SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2478 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
'14 
DEC -1 
A1O:5~ 
ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE AND 
INTEGRATED NATIONAL 
POLICY AND PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR THE OPERATION AND 
MAINTENANCE OF DORMITORIES AND BOARDING HOUSES, PROVIDING 
PENALTIES THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Students who have to stay far away from home to attend school face a lot of 
challenges - loads of school works, familiarization of their new environment, 
building new relationships with teachers, schoolmates and friends, and keeping 
themselves safe and sound while they are away from their homes and families. 
While they are on guard on all of these concerns all day, the only time they can 
relax and recharge for the next day's activities is when they reach their 
dormitories or boarding houses. 
While a good number of dormitories and boarding houses set and strictly 
implement their own house rules, others remain negligent and careless, thus 
sacrificing the security of their place and their tenants. 
As a matter of fact, 
thousand of cases of theft in dormitories have already been reported. A good 
number of dormitories also provide adequate facilities needed by students for 
their education and health, but others still fail to do this and instead offer crude 
spaces barely comfortable for resting and studying. It is a fact that the quality of 
place depends on the amount one is willing to pay. Thus, those students who 
have limited budget have to make do with dormitories and boarding houses 
which do not even have the minimum decency and safety of a place to stay. 
This measure seeks to establish a national policy and program guidelines for the 
operation and maintenance of dormitories and boarding houses with the aim of 


providing each and every student in our country the minimum requirements for a 
decent, conducive and safe place to stay while they are attending school. 
This bill was filed by Senator Manny Villar during the 15th Congress but was not 
passed into law. The undersigned included a new provision requiring dormitories 
and boarding houses to install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in their 
vicinity. 
The immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. ----.., 
Senator 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2 4 78 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
'14 
[JEC -1 
1\10:515 
ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED NATIONAL 
POLICY AND PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR THE OPERATION AND 
MAINTENANCE OF DORMITORIES AND BOARDING HOUSES, PROVIDING 
PENALTIES THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State 
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to promote and improve the condition of those living in dormitories and boarding 
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houses. Towards this end, the State shall adopt a national standard for the 
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operation and maintenance of dormitories and boarding houses to make these 
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facilities conducive to living and learning. 
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SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following shall mean: 
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(a) "Dormitory or boarding house" - any house or building or portion thereof in 
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which six (6) or more persons may be regularly accepted as boarders on a 
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daily, weekly, or monthly basis; 
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(b) "Dormitory or boarding house helpers" - cooks, food handlers, helpers 
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who handle the food services for the boarders and any other persons who 
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shall assist the owners of boarding houses or dormitories in housing 
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maintenance and similar household chores. 
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SEC. 3. License from Local Governments. - It shall be unlawful for any person 
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to own, keep, maintain or operate any dormitory or boarding house without first 
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obtaining a license from the city I municipal government. The license which shall 
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be posted in a conspicuous place shall specify the number of persons allowed to 
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dwell or board in every dormitory or boarding house. 
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SEC. 4. Classes of Dormitories and Boarding Houses. - For purposes of this 
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Act, dormitories and boarding houses shall have the following classifications: 
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a) Class A - dormitories and boarding houses providing accommodations for 
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fifty (50) boarders or more; 


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b) Class B - dormitories and boarding houses providing accommodations for 
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thirty (30) but less than fifty (50) boarders; 
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c) Class C - dormitories and boarding houses providing accommodations for 
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twenty (20) but less than thirty (30) boarders; 
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d) Class D - dormitories and boarding houses providing accommodations for 
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more than five (5) but less than twenty (20) boarders; 
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SEC. 5. 
Minimum. Dormitory or Boarding House Rentals. -
The Local 
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Government Units (LGUs), through their respective Sanggunians, shall fix the 
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minimum monthly boarding rentals taking into consideration the following factors: 
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a) site of the dormitory or boarding house, whether urban or rural areas; 
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b) classification of the dormitory or boarding house; 
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c) facilities and premises offered; 
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d) number of boarders allowed in each room; 
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e) construction of the building; and, 
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f) such other factors which may be deemed necessary under the 
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circumstances. 
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In the absence of any agreement for the payment or additional expenses for 
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electric, telephone and water utility bills, the minimum boarding house rental 
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prescribed under this Section shall be the basic rentals which shall be paid to the 
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owner inclusive of electric, telephone and water bills. 
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SEC. 6. 
Rental Discounts to Student Boarders. - All boarding houses and 
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dormitories shall give a discount of ten percent (10%) for all students. Students 
29. shall be required to present school registration cards or similar documents to 
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serve as proof thereof. 
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SEC. 7. Building Type for Dormitories and Boarding Houses. - Any three-storey 
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building erected as a dormitory or boarding house for the accommodation of one 
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hundred (100) persons or any building or section of building exceeding three 
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storeys to be used for said purpose, must be or reinforced concrete structural 
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framing covered with concrete; Provided, however, That existing three-storey 
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buildings presently maintained as boarding houses or dormitories shall be 
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exempted from the requirements of this Section; Provided, further, That if more 
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than fifty percent (50%) of such buildings are repaired or altered, the 
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requirements herein provided shall be complied with. Building accommodating 
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less than one hundred (100) persons shall not exceed three-storey in height or 
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twelve (12) meters if the structure thereof is non-fireproof but in no case lower in 
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quality than that of a frame structure. 
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SEC. 8. Dormitory and Boarding House Helpers. - The owners and operators of 
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dormitories or boarding houses shall employ at least one (1) helper for every fifty 
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(50) boarders or occupants for the proper maintenance of the said dormitories or 
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boarding houses. 
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SEC. 9. Lighting and Electrical Facilities. - All rooms, passageways and other 
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parts of the premises especially those intended for reading and studying 
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purposes shall be properly and adequately lighted by natural or artificial means 
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or both in consonance with the standards of illumination practices. 
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SEC. 10. Ventilation and Spacing. - All buildings erected or repaired for use as 
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boarding houses or dormitories shall have rooms with adequate ventilations and 
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enough space for comfort. All bedrooms shall have a window. Beds shall be 
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arranged in such manner as would provide adequate space to give the boarders 
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enough room for mobility. 
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SEC. 11. Sanitary Facilities. - All dormitories and boarding houses shall provide 
lOa lavatory for every ten (10) boarders and such other necessary sanitary facilities 
11. 
as may be determined by the Local Government unit where such dwelling 
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houses are located. 
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SEC. 12. Fire Protection Facilities. - Dormitories and boarding houses shall 
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provide fire escapes and other firefighting facilities, including but not limited to fire 
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extinguishers and hose cabinet. 
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SEC. 13. Study Room. - Dormitories or boarding houses having twenty (20) or 
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more boarders shall provide a study room for general use by the persons 
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dwelling on the same. 
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SEC. 14. 
First Aid.- Every owner shall maintain in his boarding house or 
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dormitory such basic first aid medicine and equipment as may be necessary for 
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emergency purposes. 
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SEC. 15. 
Garbage Receptacles. - All boarding houses or dormitories shall 
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provide garbage receptacles to be disposed daily. 
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SEC. 16. Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras. - All boarding houses or 
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dormitories shall install closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) cameras in strategic' 
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areas in their vicinity. Such CCTV cameras are intended to prevent and address 
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wrongdoings and crimes, and not, in any way, to intrude into the privacy of the 
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tenants. Said CCTV cameras should be operational 24-7 and recordings should 
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be kept in file for at least one (1) year. 
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SEC. 17. Treatment of Boarders. - All boarders shall be treated in just and 
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humane manner. In no case shall physical violence and other ignominious act 
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shall be inflicted upon boarders. 
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SEC. 18. Termination Notice. - If a period is fixed for the lease of a room in the 
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boarding house or similar dwelling units, neither the boarding house owner nor 
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the boarder may terminate the contract before the expiration of the term, except 
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for a just cause. If the boarder is unjustly erected from the boarding house, he or 
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she shall be paid damages equivalent to one-half month rental. If the boarder 
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leaves without justifiable reasons and without proper notice, he or she shall forfeit 
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any deposit made on rentals not exceeding fifteen (15) days. If the duration of 
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the stay in the boarding house is not determined by contract or by agreement of 
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the parties, the boarding house owner or the boarder may give notice to 
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terminate the same at least five (5) days before the intended date thereof. 
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SEC. 19. Duty of Boarding House or Dormitory Owners. - All owners of boarding 
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houses and dormitories shall carry out the provisions of this Act in good faith. 
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Unless there is any compelling reason, in no case shall a dormitory or boarding 
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house owner deny the application of a student. 
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SEC. 20. License Fees. - All local government units, through their respective 
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Sanggunian, shall fix the annual license fees to be imposed on boarding houses 
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and dormitories considering the classification mentioned above, the rentals paid 
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by boarders and other necessary considerations. 
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SEC. 21. 
Local Ordinance as Necessary Rules and Regulations. -
Local 
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Government units through their respective Sanggunian shall pass an ordinance 
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providing for the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of 
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this Act. 
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SEC. 22. Penalty. - In case of violation of any of the provisions of this Act, the 
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license and permit to operate the dormitory or boarding house and all sums paid 
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therefore shall, after due notice and hearing, be revoked and forfeited, and any 
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person responsible for such violation shall be punished with imprisonment for a 
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period not exceeding six (6) months or a fine not less than Five Thousand Pesos 
25 
(PS,OOO.OO) nor more than Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,OOO.OO) or both, at the 
26 
discretion of the Court. 
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SEC. 23. 
Separability Clause. -
If any part or provision of this Act is held 
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unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions hereof which are not 
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affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
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SEC. 24. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, rules or regulations which are 
35' inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or 
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repealed accordingly. 
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SEC. 25. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (1S) days 
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following its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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