TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. 1064 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES LANI MERCADO-REVILLA, 
BRYAN B. REVILLA AND RAMON JOLO B. REVILLA III 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN THE 
PHILIPPINES GUARANTEED UNDER SECTION 5, ARTICLE Ill OF THE 
CONSTITUTION 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights provide: “Everyone has 
the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to 
change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in 
public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and 
observance.” 
The 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article III, Bill of Rights, Section 7, provides that 
"No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free 
exercise thereof, and the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, 
without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed."  
The Philippine Civil Code, Article 32, further provides that any public officer or 
employee, or any private individual, who directly or indirectly obstructs, defeats, violates, 
or in any manner impedes or impairs the exercise of freedom of religion of another person 
shall be liable to the latter for damages. 
On June 28, 2025, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Mahmoud v. Taylor that 
public schools must allow religious opt-outs for students from certain lessons and books 
whose contents or theme are contrary to their religious beliefs, or if parents object thereto. 
This opt-out (or opt-in) is expressly provided in our Constitution, in Article XIV 
Section 3(3) which states: “(3) At the option expressed in writing by the parents or 
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guardians, religion shall be allowed to be taught to their children or wards in public 
elementary and high schools within the regular class hours by instructors designated or 
approved by the religious authorities of the religion to which the children or wards belong, 
without additional cost to the Government.” 
The Department of Education issued D.O. No 13, s. 1998 the Revised Rules and 
Regulation on the Teaching of Religion in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, and 
D.O. No. 26, s.2002, and D.O. No. 49, s.2009 as reiterative measures referring to the
optional implementation of religious instruction in public schools.
There is however a need to enact an enabling measure that would enhance, protect 
and enforce the above-cited rights of our people to the free exercise of their religion, 
including students in public schools, as provided in our Constitution.  
Immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. LANI MERCADO - REVILLA, MSLG, DM (hc)
Representative
2nd District of Cavite 
REP. BRYAN B. REVILLA
REP. RAMON JOLO REVILLA III
Representative
Representative
AGIMAT Partylist
1st District of Cavite
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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
HOUSE BILL No. 1064 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES LANI MERCADO-REVILLA, 
BRYAN B. REVILLA AND RAMON JOLO B. REVILLA III 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN THE 
PHILIPPINES GUARANTEED UNDER SECTION 5, ARTICLE Ill OF THE 
CONSTITUTION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Magna Carta on Religious 
Freedom Act." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to protect 
and uphold the fundamental and inalienable right of every person to freely choose and 
exercise one's religion and beliefs and to act and live according to one's conscience as 
guaranteed under Section 5, Article Ill of the Constitution and other international human 
rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International 
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on the Elimination on All Forms 
of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion and Belief, to which the State is a 
party or that it adheres thereto. 
The right of every Filipino to profess, practice and propagate religious beliefs must 
always be recognized, respected, allowed and protected. 
Towards this end, the State must ensure that no act of the government or any of its 
agencies, instrumentalities, officers or employees shall burden, curtail, impinge or 
encroach on the person's right to exercise one's religious belief, freedom and liberty of 
conscience. In addition, the government must also prohibit any act by a person, natural or 
juridical, or any group of persons that burdens, curtails, impinges or encroaches on the 
said right. 
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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act: 
a.
Atheism refers to the denial of the existence of a personal God or deity, and shall be 
treated as form of religion for the purpose of entitlement to the protection of freedom of 
religion and conscience; 
b.
Child refers to any person below eighteen (18) years of age or older but who is 
incapable of taking care of oneself, as defined under the Special Protection of Children 
against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act (Republic Act No. 7610, as 
amended); 
c.
Conscience refers to a person's sense or conviction of right or wrong whether or not 
such sense or conviction comes from a well-defined religious belief; 
d.
Discrimination refers to any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference on the 
basis of a person's religion or conscience and which has the purpose or effect of 
burdening, curtailing, impinging or encroaching on the person's right to freedom of 
exercise of religion and liberality of conscience; 
e.
Expression of religious belief or conscience refers to the outward or overt 
manifestation of one's religious belief or conscience, whether by speech, or action, 
sense or conviction of right or wrong, whether or not such sense or conviction comes 
from a well-defined religious belief; 
f.
Guardian refers to a legal guardian or any person, other than the biological parents, 
who takes the responsibility of taking care of the personal and property rights of a child; 
g.
Religion refers to a particular system of belief, faith, or "paniniwala" concerning God or 
Higher Authority, whether personal or otherwise, or a transcendent or divine deity or 
deities, whether in the singular or plural, as well as the recognition, worship, obedience, 
or submission to said God or Higher Authority, either by a fixed dogma, creed, set of 
doctrines or belief, or code of conduct or lifestyle, or by an individual's sense of 
appropriate or proper behavior, code, or lifestyle in relation to that God or Higher 
Authority; 
h.
Religious Belief refers to a particular belief or set of beliefs held by a particular 
religion, or by an individual person; 
i.
Religious Freedom refers to the freedom to change, adopt, or retain one's religion or 
belief; or from coercion that would impair one's freedom to have or adopt a religion or 
belief of one's choice, and to manifest one's religion or belief in worship, observance, 
practice and teaching, in public or private, either individually or in community with 
others; 
j.
Religious group refers to a church, religious entity, religious organization or group of 
persons who have formed together into a congregation for the worship of a Higher 
Authority according to the group's established doctrines and ceremonies whether or not
the same is registered with the government. For purposes of this Act, the group does 
not need to be registered to be entitled to recognition as a religious group. 
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SECTION 4. Freedom of Religion and Conscience Protected. - The right of every 
person to freedom of religion and liberty of conscience, as well as the free exercise or 
expression thereof, as defined and enumerated in this Act, shall be protected by the 
State. It shall not be denied, burdened, regulated, or curtailed even if it is a result of the 
rule of general applicability of existing laws, except in the cases provided in Section 6 
hereof. 
SECTION 5. Scope. - This Act shall not apply to the act of the Government in enacting 
laws in the exercise of its police power. If any such law is declared unconstitutional, the 
law shall be invalidated but the Government through its responsible officers, shall not be 
subjected to any prosecution under this Act. 
SECTION 6. Exception Clause. - The right of every person to freedom of religion, or the 
free exercise thereof and liberality of conscience can be denied, regulated, burdened, or 
curtailed only if it can be demonstrated that 
a.
the free exercise of religious freedom or conscience of a religious group or individual 
results to violence or inflicts or poses to inflict direct or indirect physical or material 
harm or danger on other people, or infringe on their own freedom of religion or 
conscience; and 
b.
it is necessary to protect public safety, public order, health, property and good morals. 
Further, the State shall ensure that in burdening, regulating, or curtailing religious 
freedom or freedom of conscience in the circumstances above-mentioned, the State shall 
adopt the least restrictive means. It shall also ensure that the measures taken do not 
become a basis, reason, or excuse for the defamation, discrimination, or infliction of 
physical harm, hostility, violence, war, or dissemination of propaganda or advocacy 
against any such person or group of persons whose expression of religious freedom or 
conscience is subject of burden, regulation, or curtailment under conditions stated in this 
Act. 
SECTION 7. Right to Choose a Religion or Religious Group. - The State shall protect 
and promote the right of a person to freely choose one's religion, belief or religious group. 
SECTION 8. Right to Exercise or Express Religious Belief, Practices, Acts or 
Activities. - The State shall protect and promote the right of a person to freely profess, 
exercise, manifest, or express religious belief, practices, acts or activities, either 
individually or in community with others and in public or private, without fear of 
discrimination subject to exceptions provided under this Act. 
SECTION 9. Right to Act in Accordance with Conscience. - The State shall similarly 
protect and promote the right of a person to act, without any form of coercion, in 
accordance with one's conscience: Provided, That the act does not inflict physical or 
material harm to any person, does not infringe on the religious freedom of others or is not 
contrary to morals, health, property, public order and safety. 
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SECTION 10. Right to Propagate Religious Beliefs. - The State shall protect and 
promote the right of a person to propagate one's religious belief without any form of 
coercion subject to the exceptions provided under this Act. 
SECTION 11. Right to Disseminate Religious Publications. - The State shall protect 
and promote the right of a person to disseminate religious information or publication, in 
whatever form, kind or nature and through any platform such as broadcast, print, social 
media or other online platforms, subject to the exceptions provided under this Act. 
SECTION 12. Right to Religious Worship and Ceremonies. - The State shall protect 
and promote the right to religious worship and ceremonies, including that of indigenous 
cultural communities and indigenous peoples, free from interruption, disturbance, 
violence, and threats thereto, subject to the exceptions provided under this Act. 
SECTION 13. Right to Organizational Independence. - The State shall protect and 
promote the right of a religious group to manage its own affairs independent from political 
influence or control, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations, and the exceptions 
provided under this Act. 
SECTION 14. Right against Discrimination in Employment. - The State shall protect 
and promote the right of a person to equal opportunity and treatment, and non-
discrimination in employment, by virtue of one's religious affiliation or belief. 
SECTION 15. Right to Freedom against Discrimination in Educational Institutions. 
- The State shall protect and promote the right of a person to be free from discrimination 
on the basis of one's religion, religious belief, religious group or moral sense or conviction 
in any educational institution: Provided, That educational institutions that are founded on 
religious beliefs or tenets shall be entitled to standards or codes of behavior pursuant to 
their religious beliefs and disciplines. 
SECTION 16. Right of Companies or Businesses to be Founded on Religious Belief. 
- It shall be the right of business people and founders or operators of business outfits to 
establish the companies, offices, or operations, according to certain tenets of religious 
beliefs: Provided, That the same are contained in writing and form part of the company's 
vision and mission statements, in which case, such company or outfit shall be accorded 
the guarantees provided for under this Act. 
SECTION 17. Right of Parents or Legal Guardians to Rear Children. - The State shall 
protect and promote the right of parents or guardians to be at liberty in rearing their 
children according to their religion, belief, or conscience: Provided, That a child  who 
comes to the age of majority shall be respected in his or her choice of religious belief: 
Provided, further, That in such a case, parental authority under the Civil Code, the Family 
Code, or The Child And Youth Welfare Code as may be applicable, shall not be deemed 
diminished in any way. 
SECTION 18. Right to Tax Exemption. - The State shall protect the right of churches or 
religious organizations formed and operating exclusively for religious purposes to be 
exempted from the payment of taxes on all its real properties that are actually, directly, 
and exclusively used for religious purposes, pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution, 
and as provided by law. 
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SECTION 19. Prohibited Acts. - It shall be unlawful for any person, natural or juridical, 
to: 
a.
Compel a person, by means of force, threat, intimidation or undue influence, to 
choose or not to choose a particular religious group, or to subscribe to a particular 
religious belief: Provided, That the practice of certain religious groups or faiths of 
requiring either or both couples to be a member thereof before marriage may be 
officiated shall not be prohibited; 
b.
Threaten a person with harm or exert undue influence or pressure in order to prevent 
such person from changing one's religion or belief or from transferring from one 
religious group to another; 
c.
Compel a person, by means of force, threat, intimidation or undue influence, to 
commit an act which is in violation of one's religious belief or conscience; 
d.
Defame, harass, humiliate or offend a person by reason of one's religious belief or the 
practice of such belief; 
e.
Obstruct, hinder or prevent the flow of and access to religious information; 
f.
Hinder or prevent a person from exercising any act that is an expression of one's 
religious belief; 
g.
Perform or threaten to perform any act that constitutes or promotes stigma, hate or 
persecution of a particular religious belief, religious practice, or religious community; 
h.
Perform or threaten to perform any act that effectively impedes, obstructs, prohibits, 
prevents or inflicts any harm or threatens to cause harm, or in any manner, prevents 
any person from freely and lawfully expressing and exercising one's religious beliefs; 
i.
Compel a person, by means of force, threat, intimidation or undue influence to lawfully 
express and exercise religious beliefs against one's will; 
j.
Obstruct, hinder, cause undue delay or unjustifiably refuse the production, or the valid 
and free distribution of religious publications: Provided, That such publications do not 
contradict the religious beliefs of the publishing company, and such publication does 
not violate any existing law; 
k.
Exert undue influence over the decisions made by any leader or leaders of a religious 
community through monetary, political, social and personal gains as well as parochial 
interest; 
I.
Deny employment to qualified applicants solely on the basis of religion; 
m. Severe or terminate employment of a person solely on the basis of one's adherence 
to religious belief; 
n.
Deny maliciously and deliberately a religious institution or a person employed by a 
religious entity the tax exemptions they are entitled to; and commit any other act that 
curtails or violates the rights of a person to religious freedom as provided for under this 
Act. 
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SECTION 20. Penalties. - Any person, natural or juridical, who violates Section 19 of this 
Act shall suffer the following penalties: 
a.
For the first violation: 
1)
For a private individual - a fine of not less than One hundred thousand pesos 
(P100,000.00) but not exceeding Five hundred thousand pesos (PS00,000.00), or 
imprisonment of not less than six (6) years and one (1) day but not more than eight (8) 
years, or both, at the discretion of the court; 
2)
For a juridical person - a fine of not less than One hundred thousand pesos 
(P100,000.00) but not exceeding Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), or 
imprisonment of not less than six (6) years and one (1) day but not more than eight (8) 
years, or both, at the discretion of the court, on the official or employee directly liable 
and responsible for the prohibited act. 
Provided, That for the juridical entity, a fine of Fifty thousand pesos (PS0,000.00) to 
Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) shall be imposed on officers directly running 
the operations of the juridical entity. 
b. For any subsequent violation: 
1)
For a private individual - a fine of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos 
(PS00,000.00) but not exceeding Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00), or imprisonment 
of not less than eight (8) years but not more than ten (10) years, or both, at the 
discretion of the court; 
2)
For a juridical person - a fine of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos 
(P500,000.00) but not exceeding Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00), or imprisonment 
of not less than eight (8) years but not more than ten (10) years, or both, at the 
discretion of the court, on the official or employee directly liable and responsible for the 
prohibited act. 
Provided, That for the juridical entity, a fine of Two hundred thousand pesos 
(200,000.00} to Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) shall be imposed on officers 
directly running the operations of the juridical entity: Provided, further, That if the violation 
is committed by a corporation or other juridical entity, the penalty provided in this Act shall 
be imposed upon the directors, officers, employees or other officials or persons therein 
responsible for the offense without prejudice to civil liabilities arising from the criminal 
offense. 
If the offender is a government employee or official, the accessory penalty of 
perpetual disqualification from public office or employment shall also be imposed. 
If a violation of any of the acts prohibited herein is also an act prohibited under the 
Revised Penal Code, the imposition of the higher penalty shall apply. 
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SECTION 21. Establishment of Religious Freedom Hotline. - The Secretary of the 
Department of Justice (DOJ) shall establish, maintain and publicize a toll-free number to 
provide timely and accurate information and respond to queries regarding the rights 
protected under this Act. 
SECTION 22. Prohibition Against the Establishment of A Religion by the State. - 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect or diminish, in any way, the meaning and 
intent of Section 5, Article 3 of the Constitution, which prohibits the State from establishing 
any religion. 
SECTION 23. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90} days from after 
the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of 
Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on 
Higher Education (CHED), Legal Education Board (LEB), Chairperson of the Commission 
on Human Rights (CHR), Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), 
Philippine Commission on Women (PCW}, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples 
(NCIP}, and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF} shall, in coordination 
with other concerned government agencies and in consultation with the stakeholders, 
jointly  formulate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act. The 
Chairperson of the CHR and the Secretary of the DOJ shall act as the co-Chairpersons of 
the body that shall formulate the IRR. 
SECTION 24. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is declared 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall 
remain in full force and effect.SECTION 25. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, 
executive orders, memorandum orders, memorandum circulars, administrative orders, 
ordinances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the right to freedom of religion 
and liberty of conscience and the provisions of this Act, are hereby deemed repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
SECTION 26. 
Effectivity. - 
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved, 
9