EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 1 2 8 4
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20 M 21 ffl1 ^0
RECEiViDB'.
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
GRANTING DISASTER RliSPONSE VOLUNTEERS LEAVE W ITH PAY TO 
QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR AND FOR
OTHER PURI^OSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Climate change is indeed upon us. As years pass, our country continue to 
experience first-hand the escalating negative effects of climate change. Considering 
the Philippines’ geographic position, our country is highly vulnerable and the third 
most disaster prone country' in the world due to our proximity to the “Pacific Ring of 
Fire”. 1 These natural disasters, such as t>'phoons, earthquakes, floods, volcanic 
eruptions, landslides and fires exposes the country and our people to a vv'ide range of 
risks, billion-worth destruction and losing the lives of our citizens.
In view of these realities, a proactive approach to disaster-response, which 
includes putting in place state-of the art technologies, developing an up-to-date 
disaster-response plan and increasing the required number of competent pool of 
volunteers with the necessary support, is imperative. These volunteers play an 
important role in increasing the government’s response capacity especially at the 
community level.
1 C e n t e r  f o r  E x c e lle n c e  in  D is a s te r M a n a g e m e n t &  H u m a n ita r ia n  A s s is ta n c e  (M a rc h  2 0 1 8 ) D is a s te r M a n a g e m e n t R e fe re n c e  H a n d b o o k . 
H a w a ii U S A . p g s  5 0 -5 1


As a country who has suffered increasing levels of calamity, it behooves our 
government to continue to rise to the occasion. One such measure is to activate our 
civil servants as reserve emergency responders in times of extraordinary disasters. 
Legislation must be made not only to allow our government employees to join the 
disaster response contingent but to encourage them to do so by protecting their tenure 
and granting paid leaves to those who are truly qualified.
We have always been resilient in recovering from natural disasters such as 
typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. But that does not mean that we were 
necessarily successful in our previous tussles with Mother Nature. We have a lot more 
to learn in terms of our response capabilities and we need more competent volunteers 
in our disaster response teams.
This bill grants public and private employees, who will be accredited disaster 
response volunteers, paid leave from work to participate in specialized disaster 
response services for the government-led and government-accredited institutions like 
the Philippine Red Cross.
Early approval of this measure is earnestly sought.
L EIIA  M. DE LIMA


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
O rnate
/®{ficf cf tbf feffrrtarp
20 M 21 «1
SENATE
s. No. 1284
RlCC'-DB^
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT'
GRANTING DISASTER RESPONSE VOLUNTEEILS LEA\ E W ITH PAY TO 
QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR 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 "Disaster Response
2 
Volunteer Leave Act of 2020".
3 
Sec. 2. Definition of Terms. -  For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall
4 
mean:
5 
a) "Department" or "agency" refers to any of the various units of the
6 
government including a department, bureau, office, instrumentality or government-
7 
owned or controlled corporations;
8 
b) “Disaster" refers to a serious disruption of the functioning of a community
9 
or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses
10 
and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society' to cope
11 
using its own resources. Disasters are often described as a result of the combination
12 
of: the exposure to a hazard; the conditions of vulnerability that are present; and
13 
insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative
14 
consequences. Disaster impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease and other


1 
negative effects on human, physical, mental and social well-being, together with
2 
damage to property, destruction of assets, loss of services, social and economic
3 
disruption and environmental degradation, as defined under R.A. No. 10121;
4 
c) “Covered Employees” refers to all persons employed in government, whether
5 
regular, casual, or contractual, who is a Certified Disaster Response Volunteer;
6 
d) "Certified Disaster Response Volunteer" refers to any person who has
7 
completed the necessary training for specific disaster response activities which may
8 
include search and rescue, damage assessment, medical services, emergency
9 
operations center (EOC) work by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Office of Civil
10 
Defense or Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA);
11 
e) “Disaster Response Government Agencies” refers to departments or agencies
12 
which are members of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
13 
(NDRRMC) under R.A. No. 10121.
14 
Sec. 3. Disaster Response Volunteer Leave. -
15 
(a) Covered employees, when called upon to render disaster response service
16 
by any of the Disaster Response Government Agencies (DRGA) or the PRC, shall be
17 
entitled to disaster response v'olunteer leave with pay, for up to an aggregate of fifteen
18 
(15) days, consecutively or non-consecutively, in any twelve-month period. This leave
19 
shall be subject to approval by the government department or agency in which the
20 
covered employee is employed;
21 
(b) A covered employee granted leave pursuant to this Section shall be
22 
compensated by the emplo>ing agency at the employee's regular rate of pay for those
23 
regular work hours during which the employee is absent from work, but shall not
24 
receive overtime pay, night shift differential pay, hazardous duty pay or any other form
25 
of pay or compensation in addition to the employee's regular pay.
26 
A covered employee who is granted leave pursuant to Subsection (a) of this
27 
Section shall not lose any seniority or any already accumulated vacation time, sick time
28 
or earned overtime due to such leave.


1 
Sec. 4. Insurance. -  The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
2 
Council (NDRRMC) shall enter into an agreement with the Government Service
3 
Insurance System (GSIS) to provide for insurance coverage for all covered employees
4 
rendering disaster response services.
5 
Sec. 5. Promotion of Volunteer ism. -  The Civil Service Commission (CSC) and
6 
the NDRRMC shall promote volunteerism in all government offices and ensure that
7 
all government employees shall have access to training and certification to be CDRVs;
8 
Sec. 6. Adjustment of Organization in Cases of Disaster. -  The CSC shall
9 
establish guidelines for government offices to follow in situations when covered
10 
employees are called upon to render disaster response to ensure that critical
11 
government services are not impaired;
12 
Sec. 7. Disciplinary Action. -  Covered employees who availed of disaster
13 
response volunteer leave without actually rendering services shall be subject to
14 
disciplinary action under existing CSC Rules;
15 
Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -  The Civil Service Commission
16 
(CSC), after consultation and coordination with the government agencies and/or
17 
instrumentalities affected by this Act, including, but not limited to, the NDRRMC, the
18 
PRC, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social
19 
Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Department of Interior and Local
20 
Government (DILG), shall promulgate and issue the appropriate rules and regulations
21 
for the proper implementation of this Act
22 
Sec. 9. Separability Clause. -  Should any provision of this Act be found
23 
unconstitutional by a court of law, such provision shall be severed from the remainder
24 
of this Act, and such action shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining
25 
provisions of this Act.
26 
Sec. 10. 
Repealing Clause. -  All laws, decrees, letters of instruction,
27 
resolutions, orders or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this
28 
Act are hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.


1 
Sec. 11. Effectivity Clause. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
2 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,