EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. B. No. 1430
.. . ;i- j; Ttri'lafp
20 io A9.14
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HEALTHCARE AND OTHER 
FRONTLINE WORKERS, AND PERSONS SUSPECTED OF COVID-19 
INFECTION, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution provides that, "the State shall 
protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness 
among them."
On 11 March'2020, the Director General of the World Health Organization 
(WHO) declared COVID-19 as pandemic. In the Philippines alone, there have been five 
thousand two hundred twenty three (5,223) confirmed cases and three hundred thirty 
five (335) deaths. These statistics continue to show a pattern of exponential increase, 
and no sign of "flattening the o/rve"anytime soon. It is projected to peak in the next 
two (2) months, with approximately one hundred forty thousand (140,000) to five 
hundred fifty thousand (550,000) people infected in Metro Manila.
According to Dr. Oscar Tinio, Chair of the Philippine Medical Association's (PMA) 
Commission on Legislation, the ratio of health workers, specifically doctors, who attend 
to persons who have contracted COVID-19, set at one (1) in every forty thousand 
(40,000), is grossly disproportionate. Worse, to date, twenty one (21) doctors have


already died due to COVID-19 while more than 5 percent (5%) of the country's health 
workers are Quarantined. Yet, at great risk to their health and lives, healthcare workers 
persist in protecting the lives of others.
However, in the past weeks, there have been increasingly frequent reports of 
discriminatory acts committed against healthcare and other frontline workers, PUM's, 
PDFs, and COVID-positive suspects. Some have been evicted from their homes, while 
others were prevented from returning to their communities. Others were allegedly 
doused with water or bleaching solutions, or refused service in eateries or public 
transport facilities due to fears of infection. Similarly, healthcare workers have been 
sometimes shunned by local stores, boarding houses and even their own barangay 
and townmates.
As an act of compassion, some local government units have enacted ordinances 
in order to immediately address the discrimination experienced by healthcare and other 
frontline workers, PUM's, PUI's, and other COVID-positive suspects.
Thus the passage of this bill is urgently sought to penalize those who are found 
to have committed acts that discriminate, shame, humiliate, or stigmatize healthcare 
and other frontline workers, and other victims due to their medical condition.
IMEE R. MARCOS


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
r1 1n !\9 :13
SENATE
s. B. No. i4.<^n
REC'T/.'D?^'
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HEALTHCARE WORKERS, 
FRONTLINERS, AND PERSONS SUSPECTED OF COVID-19 INFECTION, 
PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR, 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 the Anti-Coronavirus 2019
2 
(COVID-19) Discrimination Act."
3 
SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall be
4 
defines as follows:
5 
(a) Heath workers refer to those who deliver care and services to the sick and
6 
ailing, either directly or indirectly, including but not limited to, doctors, nurses, hospital
7 
and clinic aides, and laboratory technicians.
8 
This also include those engaged as temporary Human Resources for Health in
9 
accordance with Republic Act No. 11469, also known as the " Bayanihan to Heal as One
10 
Act', such as medical and allied medical staff to complement or supplement the current
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health workforce or to man the temporary medical facilities to be established under
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the aforementioned law.
\


(b) Persons infected, Patients Under Investigation (PUIs) are those persons
2 
suspected of contracting, have probably contracted COVID-19, or are confirmed to
3 
have contracted COVID-19, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the
4 
Department of Health (DOH).
5 
(c) Frontiiners refers to the officers and members of the Philippine National
6 
Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Coast Guard
7 
(PCG), and instrumentalities of the government rendering emergency frontline
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services, border control and other critical services. Also included are workers in private
9 
establishments providing essential services and necessities and such activities related
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to food and medicine production, such as public markets, supermarkets, groceries,
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convenience stores, hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies and drug stores, food,
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preparation and delivery services, water-refilling stations, manufacturing and
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processing plants of basic food products and medicines, banks, money transfer
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services, power, energy, telecommunications and water supplies and other related
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facilities.
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SEC. 3. Prohibited Acts. - It shall be unlawful for any person, natural or
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juridical, to commit any act, such as prevention of entry to residences or
18 
establishments, or make utterances which cause or tend to cause stigma, disgrace,
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shame, humiliation, harassment or otherwise discriminate against persons suspected
20 
of COVID-19 infectton, a health worker, or a frontliner, as defined under this Act.
21 
Provided that, any public officer who refuses or fails, without justifiable reason,
22 
to give assistance to a person suspected of COVID-19 infection, a health worker, or a
23 
frontliner that intends to return to his place of residence or domicile, after obtaining
24 
clearance of the COVID-19 Infection from the proper health officials, shall be equally
25 
liable under Section 4 of this Act.
26 
SEC. 4. Penaities. - Any person in violation of Section 3 hereof shall suffer the
27 
penalty of imprisonment not exceeding six (6) months or a fine of fifty thousand pesos
28 
(Php 50,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court. If the offender is a public
29 
officer, the maximum penalty herein shall be imposed.


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In cases where the offender is a corporation, association, partnership or any 
other juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed upon the president, directors, 
managers, managing partners, as the case may be, who participated in the 
commission of the offense or who shall have knowingly permitted or failed to prevent 
the commission of the same.
In cases where the offender is an alien, he shall, in addition to the penalties 
herein prescribed, be deported without need of further proceedings.
SEC. 5. Separability Clause. - If for any reason any provision of this Act is 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, such parts or portions not affected thereby shall 
remain in full force and effect.
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, 
presidential proclamations, letters of instruction, rules and regulations or parts thereof 
which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly.
SEC. 7. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
completion of its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
i
Approved,