TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
y cl h.
25 JIJL 14 All :02
S. No.
SENATE
438
Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero
AN ACT
PROVIDING MANDATORY INSURANCE COVERAGE AND OTHER BENEFITS 
FOR ALL LINE WORKERS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The continuous and reliable supply of electricity - crucial in sustaining our 
economic growth and maintaining our way of life - rests in the hands of line workers 
who construct, install, maintain, rehabilitate and repair our electrical transmission and 
distribution systems. While they perform both critical and dangerous work, a number 
of them do so bereft of any form of coverage against death, accidents, illness, and 
other fortuitous events that could be sustained in the line of duty.
To address this concern, this bill seeks to mandate private distribution utilities, 
electric cooperatives and transmission or grid operators to provide insurance coverage 
to all their respective line workers and extend other entitlements such as retirement 
and disability benefits, death and burial assistance, and medical expense 
reimbursements, among others. Drawing from House Bill No. 7561 approved by the 
House of Representatives in the Nineteenth Congress, it is hoped that the provision of 
insurance coverage and other benefits would ensure that our line workers, as well as 
their families, are protected from the risks and perils of their chosen occupation.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO


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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
;'i ,• •' ;■
'I'j JIJL 14 AH :02
S. No
SENATE
498
i'! ;
Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero
AN ACT
PROVIDING MANDATORY INSURANCE COVERAGE AND OTHER BENEFITS 
FOR ALL LINE WORKERS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short Tide. - This Act shall be known as the "Line Workers Insurance 
and Benefits Act".
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes the role of the electrical 
line workers in the quest for sustainable economic development through the 
continuous and reliable supply of electricity, not only in residential dwellings, but most 
importantly, in commercial and industrial establishments, specifically in the 
countryside and rural areas, as envisioned by the Rural Electrification Program, and 
the risk they encounter in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. As such, 
it shall provide measures that recognize the contributions of line workers to nation­
building particularly in the transmission and distribution sectors of the power industry 
by ensuring that their employers are providing them insurance coverage and other 
benefits in addition to what is provided for regularly by existing labor laws.
Sec. 3. Definition of Line Worker. - For the purposes of this Act, line workers 
shall refer to persons, including crews, drivers and helpers, who are directly 
responsible for the construction, installation, maintenance, reconstruction, 
rehabilitation and repair of electrical transmission and distribution systems, including 
underground cables, electrical substations and other related electrical facilities.


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Sec. 4. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all line workers in the power industry 
sector as defined in Section 3 hereof, including those working in private distribution 
utilities, electric cooperatives and transmission or grid operators.
Sec. 5. Mandatory Insurance Coverage for Line Workers. - All covered line 
workers shali be entitled to life, accident or disability insurance benefits in accordance 
with the following minimum insurance coverage schedule:
(a) For electric cooperatives, the minimum insurance coverage shall be as 
follows:
Classification
Smali
Medium
Large
Extra Large 
Mega Large
Minimum Insurance Coverage 
Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (P200,000.00) 
Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (P400,000.00) 
Six Hundred Thousand Pesos (P600,000.00) 
Eight Hundred Thousand Pesos (P800,000.00) 
One Miilion Pesos (P1,000,000.00)
(b) 
For private distribution utilities, the minimum insurance coverage shall be 
One Million Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (PI,500,000.00); and
(c) 
For transmission or grid operators, the minimum insurance coverage shall 
be Two Million Pesos (P2,000,000.00).
The coverage shall be effective upon the commencement of their employment 
until their separation from the company, either by resignation, termination, or 
retirement. The insurance premium payments shall be shouldered entirely by the 
employer.
Employers who are already providing insurance coverage to their line workers 
equal to or more than the minimum requirement as prescribed herein are no longer 
required to make adjustments to their insurance coverage. Otherwise, they shouid 
augment the amount of coverage to comply with this Act: Provided, That in no way 
shail this Act be construed to diminish or reduce any insurance coverage which the 
line workers are already receiving or any entitlement under existing laws, company


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policy, or employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements between the
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employer and the employees.
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Sec. 6. Mandatory Benefits. - In addition to the mandated insurance coverage
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as provided in Section 5 of this Act, the employers of line workers shall also ensure
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the provision of the following mandatory benefits:
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(a) Retirement benefits;
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(b) Death benefits and burial assistance;
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(c) Disability benefits;
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(d) Reimbursement of actual medical expenses in case of death, accident,
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sickness, disability or injury sustained 
by the line worker 
in the line of
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duty; and
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(e) Other benefits and entitlements as may be identified by the Department
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of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 
in consultation with the stakeholders
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concerned:
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Provided, That in cases when a line worker participates in power restoration and
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rehabilitation efforts in calamity-stricken areas or similar engagements hosted by an
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entity other than the employer of the line worker, such host entity shall provide the
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line worker with benefits similar to those provided under this Section and as may be
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allowed by its financial capacity to cover death, accident, sickness, disability or injury
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sustained by the line worker during such engagement.
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Sec. 7. Disqualifications from Benefits. - No benefit shall be extended to line
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workers or their beneficiaries in cases where the death, accident, sickness, disability,
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or injury suffered by the line worker happened during an unauthorized absence or
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abandonment of office, or if the same was caused by any of the following:
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(a) Willful intention to injure or kill oneself;
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(b) Gross and habitual negligence;
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(c) Failure to observe safety protocols or exercise reasonable care for one's
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own safety; and
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(d) Commission of a crime by the line worker.


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Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
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the effectivity of this Act, the National Electrification Administration, DOLE, and the
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Energy Regulatory Commission shall, in consultation with private distribution utilities,
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electric cooperatives, transmission or grid operators, and other stakeholders,
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promulgate the rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions of this
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Act.
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Sec. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is declared
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unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall
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remain in full force and effect.
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Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, acts, decrees, executive orders,
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issuances, and rules and regulations or parts thereof which are contrary to and
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inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
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Sec. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect immediately following its
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publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
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circulation.
Approved,