FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
First Regular Session 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 11, Section 15 provides: 
The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and 
instill health consciousness among them. 
The Philippines is a country that is often hit by typhoons and other forms of heavy 
precipitation. This causes flooding in most parts of the country. There is a need to protect 
children who wander into culverts or drainage systems particularly when an area is flooded and 
the drainage system can hardly be seen. 
This bill seeks to have a uniform standard of safeguards that will be required of all 
governmental entities. It will prevent accidents involving people who sustain injuries or even die 
by falling into culverts and other similar forms of drainage.* 
*This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, Third Regular Session. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR SAFETY MEASURES FOR CULVERTS OR OTHER SIMILAR FLOOD 
OR DRAINAGE SYSTEMS MAINTAINED BY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assem bled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be referred to as the “The Culvert Safety Act of 
2007.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the general 
welfare of the people. Pursuant to this policy, the State shall provide for safety measures for 
culverts or other similar flood drainage systems managed by governmental entities. 
SECTION 3. Duty of Governmentul Entities. - Every governmental entity shall: 
(A) Ensure that the intake to each culvert or other enclosed flood or drainage system that 
the entity is responsible for maintaining is protected by a bar, grate, or other appropriate covering 
sufficient to ensure that a child may not be swept into the system; 
(B) Ensure that a sign warning of the hazard for a child, including the danger for injury or 
drowning, is clearly posted at the intake to each culvert or other enclosed flood or drainage 
system that the entity is responsible for maintaining; 
(C) Ensure that each culvert or other enclosed flood or drainage system that the entity is 
responsible for maintaining has a hinged opening or other type of opening and closing 
mechanism to permit emergency services personnel to access the system. 
For purposes of this Act, the term culvert shall mean a sewer or drain crossing under a 
road or embankment, the part of a road or embankment that passes over such a sewer or drain, or 
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the channel or conduit for such a sewer or drain. 
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SECTION 4. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the other parts or provisions thereof shall remain valid and effective. 
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, rules and 
regulations or parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, 
amended or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 6. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
labg 
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