Republic of the Philippines hs a
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RECEIVED
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No, 5929

Introduced by Representative Claudine Diana D. Bautista

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to establish the Professional Drivers’ Academy of the
Philippines, providing for its governing board. Attendance to this Academy is a
pre-requisite for the issuance or renewal of a professional driver’s license.

The primary purpose of this bill is to minimize road disasters and
uncontrolled traffic violation. Studies show that road disasters are caused by lack
theoretical knowledge and professional trainings of most public transport drivers.
In consonance hereof, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
issued Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2017-013. Under the said MC, all those
who want to apply for or renew his professional driver’s license, will have to
undergo a one (1) day training seminar. It will likewise test the driver’s
comprehension and skills. However, a one (1) day training seminar is insufficient
to impart the skills and knowledge required of a professional driver.

Under this Act, the Academy is to improve the character and upgrade the
competence and skills of our public utility drivers to ensure the safety and comfort
of the riding public, thereby preventing unnecessary loss of lives, and teach public
utility drivers to review their knowledge on basic traffic regulations being
enforced on the road. The programs that we hope to achieve will be our mission
of ensuring safe, convenient, reliable and dependable public land transport
services by investing on our drivers.

With the passage of this bill, all holders of a professional driver's license
who wish to renew his license, as well as those who intend to apply for one,
especially those driving public transportation, are required to attend the Academy
because a certificate of compliance shall be one of the requirements for the
issuance or renewal of his professional driver’s license. This certificate of



compliance may also be used as an additional credential for international
employment.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is highly recommended.

CLAUDINE TANK D. BAUTISTA


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

5029

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative Claudine Diana D. Bautista

AN ACT

ESTABLISHING THE PROFESSIONAL DRIVER’S ACADEMY,
PROVIDING FOR A GOVERNING BOARD, DEFINING ITS DUTIES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

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

SECTION 1. TITLE - This Act shall be known as the “Public
Transport Drivers’ Academy Act of 2019”.

SEC. 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY - It shall be the declared
policy of the State to require all applicants and holders of professional driver's
license to attend seminars, trainings, and assemblies on transport management
that will improve the behavior and driving skills of all professional drivers and
will help protect the health, welfare and promote safety and convenience not only
of the pedestrians and commuters but of the Filipino people in general.

SEC. 3. SCOPE. This Act shall cover all holders of professional
driver’s license, especially public transportation drivers.

For purposes of this Act, a public transportation driver shall mean any
person holding a professional driver’s license operating any public motor vehicle
used to transport persons or goods from and to their respective place of
destination.


SEC. 4. CREATION OF THE ACADEMY - There shall be
established an Academy to be known as the Professional Drivers’ Academy of
the Philippines, herein after referred to as the “Academy” for the education and
training of all those who intend to apply for or renew their professional driver’s
license.

SEC. 5. PURPOSE - The Academy shall develop and conduct
comprehensive education and training programs, under such standards, rules and
regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation in coordination with the
Land Transportation Office with a view of professionalizing our Public
Transportation Drivers.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATON OF THE ACADEMY - The Academy
shall have the general powers of a corporation set forth in the Corporation Code
of the Philippines. The administration of the Academy and the exercise of its
corporate powers shall be vested exclusively in the Board of Trustees, hereinafter
referred to as the Board and the Dean of the Academy.

SEC. 7. BOARD OF TRUSTEES - The Board of Trustees shall be
composed of the following:

(a)The Director General of the Land Transportation Office (LTO),
Chairperson;

(b) The Chairman of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory
Board (LTFRB), Vice- Chairperson;

(c) The Director General of the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA), member;

(d) The Chairpersons of the Congressional Committee on Transportation
of the Senate and House of Representatives, members;

(e) One representatives each from two prominent public transportation
organizations of Public Transportation, as members.

The representatives from two prominent public transportation
organizations shall be chosen from among a list of at least five (5) who shall have
distinguished themselves in the public transportation profession, as
recommended by a search committee composed of the LTFRB in consultation
with the LTO. They shall serve for a period of two (2) years.

SEC. 8. BOARD MEETINGS - The Board of Trustees shall
regularly convene at least once a month. A majority of all the members holding
office shall constitute a quorum for board meetings. The Chairperson of the Board
may call a special meeting whenever necessary. Members shall be notified in
writing at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.


The members shall serve without compensation but they shall be
reimbursed for whatever necessary expenses they have incurred in their
attendance of meetings of the Board or in connection with their official businesses
as authorized by a board resolution.

SEC. 9. POWERS AND DUTIES.- The Board shall have the
following specific powers and duties in addition to its general powers of
administration and the exercise of all the powers granted to it under the New
Corporation Code of the Philippines:

a) To enact rules and regulations not contrary to law as may be necessary
to carry out the purposes and functions of the Academy;

b) To fix the fees and other charges necessary but not limited to certificates
of compliance;

c) To fix the salaries of the Officials of the academy, lecturers, trainer’s
and other employees subject to the provisions of the revised
compensation and classification system and other pertinent budget and
conditions as it may deem proper; to grant them, at its discretion, leaves
of absence under such regulations as it may promulgate, any provisions
of existing law to the contrary notwithstanding; and to remove them for
cause in accordance with the requirements of due process of law;

d) To set policies for the issuance of Certificate of Compliance to be able
to apply or renew the professional driver’s license.

) To develop academic arrangements for institution capability building
with appropriate institutions and agencies, public or private, local or
foreign, and to appoint experts or specialists as consultants, or visiting
or exchange professors, lecturers, as the case may be; and

f) To establish policy guidelines and procedures for participative decision-
making and transparency within the Academy.

SEC.10. SUPERVISION AND CONTROL OVER THE
ACADEMY. — The Academy shall be headed by a Dean who shall render full-
time service and shall exercise administrative supervision and control over
the Academy. He shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees, upon
recommendation of a duly constituted committee. He shall serve for a term of
four (4) years and shall be eligible for reappointment for another term. The Dean
shall be assisted by an Assistant Dean who shall also be appointed by the Board
of Trustees.

SEC. 11. PROGRAMS - TESDA shall formulate the programs,
modules for the seminar, training and instructional education for the Academy
and shall include but not limited to the following, namely:


a) Road safety

b) Road rage and anger management
c) Traffic signs and road pavements
d) LTFRB policies

e) Proper decorum and dress code

Actual or practical examinations shall be conducted by the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). It shall certify that the
applicant is qualified to hold a professional driver’s license and he shall be issued
a certificate of compliance.

The Certificate of Compliance issued by TESDA can be used by the holder
as additional credential for international employment.

SEC.12._ CAMPUS SITE. - All Regional Offices of the Land
Transportation Office shall have an area exclusively to be used as campus site for
the Academy where academic seminars, training and instructional programs will
be conducted.

SEC. 13. | APPLICATION AND RENEWAL OF PROFESSIONAL
DRIVER’S LICENSE. - Only those who have completed the seminar,
training or instructional programs conducted by the Professional Drivers’
Academy and have received his or her Certificate of Completion shall be allowed
to apply or renew their professional license.

The names of all those who have attended the trainings with the Academy
shall be included in the driver’s database of the Academy for proper monitoring.

SEC. 14. | PLANNING AND PROGRAMING OF THE ACADEMY
- The Academy shall be organized within six (6) months from the effectivity of
this Act by the Director General of the Land Transportation Office and the
LTFRB under the direct supervision of the Secretary of the Transportation to
allow for planning and programming of resources and shall be administered.

SEC. 15. FILING OF REPORT - On or before the fifteenth day
of the second of the annual fiscal year, the Board shall file with the Office of the
President of the Philippines through the Secretary of the Transportation and with
both House of Congress, a detailed report on the progress, conditions and needs
of the Academy.

SEC. 16. PENALTIES — Any person who is found to be driving
a public transportation vehicle without a professional driver’s license shall, upon


conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than FIVE THOUSAND PESOS
(5,000.00) or imprisonment of not more than one (1) month and one day, or both
at the discretion of the court.

The owner or operator of a vehicle used for public transportation who is
found to be employing a person who does not possess a professional driver’s
license shall be penalized with a fine of TEN THOUSAND PESOS for the first
offense, suspension of license of operate a public transportation vehicle for the
second offense and revocation of license of operate a public transportation vehicle
for the third offense.

SEC.17. APPROPRIATIONS —- For the purpose of
constituting the Academy and for carrying out the provisions of this Act, the
amount of Two Hundred Million Pesos (P200,000,000.00) is hereby initially
appropriated out of the funds of the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for the continuous operation and
maintenance of the academy shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC.18. IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS -
Within six months from the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation
and the Secretary of Labor and Employment, in coordination with the Directors
General of the Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and
Regulatory Board, and the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective
implementation of this Act.

SEC. 19. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE - If, for any reason, any
section or provision of this Act is declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, the
other sections or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue
to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 20. REPEALING CLAUSE - All levels, decrees,
rules and regulations, policies, programs or parts thereof that are inconsistent with
any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.


SEC.21. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE- This Act shall take effect
fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,