FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
S. No. sENfF4 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 11, Section 5, provides: 
The maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty and 
property, and the promotion of the general welfare are essential for the 
enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy. 
Air carriers, from the nature of their business and for reasons of public policy, are bound 
to observe extraordinary diligence in the safety of their passengers. They are also expected to 
provide them ease and comfort, making sure that air travel is worth their while. 
Hence, this bill seeks to promote competition and greater efficiency of airlines by 
ensuring that rights of airline passengers are fully protected.* 
* This bill was re-filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUf3LIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
%No. 4 8 1  
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO PROMOTE COMPETITION AND GREATER EFFICIENCY OF AIRLINES BY 
ENSURING THAT THE RIGHTS OF AIRLINE PASSENGERS 
AREFULLYPROTECTED 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Airline Deregulation and 
Disclosure Act.” 
SECTION 2. Airline Passenger Protection. - 
(A) Delay, Cancellation or Diversion. - 
(1) Explanation of Delay, Cancellation or Diversion Required. - An 
announcement by an air carrier of a delay or cancellation of a flight, or a diversion of a 
flight to an airport other than the airport which the flight is scheduled to land, shall 
include an explanation of each reason for the delay, cancellation or diversion. 
(2) Prohibition on False or Misleading Explanations. - No air carrier shall 
provide an explanation under paragraph (1) that the air carrier knows or has reason to 
know is false or misleading. 
(3) Delays Afer Enplaning or Before Deplaning. - 
(a) In General. - Except as provided in subparagraph (ii), no carrier may 
require a passenger on a flight of that carrier to remain on-board an aircraft for a 
period longer than two (2) hours after - 
(i) The passenger enplaned, in any case in which the aircraft has 
not taken flight from the airport during that period; or 
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(ii) The aircraft has landed at an airport, if the aircraft remains in 
that airport without taking flight. 
(b) Election. - A passenger described in subparagraph (a) may remain on- 
board an aircraft described in clause (i) or (ii) of that subparagraph for a period 
longer than the applicable period described in that subparagraph, if, not later than 
the end of that 2-hour period - 
(i) The air carrier offers the passenger an opportunity to deplane 
with a full refimd of air fare; and 
(ii) the passenger declines that offer. 
(B) Economic Cancellations. - 
(1) Non-Safety Cancellations. - If, on the date a flight of an air carrier is 
scheduled, the carrier cancels the flight for any reason other than safety, the carrier shall 
provide to each passenger that purchased air transportation on the flight a refund of the 
amount paid for the air transportation. 
(2) Cancellations for Safety. - A cancellation for safety is a cancellation made by 
reason of - 
(a) An insufficient number of crew members; 
@)Weather; 
(c) A mechanical problem; or 
(d) Any other matter that prevents the safe operation of the flight; or 
(e) Any other matter that prevents the flight from operating in accordance 
with applicable rules and regulations. 
(C) Code Sharing. - An air carrier, foreign air carrier, or ticket agent may sell air 
transportation in the Philippines for a flight that bears a designator code of a carrier other than 
the carrier that will provide the air transportation, only if the carrier or ticket agent selling the air 
transportation first informs the person purchasing the air transportation that the carrier providing 
the air transportation will be a carrier other than the carrier whose designator code is used to 
identify the flight. 
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(D) Multiple Flights. - An air carrier, foreign air carrier, or ticket agent that sells air 
transportation in the Philippines that requires taking flights on more than one (1) aircraft shall be 
required to provide notification on a ticket, receipt, or itinerary provided to the purchaser of that 
air transportation that the passenger shall be required to change aircraft. 
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(E) Air Carrier Pricing Policies. - An air carrier may not - 
(1) Prohibit a person, including an agent of the government, that purchases air 
transportation from only using a portion of the air transportation purchased, including 
using the air transportation purchased for one-way travel instead of round-trip travel; or 
(2) Assess an additional fee or charge for using only a portion of that purchased 
air transportation to be paid by that person or any ticket agent that sold the air 
transportation to that person. 
(F) ,Equitable Fares; Frequent Flyer Program Awards. - 
(1) Reduced Fares. - Subject to paragraph (2), if an air carrier makes seats 
available on a specific date at a reduced fare, that air carrier shall be required to make 
available air transportation at that reduced fare for any passenger that requests a seat at 
that reduced fare during a twenty four (24) hour period beginning with the initial offering 
of that reduced fare. 
(2) Limitation. - 
(a) In General. - An air c&er shall not be required under paragraph (1) 
to make a seat available for a route at a reduced fare, if providing that seat at that 
fare would result in the air carrier being unable to provide, for the twenty four 
(24) hour period specified in that paragraph, the applicable historic average 
number of seats offered at an unreduced fare for the route, as determined under 
subparagraph @). 
@) Historic Average. - With respect to a route, the historic average 
number of seats offered at an unreduced fare for the route is the average number 
of seats offered at an unreduced fare per day by an air carrier for flights scheduled 
on that route during the twenty four (24) month period preceding the twenty four 
(24) hour period specified in paragraph (1) 
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(3) Standby Use of Tickets. - An air carrier shall permit an individual to use a 
ticket or equivalent electronic record issued by that carrier on a standby basis for any 
flight that has the same origin and destination as are indicated on that ticket or equivalent 
electronic record. 
(4) Frequent Flyer Progam Awards. - 
(a) In General. - Subject to subparagraph (c), in a manner consistent with 
applicable requirements of a frequent flyer program, if an air carrier makes any 
seat available on a specific date for use by a person redeeming an award under 
that frequent flyer program on any route in air transportation provided by the air 
carrier, that air carrier shall, to the extent practicable during the 24-hour period 
beginning with the redemption of that award - 
(i) Redeem any other award under that frequent flyer program for 
air transportation on that route; and 
(ii) Make a seat available for the person who redeems that other 
award on a flight on that route. 
(b) Standby Use of Frequent Flyer Program Awards. - An air carrier shall 
permit an individual to redeem a ticket or equivalent electronic record acquired 
through a frequent flyer award on a standby basis for any flight that has the same 
origin and destination as are indicated on that ticket or equivalent electronic 
record. 
(c) Limitation. - 
(i) IN GENERAL. - An air carrier shall not be required under 
subparagraph (a) to make a seat available for a route for use by a person 
redeeming a frequent flyer award, if providing that seat to that person 
would result in the air carrier being unable to provide, for the twenty four 
(24) hour period specified in that paragraph, the applicable historic 
average number of seats offered at an unreduced fare for the route, as 
determined under clause (ii). 
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(ii) Historic Average. - With respect to a route, the historic 
average number of seats offered at an unreduced fare for the route is the 
average number of seats offered at an unreduced fare per day by an air 
carrier for flights scheduled on that route during the twenty four (24) 
month period preceding the 24-hour period specified in subparagraph (a). 
(G) Access to All Fares. - Each air carrier operating in the Philippines shall make 
information concerning all fares for air transportation charged by that air carrier available to the 
public, through - 
(1) Computer-based technology; and 
(2) Means other than computer-based technology. 
SECTION 3. Penalty. - Any air carrier who violates any provision of this Act shall 
indemnify the affected passenger to an amount not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (Pl0,OOO.OO) 
but not more than Thirty Thousand Pesos (€‘30,000.00) depending on the seventy of the offense 
caused, other legal remedies the affected passenger may seek as provided by applicable laws and 
regulations. 
SECTION 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 6. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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