NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
S5>cuate
ol tljf fisetrftaiP
SENATE
23 JAN 12 P5S0
s. No. 1675
RECEIVED BY.__
Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR
AN ACT
ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY IN THE VOTING OF SENIOR CITIZENS, 
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, PREGNANT WOMEN, AND INDIGENOUS 
PEOPLES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10366, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE COMMISSION ON 
ELECTIONS TO ESTABLISH PRECINTS ASSIGNED TO ACCESSIBLE POLLING 
PLACES EXCLUSIVELY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND SENIOR 
CITIZENS", PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the Philippines not otherwise 
disqualified by law. This is the very wordings provided in Section 1 Article V of the 
Constitution. However, there are persons who do not vote during elections although 
qualified and willing to exercise their right, not by reason of disqualification but due 
to incapacity brought by their physical condition such as PWDs and pregnant 
women.
There are also people who are unable to exercise their right to vote because 
of the distance of polling precints from their respective home particularly 
experienced by the members of the indigenous community. This defeat the provision 
requiring polling places to be readily accessible to all under Republic Act (RA) No. 
10366.
This bill seeks to amend RA 10366 by providing a mechanism to make polling 
places easily available to PWDs, pregnant women and indigenous people. If this bill 
is enacted into law, it will require polling place, among others, to be placed in areas 
where there will be accessible public transportation, and access for wheelchairs, 
ramps, railings, sidewalks to assist PWDs. Early voting system is also proposed for 
said persons in order to provide them sufficient time to exercise their rights during 
election time.
Immediate passage of this bill, therefore, is earnestly sought.
MARK A. VILLAR


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
Senate
(®i'fic*> of t!)f ^rO PtiU^
23 JAN 12 P5 50
SENATE
S. No. 1B75
RECEIVED BY;
Introduced by Senator MARK A. VILLAR
AN ACT
ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY IN THE VOTING OF SENIOR CITIZENS, 
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, PREGNANT WOMEN, AND INDIGENOUS 
PEOPLES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10366, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE COMMISSION ON 
ELECTIONS TO ESTABLISH PRECINTS ASSIGNED TO ACCESSIBLE POLLING 
PLACES EXCLUSIVELY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND SENIOR 
CITIZENS", PROVIDING FUNDS 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 "Better Voting
2 
Accessibility for Seniors, PWDs, Pregnant Women, and IPs Act".
3 
Sec 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall ensure that senior citizens,
4 
persons with disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, and indigenous peoples (IPs) are
5 
able to exercise their right to political participation without restrictions. The State
6 
shall devise systems and procedures that will enhance the accessibility in their voting
7 
process.
8 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the term:
9 
(a) Commission - refer to the Commission on Elections.
10 
(b) Senior Citizens - refer to qualified voters who are sixty (60) years
11 
or older.
12 
(c) Persons with disabilities or PWDs - refer to the qualified voters who
13 
have long term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments


1 
which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and
2 
effective participation in the society on an equal basis with others.
3 
(d) Pregnant Women - refer to qualified voters who are pregnant at
4 
the time of the period of early voting and during election day
5 
regardless of the number of trimester.
6 
(e ) Indigenous peoples - refer to qualified voters who belong to a
7 
group of people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription
8 
and ascription by others, who have continuously lived as organized
9 
community and communally bounded and defined territory, and who
10 
have, under claims of ownership since time immemorial, occupied,
11 
possessed and utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of
12 
language, customs, traditions and other distinctive culturai traits, or
13 
who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of
14 
colonization, non-indigenous religions and culture, became historically
15 
differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. IPs shall likewise include
16 
peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent
17 
from the populations which inhabited the country, at the time of
18 
conquest or colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous
19 
religions and cultures, or establishment of present state boundaries,
20 
who retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and
21 
political institutions, but who may have been displaced from their
22 
traditional domains or who may have resettled outside their ancestral
23 
domains.
24 
Sec. 4. Early Voting. - For national and local elections, there shall be early
25 
voting where senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, and IPs qualified to vote eariy
26 
may choose to cast their ballot for a period of not less than two (2) days within
27 
thirty (30) calendar days before election day at accessible establishments designated
28 
by the Commission. For this purpose, accessible establishments shail be located at
29 
the ground floor, preferably near the entrance of the building, shall be readily
30 
accessible to public transportation, and shall be free of any physical barriers and
31 
provided with necessary infrastructure and disability support services, including
32 
assistive devices, transport wheelchairs, ramps, railings, sidewalk, adequate lighting.


1 
ventilation, and other features for the senior citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women.
2 
Aside from structural accessibility^ the Commission shall provide live assistance for
3 
PWDs such as sign language interpreters. There shall be a nationwide registration of
4 
senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, and IPs who may wish to avail of their early
5 
voting privileges to qualify them for early voting. Only those who are not registered
6 
under the early voting system shall vote on election day.
7 
Sec. 5. Option for Postal Early Voting. - Senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant
8 
women, and IPs who registered for early voting shall have the option to cast their
9 
ballot via post in designated precincts: Provided, That voters who wish to vote via
10 
post must first be registered to do so with the Commission. The Commission shall
11 
provide rules, necessary safeguards, and confirmation procedures to properly
12 
implement this provision.
13 
Sec. 6. Emergency Accessible Polling Places (EAPP). - During election day,
14 
the Commission shall designated a room or a makeshift or temporary polling place
15 
establish at the ground of a voting center or outside of it but in close proximity
16 
thereto, where senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women or IP voters may vote on
17 
election day. The Commission shall ensure that the voting machine in the event of
18 
automated elections, are adequate, appropriate, accessible, and easy to understand
19 
and use, and that reasonable accommodation shall be granted to PWDs, senior
20 
citizens, pregnant women and IPs in order that they may fully exercise their right of
21 
suffrage. The Commission shall provide live assistance for PWDs such as sign
22 
language interpreters.
23 
Sec. 7. Section 2(j) of Republic Act No. 10366 is hereby amended to read as
24 
follows:
25 
"Sec. 2. Definition of Terms, - xxx
26 
(a) xxx
27 
(j) Accessible polling piece refers to the venue where the Board of
28 
Election Inspectors (BEIs) conducts election-related proceedings
29 
and where the voters cast their votes. The accessible polling place
30 
shall be located at the ground floor, preferably near the entrance
31 
Of the building, SHALL BE READILY ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC
32 
TRANSPORTATION, and [is] SHALL BE free of any physical


1 
barriers and provided with necessary INFRASTRUCTURE AND
2 
services, including assistive devices, 
TRANSPORT
3 
WHEELCHAIRS, RAMPS, RAILINGS, 
SIDEWALKS,
4 
ADEQUATE LIGHTING, VENTILATION, 
AND OTHER
5 
FEATURES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, SENIOR
6 
CITIZENS, PREGNANT WOMEN AND 
INDIGENOUS
7 
PEOPLES."
8 
Sec. 8. Section 9 of the Republic Act No. 10366 is hereby amended to read as
9 
foilows:
10 
"SEC. 9. [Creation of] Precincts for Persons with Disabilities and
11 
Senior Citizens. - The Commission is hereby authorized to
12 
[cstabiish] DESIGNATE precincts [of a non-territoriDi nature,} IN
13 
ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES FOR THE exclusive [ty^-fer]
14 
USE OF persons with disabiiities and senior citizens [who in their
15 
registration records manifest their intent to avaii of their right to-a
16 
separate precinct under this section. Pursuant thereto, the
17 
Commission shall estabiish at least one (1) such precinct assigned
18 
to accessible poliing places for every voting center.], SUCH AS
19 
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TOWN HALLS OR PLAZAS, CIVIC
20 
CENTERS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, OR OTHER SIMILARLY
21 
DESIGNATED SPECIAL VENUES OR AREAS, WITH
22 
PREFERENCE FOR VENUES OR AREAS, WITH PREFERENCE
23 
FOR VENUES DESIGNED WITH SPECIAL FEATURES TO
24 
ENSURE THEIR SAFETY AND COMFORT. Such precincts shail
25 
be provided with assistive devices PURSUANT TO THE
26 
PROVISIONS OF SECTION 2(J) OF THIS ACT as weli the
27 
services of experts in assisting persons with disabiiities, SUCH AS
28 
SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS.
29 
Sec. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
30 
approval of this Act, the Commission shaii, in consuitation with other reievant
31 
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and civii society
32 
organizations, promulgate the rules and regulations necessary to implement this Act.


1 
Sec. 10. Appropriations. -The initial appropriation to carry out the provisions
2 
of this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of the Commission.
3 
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall
4 
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
5 
Sec. 11. Separabiiity Cause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid
6 
or unconstitutional, the provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and
7 
effect.
8 
Sec. 12. Repeaiing Cause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
9 
presidential proclamation, rules and regulations or parts thereof contrary to or
10 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
11 
Sec. 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
12 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,