Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF RERRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

16" Congress
Second Regular Session

5369

House Bill No.

Introduced by HON. MA, VICTORIA R. SY-ALVARADO.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to declare January 23 of every year as a special non-working holiday in
the whole province of Bulacan as it marks the commeration of the anniversary of the
inaguration of the First Philippine Republic which took place at the historic Barasoain
Church in Malolos, Bulacan on January 23, 1899.

Our beliefs and aspirations as a nation united in the pursuit for life, liberty, and
enjoyment of the benefits of our democracy is encapsulated by our rich and noble history. It
is but fitting and proper that the people of the province of Bulacan be given full opportunity
to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.

Approval therefore is earnestly sought.

MA. VICTORIA R. SY-ALVARADO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

16" Congress
Second Regular Session

5369

H.B. NO.

Introduced by HONORABLE MA. VICTORIA R. SY-ALVARADO-

AN ACT
DECLARING JANUARY 23 OF EACH YEAR AS A SPECIAL NON-WORKING
HOLIDAY FOR THE WHOLE PROVINCE OF BULACAN,

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

SECTION I. January 23 of every year is hereby declared as a special non-working
holiday in the whole province of Bulacan.

SEC. 2. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its publication in any
newspaper of general circulation.



i? RECEIVED
27 sen 2015 ©)

Republic of the Philippines 3
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |)" ait

Quezon City te: Sop
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 9379

Introduced by REP. JOSEPH GILBERT F. VIOLAGO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Rinconada Broadcasting Corporation was incorporated and registered at the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 1987 with the primary purpose of
establishing a radio broadcasting network throughout the Philippines, to the extent that
it may be authorized by law.

On September 28, 1991, Rinconada Broadcasting Corporation was granted a
legislative franchise by Republic Act. No, 7158 to construct, install, operate and
maintain for commercial purposes radio broadcasting stations and television stations in
the Philippines. However, the twenty-five year legislative franchise of this broadcasting
company is expiring in 2016, hence there is an urgent need to seek a legislative
authorization for its continued operations.

This bill therefore seeks to renew the legislative franchise to enable to continue
its commitment to public service and to its unfailing practice of disseminating timely,
truthful and precise information to the Filipino people.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

A pea

REP. JOPSEPH GILBERT F. VIOLAGO
2" District, Nueva Ecija


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
5370

HOUSE BILL NO, *"

Introduced by REP. JOSEPH GILBERT F, VIOLAGO

AN ACT
RENEWING THE FRANCHISE GRANTED TO RINCORADA BROADCASTING
CORPORATION UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7158 ENTITLED “AN ACT
GRANTING THE RINCORADA BROADCASTING CORPORATION A.
FRANCHISE TO CONSTRUCT, INSTALL, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN FOR
COMMERCIAL PURPOSES RADIO BROADCASTING STATIONS AND
TELEVISION STATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

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

SECTION 1. Nature and Scope of Franchise. - Subject to the provisions of the 1987
Philippine Constitution and applicable laws, rules and regulations, the franchise
granted to Rincorada Broadcasting Corporation, hereunder referred to as the grantee,

its suce

sors or assigns, to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain for
commercial purposes and in the public interest, radio and/or television broadcasting
stations in the Philippines, where frequencies and/or channels are still available for
radio and/or television broadcasting, including digital television system, through
microwave, satellite or whatever means, or the use of any new technologies in
television and radio systems, with the corresponding technological auxiliaries and
facilities, special broadcast and other program and distribution services and relay
stations in the Philippines is hereby renewed for another twenty-five (25) years from the

effectivity of this Act.


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SEC. 2. Manner of Operation of Stations or Facilities. - The stations or facilities of
the grantee shall be constructed and operated in a manner as will, at most, result only in
the minimum interference on the wavelengths or frequencies of existing stations or
other stations which may be established by law, without in any way diminishing its
own right to use its selected wavelengths or frequencies and the quality of transmission
or reception thereon as should maximize rendition of the grantee’s services and/or

availability thereof.

SEC. 3. Prior Approval of the National Telecommunications Commission. - The
grantee shall secure from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the
tions and facilities and shall

appropriate permits and licenses for the operation of its
not use any frequency in the radio/television spectrum without authorization from the
NTC, The NTC, however, shall not unreasonably withhold or delay the grant of any

such authority.

SEC. 4. Responsibility to the Public. - The grantee shall provide adequate public
service time to enable the government, through the said broadcasting stations or

s sound

facilities, to reach the population on important public issues; provide at all tim
and balanced programming; assist in the functions of public information and education;
conform to the ethics of honest enterprise; and not use its stations and facilities for the
broadcasting of obscene and indecent language, speech, act or scene; or for the
dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, to the
detriment of the public interest; or to incite, encourage or assist in subversive or

treasonable acts.

SEC. 5. Right of Government. - A special right is hereby reserved to the President
of the Philippines, in times of war, rebellion, public peril, calamity, emergency, disaster
or disturbance of peace and order, to temporarily take over and operate the stations or

facilities of the grantee, to temporarily suspend the operation of any station or facility in

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the interest of public safety, security and public welfare, or to authorize the temporary
use and operation thereof by any agency of the government, upon due compensation to
the grantee, for the use of said stations or facilities during the period when they shall be

so operated.
The radio spectrum is a finite resource that is part of the national patrimony and
the use thereof is a privilege conferred upon the grantee by the State and may be

withdrawn anytime after due process.

SEC. 6. Term of Franchise. - This franchise shall be in effect for a period of twenty-

five (25) years, unless sooner revoked or cancelled. This franchise shall be deemed ipso

facto revoked in the event the grantee fails to operate continuously for two (2) years.

SEC. 7. Acceptance and Compliance. - Acceptance of this franchise shall be given in
writing to the Congress of the Philippines, through the Committee on Legislative
Franchises of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Public Services of the
Senate within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act. Upon giving such
acceptance, the grantee shall exercise the privileges granted under this Act. Non-

acceptance shall render the franchise void.

SEC. 8. SelfRegulation by and Undertaking of Grantee. - ‘The grantee shall not
require any previous censorship of any speech, play, act or scene, or other matter to be
broadcast from its stations: Provided, That the grantee, during any broadcast, shall cut
off from the air the speech, play, act or scene, or other matter being broadcast if the
tendency thereof is to propose and/or incite treason, rebellion or sedition; or the
language used therein or the theme thereof is indecent or immoral: Provided, further, that
and willful failure to do so shall constitute a valid cause for the cancellation of this

franchise.


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SEC. 9. Warranty in Favor of National and Local Governments. - The grantee shall
hold the national, provincial, city and municipal governments of the Philippines free
from all claims, accounts, demands or actions arising out of accidents or injuries,
whether to property or to persons, caused by the construction or operation of the

stations of the grantee.

SEC. 10. Sale, Lense, Transfer, Usufruct, or Assignment. - The grantee shall not lease,
transfer, grant the usufruct of, sell nor assign this franchise or the rights and privilege
acquired thereunder to any person, firm, company, corporation or other commercial or
legal entity, nor merge with any other corporation or entity, nor shall the controlling
interest of the grantee be transferred, whether as a whole or in parts, and whether
simultaneously or contemporaneously, to any such person, firm, company, corporation
or entity without the prior approval of the Congress of the Philippines: Provided, That
Congress shall be informed of any lease, transfer, granting the usufruct of, sale or
assignment of franchise or the rights or privileges acquired within sixty (60) days after
the completion of said transaction: Provided, further, That failure to report to Congress
such change of ownership shall render the franchise ipso facto revoked: Provided, finally,
That any person or entity to which this franchise is sold, transferred or assigned, shall

be subject to the same conditions, terms, restrictions and limitations of this Act.

SEC. 11. Dispersal of Ownership. - In accordance with the constitutional provision
to encourage public participation in public utilities, the grantee shall offer to Filipino
citizens at least thirty per centum (30%) or a higher percentage that may hereafter be
provided by law of its outstanding capital stock in any securities exchange in the
Philippines within five (5) years from the commencement of its operations: Provided,
That in cases where public offer of shares is not applicable, establishment of
cooperatives and other methods of encouraging public participation by citizens and
corporations operating public utilities must be implemented. Noncompliance therewith

shall render the franchise ipso facto revoked.

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SEC, 12. General Broadcast Policy Law. - The grantee shall comply with and be
subject to the provisions of a general broadcast policy law, which Congress may

hereafter enact.

SEC. 13. Reportorial Requirement. ~ The grantee shall submit an annual report to
the Congress of the Philippines, through the Committee on Legislative Franchises of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Public Services of the Senate, on its
compliance with the terms and conditions of the franchise and on its operations on or

before April 30 of the succeeding year.

SEC. 14, Penalty Clause - Any grantee who fails to submit the Annual Report to
Congress will be fined Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00) per working day of non-
compliance, Said fine will be collected by the NTC from said delinquent franchise
grantee separate from the reportorial penalties imposed by the NTC. The collected
funds shall accrue to the monitoring fund of the NTC in line with its supervisory and
regulatory functions. The reportorial compliance certificate issued by Congress shall be

required before any application for permit or certificate is accepted by the NTC.

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immunity granted under existing franchise, or which may hereafter be granted for radio

15. Equality Clause. - Any advantage, favor, privilege, exemption, or

and/or television broadcasting, upon prior review and approval of Congress, shall
become part of this franchise and shall be accorded immediately and unconditionally to
the herein grantee: Provided, however, That the foregoing shall neither apply to nor affect
provisions of broadcasting franchises concerning territory covered by the franchise, the

life span of the franchise or the type of service authorized by the franchise: Provided,

further, That the foregoing shall not apply to sale, lease, transfer or grant of usufruct of

legislative franchise with prior congressional approval.


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SEC. 16. Separability Clause. - If any of the sections or provisions of this Act is

held invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid.

SEC. 17. Repeatability and Non-exclusivity Clause. ~ This franchise shall be subject
to amendment, alteration, or repeal by the Congress of the Philippines when the public
interest so requires and shall not be interpreted as an exclusive grant of the privileges

herein provided for.

SEC, 18, Publication. This Act shall be published, through the initiative of the
Grantee, fifteen (15) days after this Act is signed by the President of the Philippines or

has lapsed into law.

19. Effe

date of its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the

‘ctivity Clause. ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the

Philippines.

Approved,