Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 7520

Introduced by HON. MANUEL F. ZUBIRI

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to require all government websites to be more accessible to Filipinos
nationwide, including persons with disabilities and those who do not understand English as
a medium of communication. Given the creation of the Department of Information and
Communication Technology (DICT) and the increasing computer literacy among Filipinos, it
is important we keep our avenues open and accessible to each and every Filipino. Public
office is a public trust, and increased access to our offices and officials is vital to retaining or
improving their trust in us.

If passed, the bill will mandate every government website to contain its organizational
structure, a list of the officials contained in the said structure, and the contact numbers to
their respective offices. It will mandate all government websites to be user-friendly to all
persons with disabilities. It will also mandate regional offices to maintain a version in their
regional language(s) to allow for greater understanding and comprehension.

The Philippines, as of January 2017, has around 60 million internet users, almost 60
percent of the Filipino population’. The latest census conducted in 2010 revealed 1,443,000
Filipinos are disabled*. With a growing number of the population relying on the internet for
information, the increased access to free internet with the advent of the Department of
Information and Communication Technology (DICT), and the obstacles with which our
disabled, elderly, and minority have with regard to access to our government offices, it is
vital we ensure our offices grant total and holistic access/to the Filipinos.

In lieu of this, the passage of this bill is earnestly soyght

' Subido, Lorenzo Kyle. “Growing 27% in 2016, PH Now Has 60 Million Internet Users”, January 24,
2017, http:// www entrepreneur.com.ph/news-and-events/ ph-now-has-60-million-internet-users-
‘growing-27-in-2016-a36-20170124, Accessed September 12, 2017

Philippine Statistics Authority, “Persons with Disability in the Philippines (Results from the 2010
Census), January 10, 2013, https://psa.gov.ph/content/ persons-disability-philippines-results-2010-
census, Accessed September 12, 2017



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES oo
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House BitLNo._'7520

Introduced by Representative MANUEL F. ZUBIRI

AN ACT MAKING ALL GOVERNMENT WEBSITES MORE ACCESSIBLE, ESPECIALLY
FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, THE MINORITIES, AND THE ELDERLY

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy — It is the State's policy, in line with the principle
that public office is a public trust, to recognize the vital role of communication and
information in nation-building. It is also the State's policy to encourage the use of
information and communications technology (ICT) for the enhancement of key public
services, such as education, health, and public safety, revenue generation, and socio-civic
services, and to empower, through the use of ICT the disadvantaged segments of the
population, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, and indigenous and minority
groups.

SECTION. 2. Definition of Terms — For the purposes of this act, the term

(A) “Access” shall mean the instruction, communication with, storing data in, retrieving
data from, or otherwise making use of any resources of a computer system or
‘communication network;

(8) ‘Communication’ means the transmission of information through ICT media,
including voice, video and other forms of data;

(C) “Chief Information Officer’ shall mean a senior officer in all national government
agencies (NGAs) including constitutional offices, state universities and colleges
(SUCs), government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), and government
financial institutions (GFls) responsible for the development and management of the
agency's ICT systems and applications;

(0) “Electronic government or E-Government” means the use of information and
communications technology (ICT) of the government and the public to enhance
access to and delivery of government services to bring about efficient, responsive,
ethical, accountable, and transparent government service;

(E) Flash’ means a pair of opposing changes in relative luminance that can cause
seizures in some people if it is large enough and in the right frequency range;

(F) “Information and Communications Technology” (ICT) means the totality of
electronic means to access, create, collect, store, process, receive, transmit,
present, and disseminate information;

(G) "Mechanism" means a process or technique for achieving a result;

(H) “Website” means any collection of material placed in a computer-based server file
archive so that it is publicly accessible, through the internet, using hypertext transfer
protocol (HTTP) or any successor protocol;

(1) "Web page” means a non-embedded resource obtained from a single universal
resource locator (URL) using HTTP plus any other resources that are used in the
rendering or intended to be rendered together with it by a user agent.

SECTION 3. Scope and Applicability. — The provisions of this act shall apply to
websites of all government offices, agencies, and bureaus.

SECTION 4. Minimum Information Requirements. — All government websites, in
addition to their existing content, must include the following
(1) An full and detailed organizational structure of the entire office, agency, or
bureau;
(2) The citizen's charter of such government office;


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(3) The official contact details and e-mail address of every public officer included in
the organizational structure;

(4) The exact address of the office, agency, or bureau, and the addresses of the
regional offices thereof, should there be any;

(6) A list of all services, projects, and programs being implemented by said office,
agency, or bureau;

(6) Textual instructions in availing of each service being offered by said office,
agency, or bureau, and a visual representation of such instructions; and

(7) A search functionality to allow the user to locate information more accurately.

SECTION 5. Annually Updated. — All information required by Section 2 hereof in the
website of any government office, agency, or bureau, shall be updated annually or as often
as changes in public service or convenience may require.

SECTION 6. Languages and Dialects for Website of Regional Offices. — Regional
offices or extensions of any office, agency, or bureau shall have the content of their
respective websites available in both the English and Filipino languages with corresponding
translations in all local dialects in the region.

SECTION 7. Text Alternatives. — The website shall provide text alternatives for any
non-text component so that it can be changed into other forms readable to persons with
disabilities. The website shall provide alternatives in large text, speech, Braille, symbols, or
simpler language.

SECTION 8. Captions and transcripts. — All audio, video, and audiovisual content in
the website shall have captions and transcripts therefor provided in the website.

SECTION 9. Keyboard Accessibility. — All functionality of the website's content is
operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual
keystrokes, except where the underlying function requires input that depends on the path of
the user's movement and not just the endpoints.

SECTION 10. Prohibition Against Content Causing Seizures. - The content of the
website shall not be designed in a way or manner that is commonly known to cause
seizures. Websites must not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any
one-second period.

SECTION 11. Navigability. - The website shall provide ways to help users navigate,
find content, and determine where they are. Websites shall have the following features:

(a) Web pages must have titles which describe their topic or purpose;

(b) The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from
mouse-over pop-ups or similar audio-visual devices;

(c) More than one way is available to locate a web page within a set of web pages
except where the web page is a result of, or a step in, a process;

(d) Headings and labels must describe their topic or purpose;

(e) Section headings must be used to organize content; and

() Must have a navigable Site Map at its homepage.

SECTION 12. Readability. — The website shall make the text content thereof

readable and understandable. Website shall have the following features:

(a) The user shall be given the choice of language, either Filipino, English, or the
dialects common for the regional offices concemed, with which he or she shall
access the web page;

(b) A mechanism is available for identifying specific definitions of words or phrases
used in an unusual or restricted way, including idioms or jargon;

(c) Text and content requiring reading ability more advanced than the lower
secondary education level after removal of proper names or titles, supplemental
content, or a version shall be avoided whenever possible

SECTION 12. Input Assistance. — The website shall help users avoid and correct
mistakes. Websites shall have the following features:
(a) If an input error is automatically detected, the item that is in error is identified
and the error is described to the user in text;
(b) Labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input;


(©) If an input error is automatically detected and suggestions for correction are
known, then suggestions are provided to the user, unless it would jeopardize the
security or purpose of the content;

(d) For websites that require the user to submit information, submissions shall be
reversible, checked, and confirmed by the website.

SECTION 13. Implementing Agency. - The Department of Information and
Communications Technology (DICT), in consultation with all government offices, agencies,
and bureaus concerned, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the
effective implementation of this Act.

SECTION 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, parts of laws, decrees, presidential
issuances, proclamations, orders, ordinances, and administrative regulations in conflict with
the provisions of this Act are hereby amended, modified or repealed accordingly.

SECTION 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation

Approved,