Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
@usgon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 11392

EXPLANATORY NOTE

It is of common knowledge that very few provinces, if any, have
adequate public law libraries sufficiently supplied with law books, law
journals and periodicals for the use of law students, lawyers, judges,
court personnel and other users.

With the high cost of law books, journals and periodicals, lawyers,
law students, administrative bodies, courts and provincial prosecution
offices can hardly be expected to be furnished with an adequate
complement of law books, digests, journals and periodicals which are
regularly updated. Law students in the provinces and new law graduates
who recently passed the bar examinations need supplementary research
materials to assist in their study and practice of law.

This bill makes it mandatory for every province to provide in a
gradual manner according to their respective classification the
establishment of public law libraries for the use of the law students,
lawyers, judges, court personnel and law enforcement arms. Provinces
need more of public library facilities than cities where practitioners therein
are better equipped than in provinces.

This measure will not only make accessible to law students and
practitioners, as well as judges and court personnel, research materials
and jurisprudence which will considerably facilitate the study and practice
of law and assist in the decision of judicial, quasi-judicial and
administrative regulatory bodies, but it will also enhance the quality of the
practice of the legal profession and dispensation of justice, specially in
areas outside of Metro Manila.

The cooperative effort among the local IBP Chapters, the U.P. Law
Center and provincial authorities in the formulation of the structure
required in the construction and installation of the public library, its stock


of reference materials and the installation of computer-oriented facilities
are imperative.

The inherent merits of this bill argue for its early passage.

MA

LUIS R. VILLARUERTE


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
@urzon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1192

AN ACT PRESCRIBING THAT PROVINCES APPROPRIATE AND SET
ASIDE ANNUALLY, ACCORDING TO THEIR RESPECTIVE
CLASSIFICATIONS, A SPECIFIC SUM FOR THE ACQUISITION
OF LAW BOOKS, LAW JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS, IN
PRINT OR ENCODED IN DIGITAL OR OTHER ELECTRONIC
FORMATS, THAT SHALL FORM PART OF PROVINCIAL PUBLIC
LAW LIBRARIES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE JURISDICTIONS FOR
THE USE OF LAW STUDENTS, LAWYERS, JUDGES AND COURT
PERSONNEL

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

Section 1. There is hereby prescribed to be established in each
and every province, preferably in its capital towns, a public law library,
which could either be a section of a general public library or an altogether
separate law library, to be determined by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan,
with the approval of their respective Governors.

Sec. 2. For the purpose of implementing the requirements of the
immediately preceding section, all provinces are hereby authorized and
directed to include in their respective annual budgets an appropriation for

the acquisition of law books, law journals and periodicals, in print or


encoded in digital or other electronic formats, that shall form part of the
provincial public law libraries envisioned to be established by this Act.

To insure compliance with the intents and objectives of this Act, the
annual appropriations to be made, earmarked and disbursed, shall be

according to the following schedule of financial commitments:

20

2i

22

23

a.

For First Class Provinces, not less than two hundred fifty
thousand pesos (P250,000.00) annually for three (3) years
from and after the effectivity of this Act and thereafter not

less than fifty thousand pesos (50,000.00) annually.

. For Second Class Provinces, not less than one hundred and

fifty thousand pesos (P150,000.00) annually for three (3)
years from and after the effectivity of this Act and thereafter

not less than thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) annually.

. For Third Class Provinces, not less than seventy five thousand

pesos (P75,000.00) annually for three (3) years from and
after the effectivity of this Act and thereafter not less than

fifteen thousand pesos (P15,000.00) annually.

- For Fourth Class Provinces, not less than fifty thousand pesos

(P50,000.00) annually for three (3) years from and after the
effectivity of this Act and thereafter not less than ten

thousand (P10,000.00) annually.

. For Fifth Class Provinces, not less than twenty five thousand

pesos (P25,000.00) annually for three (3) years from and


after the effectivity of this Act and thereafter not less than
one thousand pesos (#5,000.00) annually.

Sec. 3. As the research materials required by judicial, quasi-
judicial, administrative bodies and law schools in each and every province
may vary, the provincial governments concerned shall consult with the
appropriate chapters of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines as to which
books, journals, periodicals or other publications, in print or encoded in
digital or other electronic formats, that they recommend to be more
relevant, timely or necessary, if the legal profession is to be adequately
supported in their requirements for research, case studies, preparation of
legal briefs and court pleadings and in the formulation of position papers
on policy-determining matters.

Sec. 4. As a measure of their own reciprocal commitment to the

objectives of this Act, the appr

jate chapters of the Integrated Bar of

the Philippines shall, in their respective ar of con

, be urged and
encouraged to adopt such programs or systems in holding fund

campaigns, as are calculated or designed to augment the books, journals,

peri sO

* publications, in print or encoded in digital or other

electronic formats, in said provincial public law

donations from private sources.

Sec. 5. The University of the Philippines | Cen!

authorized and



1 publications, the sources and costs of law books, law journals and
2 periodicals.

3 Sec. 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,