Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by HON. EDWARD VERA PEREZ MACEDA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In the Fifteenth Congress, the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (Sen. 
Santiago) introduced two bills the purpose of which is to provide adequate first aid 
care to victims of heart attacks, and to train children to administer automated 
external defibrillators (AED) to increase survival rate to victims of heart attack. 
These bills are: 1) Senate Bill No. 1752 entitled “An Act Requiring the Placement 
of Defibrillators in Public Use Airports” or “Defibrillators in Airports Act”; and 2) 
Senate Bill No. 1893 entitled “An Act Directing the Secretary of Education to 
Establish a Program to Provide Grants for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and 
Automated External Defibrillator Training in Public Elementary and Secondary 
Schools” or “Training Children to Save Lives Act”. 
As defined in the late Sen. Santiago’s bills, “[a] defibrillator is a device used 
in the treatment of life-threatening disturbance of the rhythm of the heart beat 
which may occur as the result of a heart attack or a variety of serious injuries or 
illnesses. Its effect is to rest the electrical activity of the heart in the hope that the 
natural pacemaker cells can then regain control of the rhythm.” The 2012 data from 
the National Statistics Office (NSO) states that five (5) out of ten (10) deaths in the 
Philippines are due to cardiovascular causes.1 The ratio of death can be reduced 
and increased to a ninety (90%) percent chance of survival through the use of both 
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED. 
While Sen. Santiago’s bills requires the use of AED by public use airports 
and establishment of a training program for the use thereof in public elementary 
and secondary schools, this bill seeks to broaden the coverage of said bills to 
include not only public use airports but public establishments where a considerable 
number of the population may be gathered such as malls, hotels, and public offices 
and establishments. This bill will ensure victims of heart attacks, while in public 
places, will be given adequate first aid care. 
EDWARD VERA PEREZ MACEDA 
Representative, 4th District of Manila 
1 http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/2012/07/09/826043/5-out-10-filipinos-die-heart-disease-nso. 
August 2, 2022
5:31 pm
3034


1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by HON. EDWARD VERA PEREZ MACEDA 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING THE PLACEMENT OF DEFIBRILLATORS IN PUBLIC PLACES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be referred to as the “Defibrillators in 
1 
Public Places Act.” 
2 
3 
4 
SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall 
5 
mean: 
6 
7 
(a) “Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device” refers to an electrical
8 
device used to counteract fibrillation of the heart muscle and restore
9 
normal heartbeat by applying a brief electric shock;
10 
11 
(b) “Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) device” refers to (a) which are placed
12 
in government buildings, private places, and other private places as
13 
defined in this section;
14 
15 
(c) “Government buildings” includes a building or portion of a building
16 
leased or rented by the Republic of the Philippines and local government
17 
units, and includes buildings on military installations of the Philippines;
18 
19 
(d) “Private places” or privately-owned establishments such as resorts,
20 
hotels, casinos, malls, condominiums, and sport venues; and
21 
22 
(e) “Other private places” with expected increased volume of people such
23 
as schools, public or wet markets, and churches or places of worship.
24 
25 
SECTION 3. Guidelines on Placement. – The following requirements shall be 
26 
followed in all public places: 
27 
28 
(a) Each government building shall supply and maintain an AED device as
29 
defined in this Act, on-site in each establishment open to the public. The
30 
AED device shall be maintained in an accessible location within the
31 
building and shall be made available;
32 
33 
3034


 
2 
Immediately upon the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall submit to 
1 
the Department of Budget and Management the plantilla of positions for 
2 
physicians, dentists, nurses, midwives, x-ray technicians, medical technologists, 
3 
nutritionists and aides which have not been filled up for the last three (3) years of 
4 
more, including the estimated hardship allowances for each vacant position which 
5 
the Secretary may grant taking into consideration the guidelines provided in 
6 
Section 2 hereof. 
7 
 
8 
(b) The PAD should come with visible signage and maintained in an 
9 
accessible location within the government building, private places, or 
10 
other private places; 
11 
 
12 
(c) The Secretary of Health shall establish guidelines with respect to placing 
13 
automated external defibrillator devices in government buildings. Such 
14 
guidelines shall take into account the extent to which such devices may 
15 
be used by lay persons, the typical number of employees and visitors in 
16 
the buildings, the extent of the need for security measures regarding the 
17 
buildings, buildings or portions of buildings in which there are special 
18 
circumstances such as high electrical voltage or extreme heat or cold, 
19 
and such other factors as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 
20 
 
21 
(d) The Secretary shall publish the implementing rule and regulation (IRR) 
22 
on the appropriate implementation of the placement of AED devices 
23 
under subsection (b), including procedures for the following:  
24 
 
25 
i. 
Implementing appropriate training courses in the use of such 
26 
devices, including the role of cardiopulmonary resuscitation; 
27 
ii. 
Proper maintenance and testing of the devices; and 
28 
iii. 
Ensuring coordination with appropriate licensed professionals in 
29 
the oversight of training of the devices. 
30 
 
31 
 
32 
SECTION 4. Appropriation. – The amount necessary to implement the provisions 
33 
of this Act is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not 
34 
otherwise appropriated: Provided, That the corresponding amount needed to 
35 
implement this Act in subsequent years shall be included in the annual General 
36 
Appropriations Act for the Department of Health. 
37 
 
38 
 
39 
SECTION 5. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 
40 
 
41 
 
42 
Approved, 
43