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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill  No._____ 
Introduced by: Congressman BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION BASED ON ETHNICITY, RACE, RELIGION 
OR BELIEF, SEX OR GENDER OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION, LANGUAGE, 
DISABILITY, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND OTHER FORMS OF 
DISCRIMINATION, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
       The 1987 Philippine Constitution guarantees equal protection for everyone. 
Section 11 provides that the State “values the dignity of every human person and 
guarantees full respect for human rights,” while Section 14 imposes on the State the 
duty to value the “role of women in nation— building, and shall ensure the 
fundamental equality before the law of women and men.” 
       Article 3, Section 1 of the fundamental law states that “No person shall be 
deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor shall any person 
be denied the equal protection of the laws.” The United Nations Universal 
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), to which the Philippines is a signatory, 
provides that the “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and 
inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, 
justice, and peace in the world.” The UDHR also provides that everyone is entitled 
to all the rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex 
or gender, or sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinions, 
educational attainment, national or social origin, birth or other status. 
This bill seeks to enhance the basic rights enshrined in the Constitution and 
several international declarations, prevent and criminalize various forms of 
discrimination, and penalize such. Any form of discrimination may be categorized as 
a crime against humanity and human dignity, in that several international 
declarations promote the equal treatment of all people and prevent discrimination 
based on race, ethnicity, and other status. 
Under this measure, discriminatory acts such as inﬂicting stigma, denial 
August 5, 2025
12:07 pm
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of education, political, civil, and cultural rights, right to work, access to goods and 
services, and the right to organize, inflicting harm on health and well—being, 
engaging in proﬁling, abuses by state and non—state agencies, and detention and 
conﬁnement are strictly prohibited and will be met with corresponding penalties. 
 The great Filipino statesman Jose W. Diokno once said: 
 “Human rights are more than just legal concepts. They are the essence of man. Deny 
them, and you deny man’s humanity.” 
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is hereby earnestly 
sought. 
BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill  No._____ 
Introduced by: Congressman BIENVENIDO M. ABANTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION BASED ON ETHNICITY, RACE, RELIGION 
OR BELIEF, SEX OR GENDER OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION, LANGUAGE, 
DISABILITY, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND OTHER FORMS OF 
DISCRIMINATION, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
session assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title.— This Act shall be known as the “Anti-
Discrimination Act of 2025. ” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policies. - It is the policy of the State to work actively for 
the elimination of all forms of discrimination that offend the equal protection clause 
of the Bill of Rights and State obligations under human rights instruments acceded 
to by the State. Towards this end, discriminatory practices as deﬁned herein shall be 
prescribed and penalized. 
SEC. 3. Definition of terms.- For the purposes of this Act, the following shall be 
deﬁned as  follows: 
a)
Discrimination— constitutes any distinction, exclusive, restriction,
or preference, or other differential treatment that is directly or
indirectly based on ethnicity, race, religion or belief,
sex and gender, disability, or other status, which has the intention or
equal footing, of political, civil, economic, social, and cultural rights.
Discrimination, which also includes incitement to discriminate and
harassment, is a result of a product of stigma.
b)
Education and Training- refers to all types and levels of
education, training, and other avenues for learning and includes access
thereto, the standard and quality thereof, and the conditions under
which the same is given.
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c) 
Employment- refers to all terms, conditions, and privileges 
relating to work in public and private institutions, including policies, 
application procedures, training, incentives, compensation, and 
determination of beneﬁts or allowances, promotion, advancement 
opportunities, transfer, and dismissal. This deﬁnition shall apply to 
regular, probationary, casual, contractual, ﬁxed—term, and seasonal 
workers. In legitimate contracting arrangements, the contractor/ 
subcontractor shall be deemed the employer of the contractual 
employee. 
 
d) 
Indigenous People—include Peoples who are regarded as 
indigenous on account of their descent from the populations which 
inhabited the country, at the time of conquest or colonization, or at the 
time of inroads of non—indigenous religions and cultures, or the 
establishment of present state boundaries, who retain some or all of 
their own social, economic, cultural and political Institutions, but who 
may have been displaced from their traditional domains or who may 
have resettled outside their ancestral domains; 
 
 Indigenous Peoples also refers to a group of people or homogenous 
societies identiﬁed by self—ascription, and ascription by others, who 
have continuously lived as organized communities on communally 
bounded and deﬁned territory, and who have, under claims of 
ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized 
such territories, sharing common bonds of language, customs, tradition 
and other distinctive cultural traits or who have, through resistance to 
political, social and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous 
religions, and cultures, became historically differentiated from the 
majority of Filipinos; 
 
e) 
Proﬁling- means relying on the prohibited grounds of 
discrimination in subjecting a person or group of persons to 
investigatory activities, which include unnecessary, unjustiﬁed, 
illegal and degrading searches, questioning, or other investigatory 
activities, in determining whether an individual is engaged in an 
activity presumed to be unlawful, immoral, or socially unacceptable. 
 
f) 
Stigma— refers to the dynamic process of devaluation that 
signiﬁcantly discredits an individual in the eyes of others. When stigma 
is acted upon, the result is discrimination. 
 
g)   Vulnerable Communities— refers to communities or sectors that 
encounter stigma and discrimination based on the grounds enumerated 
in Section 4. 
 


 
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SEC. 4. Prohibited Grounds for Discrimination.— For the purposes of this Act, 
discrimination that is indirectly based on the actual or perceived ethnicity, race, 
religion or belief, sex or gender or sexual orientation, gender identity, gender 
expression, civil status, disability, HIV status, or other status is prohibited.  
 
Ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sex or gender or sexual orientation, civil 
status, disability, educational attainment, or other status that differentiates or any 
form of discrimination shall be interpreted in their most common or universal 
deﬁnitions and with due regard to the promotion of meaningful implementation of 
non-discrimination policy. 
 
SEC. 5. Discriminatory Acts— The following Acts shall be prohibited: 
 
A. Inflicting stigma- it shall be unlawful for any person to commit any facts 
that promote and encourage stigma based on the grounds referred to in 
Section 4. Content in the media, in educational textbooks, or in other 
media that aims to inﬂict stigma is likewise prohibited. 
 
B. Denial of Political, civil, and cultural rights- it shall be unlawful to deny a 
person enjoyment of political, civil, and cultural rights based on the 
grounds referred to in Section 4. 
 
C. Denial of right to education — it is unlawful for any person to: 
 
1. Refuse admission or expel a person from any educational or 
training institution based on the grounds deﬁned in Section 4, 
without prejudice to the right of educational or training institutions 
to determine the academic qualiﬁcations of their students or 
trainees; 
2. Impose disciplinary sanctions, penalties harsher than customary, or 
similar punishment, requirements, restrictions, or prohibitions that 
infringe on the rights of the students based on the grounds 
identiﬁed in Sec. 4; and 
 
This prohibition extends to acts committed against a student or trainee 
to discriminate against his or her parents or legal guardians based on 
grounds referred to in Section 4. 
 
D. Denial of right to work— it is unlawful for any person to: 
 
1.   Use the grounds in Section 4 or require the disclosure thereof in the 
selection, promotion, and termination of workers, and in the 
determination of compensation, training, incentives, privileges, 
benefits, or allowances, as well as other terms and conditions of 
employment; 


 
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2. Deny employment in government institutions, including police and 
military service, based directly or indirectly on the grounds referred 
to in Section 4; 
3. Refuse to enter into a contract or agreement with persons or groups 
of persons based solely or partly on the grounds provided in Sec. 4; 
and 
4.  Deny an application for or revoke the professional license issued by 
the government directly or indirectly due to the grounds included 
in Section 4. 
  
E. Denial of access to goods and Services- it is unlawful for any person to: 
 
1. Deny a person, solely based on the grounds in Sec. 4, and goods and 
services available to the general public, such as but not limited to 
private and public insurance, housing and other forms of 
accommodation, medical and clinical services; 
2. Refuse to entry to evict a person from any establishment, facilities, or 
utilities that are open to the general public, such as but not limited to 
restaurants, bars, hotels, and shopping malls, solely or partly based 
on the grounds listed in Section 4; 
3. Cause undue and unjust deferral of services or provision of inferior 
services to persons due to the grounds in Section 4; and  
 
There is discrimination if the acts above are committed against 
organizations or groups of persons based on the grounds identiﬁed in 
Section 4. 
 
F. Denial of right to organize- it shall be unlawful to prohibit, prevent, or revoke 
the accreditation, formal recognition, and/or registration of any 
organization, group, political party, institution, or establishment, in 
educational institutions, workplaces, communities, and other settings, 
based partly or solely on grounds provided for in Section 4. 
 
Discrimination is also committed when additional requirements beyond 
the customary are imposed directly or indirectly due to the grounds 
stipulated in Section 4. 
            
G. Inﬂicting bum on health and well-being— it shall be unlawful to subject any 
person, without consent, to any unnecessary medical or physical 
examination, psychological treatment, faith based practices, and other 
similar procedures based solely or partly on any of the grounds referred to 
in Section 4 that aim to change identity or physical attributes or impose 
behavior or expressions. 
 


 
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H. Engaging inproﬁling- it shall be illegal for any person, including members of 
the military and law enforcement agencies, to engage in profiling based 
solely or partly on the ground included in Section 4. 
 
I. Abuses by State and Non-State actors— it shall be unlawful for any 
government agencies, including local government units, police, military, 
and immigration, to harass verbally or physically, to curtail freedom of 
movement, or to extort from a person or a group of persons based on the 
grounds stipulated in Section 4. This prohibition applies to similar abuses 
committed by non—state actors. 
 
J. Detention and conﬁnement -it shall be unlawful to detain and confine a person 
or group of persons based directly or indirectly on the grounds under 
Section 4. 
 
K. Other analogous circumstances- Any analogous acts which have the effect or 
purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise 
of the person’s human rights and fundamental freedoms are also 
prohibited. 
 
SEC. 6. Liability- Any person, natural or juridical, or their representatives, 
including government, government-owned and controlled corporations, Institutions, 
or companies, who commits any of the acts under Section 5, shall be liable under this 
Act. 
 
Any person, natural or juridical, or their representatives, who requests, 
instructs, induces, encourages, authorizes, tolerates, or assists another to commit any 
of the acts under Section 5 shall be principally liable under this Act. 
 
SEC. 7. Programs to Promote Non-Discrimination and Diversity. - The State shall 
endeavor to eliminate all forms of discrimination and shall therefore pursue 
initiatives and programs that seek to enable an environment free of stigma and 
discrimination. It shall direct the machinery and resources of the State to ensure non-
discrimination and promote equality, and shall encourage sectors of the society to 
engage and participate in these efforts. It shall ensure the establishment of the 
following programs: 
 
a) 
Social Protection Program— The national government shall implement 
social protection measures for communities affected by the vulnerable to 
stigma and discrimination. 
 
b)   Diversity Programs and Policies- All government agencies, non-government 
agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, private 
companies, public and private educational institutions, and other 
entities shall establish diversity programs to ensure that discrimination 
and abuse are prevented. They shall also create an internal redress 


 
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mechanism to address cases of discrimination and grant administrative 
remedies or sanctions for such cases. 
 
The Civil Service Commission, Department of Labor and Employment, 
Department of Interior and Local Government, the Armed Forces of 
the Philippines, Department of Education, Commission on Higher 
Education, TESDA, Department of Justice, Department of Foreign 
Affairs, and Department of Health shall ensure the implementation of 
this section. 
 
Failure of the above agencies to ensure the implementation of this 
provision shall be deemed a refusal to address discrimination and shall 
be penalized as an analogous act of discrimination. 
 
SEC. 8. Duties and Commission on Human Rights. -  The Commission shall 
investigate and prosecute on its own or on the complaint by any person, acts or 
omissions violating this Act. If the Commission has reasonable cause to believe that 
any person or group is engaged in discrimination under this Act, the Commission 
shall commence a legal action in the regular court. 
 
The Commission shall also direct the officer concerned to take appropriate 
action against a public ofﬁcer or employee at fault or who neglects to perform an act 
or discharge a duty required under this Act, and order revocation of license, removal 
from ofﬁce or employment, suspension, demotion, ﬁne, censure, or prosecution, and 
ensure compliance therewith. Refusal by any ofﬁcer without just cause to comply 
with an order of the Commission to revoke the license, remove, suspend, demote, 
ﬁne, censure, or prosecute an ofﬁcer or employee who is at fault, or who neglects to 
perform an act or discharge duty required under this act, shall be a ground for 
disciplinary action against said ofﬁcer. 
 
SEC. 9. Penalties — Persons found guilty of any of the discriminatory practices 
under Section 5(A), 5 (B), 5(E), 5(F), and 4(K) of this act shall be penalized with a ﬁne 
of not less than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000) but not to exceed Two 
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pesos (P250,000) or imprisonment of two (2) years but 
not more than six (6) years, or both at the discretion of the court. 
 
  
Persons found guilty of any discriminatory practices under Section 5(C), 5(D), 
5(G), 5(H), 5(1), 50) and 5(K) of this Act shall be penalized with a ﬁne of not less than 
Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (P250,000) but not to exceed Five Hundred 
Thousand Pesos (P500,000) or imprisonment of six (6) years but not more than 
twelve (12) years, or both at the discretion of the 
court. 
 
If the violator is a corporation, organization, or any similar entity, the ofﬁcials 
thereof directly involved shall be liable therefor. 
 


 
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If the violator is an alien or foreigner, he shall be deported immediately after 
service of sentence without further deportation proceedings. 
 
Persons found guilty of any of the discriminatory practices prohibited under 
this Act shall also be civilly liable. 
 
The Administrative remedies provided under this act do not bar prosecution 
or civil claims in proper courts for an act of discrimination committed under this 
Act. 
 
If any crime penalized under the Revised Penal Code is committed in pursuit 
of discrimination, the penalty provided under the Revised Penal Code shall be 
applied, and the discrimination committed shall be considered as an aggravating 
circumstance. 
 
SEC. 10. Appropriations- The initial amount necessary to implement the 
provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriation of the 
agencies tasked to implement the provisions of this Act. Thereafter, such sums as 
may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in 
the Annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations- The Commission on Human 
Rights, Civil Service Commission, Department of Labor and Employment, 
Department of Interior and Local Government, The Armed Forces of the Philippines, 
Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, TESDA, Department 
ofJustice, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Health, Commission on 
Indigenous Peoples, and National Commission on Muslim Filipinos shall 
promulgate the necessary implementing rules and regulations within sixty (60) days 
from the effectivity of this Act. 
 
SEC. 12. Separability Clause- Any portion or provision of this Act that may be 
declared unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect of nullifying the other 
portions and provisions hereof as long as such remaining portion or provision can 
still subsist and be given effect in their entirety. 
 
SEC. 13. Repealing Clause— All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations or 
parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified 
accordingly. 
 
SEC. 14. Effectivity— This Act shall take effect ﬁfteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Ofﬁcial Gazette or in at least two (2) newspaper of general 
circulation. 
 
     
Approved,