FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
10 
.lUI. 19 All:01 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Our country has suffered numerous disasters throughout our history. Though our 
government has increased its efforts to attend to our countrymen who are affected by these 
emergencies and major disasters, it is still necessary to secure the assistance of the volunteer 
sector. 
In order to encourage individual to volunteer for these emergencies and major disasters, 
we should allow them relief from being dismissed due to their absences while serving as 
volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service personnel. This would allow them to 
maintain their regular job while standing by to serve when needed. 
This bill seeks to prohibit terminating, demoting or otherwise discriminating against 
volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service personnel. 1 
I This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular, Session 
) 
SENATE 
S,No, 1539 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
1 
AN ACT 
10 JJl 19 All:{l1 
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TO PROHIBIT TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT OF VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS 
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AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled: 
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SECTION L Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Volunteer Firefighter and 
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EMS Personnel Job Protection Act" 
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SECTION 2, Definitions, - In this Act, the term--
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A. VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES- means emergency medical 
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services performed on a voluntary basis [or a fire department or other emergency 
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organization. 
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B. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER- means an individual who IS a member in good 
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standing of a qualified volunteer fire department 
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SECTION 3, Termination Prohibited. - No employee may be terminated, demoted, or in 
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any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment because such 
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employee 'is absent from or late to the employee's employment for the purpose of serving as a 
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volunteer firefighter or providing volunteer emergency medical services as part of a response to 
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an emergency or maj or disaster. 
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SECTION 4, Deployment, - The prohibition in Section 3 shall apply to an employee 
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serving as a volunteer firefighter or providing volunteer emergency medical services if such 
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employee-
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A. is specificany deployed to respond to the emergency or major disaster in accordance 
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with a coordinated national deployment system or a pre-existing mutual aid 
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agreement; or 
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B. is a volunteer firefighter who-
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I. is a member of a qualified volunteer fire department that is located in the State 
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in which the emergency or major disaster occurred; 
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2. is a member of a qualified fire department that has a mutual aid agreement 
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with a community affected by such emergency or major disaster; and 
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3. has been deployed by the emergency management agency of such State to 
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respond to such emergency or major disaster. 
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SECTION 5. Limitations. - The prohibition in Section 3 shall not apply to an employee 
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who-
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A. is absent from the employee's employment for the purpose described in Section 3 for 
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more than 14 working days per calendar year, unless the area suffering such 
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emergency or major disaster is declared as under the State of Calamity as provided by 
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law; 
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B. responds on the emergency or major disaster without being officially deployed as 
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described in Section 4; or 
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C. fails to provide the written verification described in Section 6 within a reasonable 
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period of time. 
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SECTION 6. Verification. - An employer may require an employee to provide a written 
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verification from the official of the goverrunent agency supervising the response to the 
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emergency or major disaster that states-
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A. the employee responded to the emergency or major disaster in an official capacity; 
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and 
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B. the schedule and dates of the employee's participation in such response. 
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SECTION 7. Reasonable Notice Required. - An employee who may be absent from or 
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late to the employee's employment for the purpose described in Section 3 shall~ 
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A. make a reasonable effort to notify the employee's employer of such absence; and 
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B. continue to provide reasonable notifications over the course of such absence. 
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SECTION 8. Right of Action. - An individual who has been terminated, demoted, or in 
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any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment in violation 
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of the prohibition described in Section 3 has the right to action for illegal termination, as defined 
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by law, against individual's employer. 
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SECTION 9. Study. - The Secretary of Labor shall conduct a study on the impact that 
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this Act could have on the employers. of volunteer firefighters or individuals who provide 
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volunteer emergency medical services and who may be called on to respond to an emergency or 
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major disaster. 
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SECTION 10. Report. - Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this 
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Act, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on 
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the study conducted under Section 9 
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SECTtON 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule ·or regulation contrary. to or is inconsistent 
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with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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pUblication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
iapm091208 
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