty of a fine of not less than One hundred thousand 
pesos (P 100,000.00) but not to exceed One million pesos (P 1,000,000.00). 
 
If the violation was committed by or in the interest of a juridical person duly licensed to engage 
in business in the Philippines, the following penalty shall be imposed: 
 
a) First Offense – Fine of Five hundred thousand pesos (P 500,000.00); 
b) Second Offense – Fine of One million pesos (P 1,000,000.00) and suspension of license 
to engage in business for a period of thirty (30) days; and 
c) Third Offense – Fine of Two million pesos (P 2,000,000.00) and immediate revocation of 
license to engage in business. 
 
SEC. 7. Disposition of Penalties. – All penalties under this Act shall be solely and exclusively 
earmarked and used for the following: 
 
a) Development and maintenance of a long-term strategic national development plan for the 
telecommunication industry; 
b) Providing adequate and efficient telecommunication facilities m unserved and underserved 
areas; and 
c) Monitoring, reporting, and enforcement of compliance with mobile service regulations. 
 


SEC. 8. Information Dissemination. – Every telecommunication company, in coordination 
with the National Telecommunications Commission (TC), shall ensure the proper and adequate 
information dissemination of the contents and benefits of this Act to the general public, especially 
to its intended beneficiaries.  
 
SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days from the approval 
of this Act, the NTC shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for its effective 
implementation.  
 
SEC. 10. Separability Clause. – Should any part of this Act be declared unconstitutional or 
invalid, other provisions hereof that are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and 
effect. 
 
SEC. 11. Repealing clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, rules and 
regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, 
are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or any newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,