EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 2092
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
March
DATE
TJMEsumx
BtUA
AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7925, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
''PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY ACT OF THE PHILIPPINES", BY 
REQUIRING PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTITIES AND INTERNET 
SERVICE PROVIDERS TO INSTITUTE A REFUND MECHANISM FOR SERVICE 
OUTAGES AND DISRUPTIONS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
For an Internet-dependent, data-driven world where almost all aspects of our 
daily life reiy on being "oniine" and "connected", service outages, disruptions and 
interruptions cause discomfort, lost opportunities, or worse, iost profits and income. 
To illustrate, disconnection in the middle of an online class may spell missing a test or 
quiz for our students. Snail-paced internet speeds lead to reduced, or even halted 
production and operations for ICT-based businesses and Industries. Business and 
commercial transactions that depend on digital finance and banking services will stand 
still if the transacting parties or the service providers themselves are forced off-line 
because of downtimes.
Our country is no stranger to these outages and similar circumstances. Last 
September 2020, major telecommunications companies warned about slow internet 
speed for a five-day period due to maintenance activities on an undersea cable.1 
Nationwide outages had even disrupted Senate committee hearings.2 In fact, data 
from a website monitoring real-time status and outage information revealed that for 
a single day, reports of outages for certain Philippine internet service providers (ISPs)
1 https:/A)Usiness.inauirer.net/3Q8289/slower-intemet-seen-due-to-5-dav-maintenance-works
2 httDs://business.inquirer.net/315291/converge-adds-backuD-to-ensure-less-trippinH-of-
intemet-service


peaked to as high as fifty (50) outages.3 4 Aside from internet connection, disruptions 
in phone signal and cellular networks are also common. There are even places where 
basic phone call/text signal is still non-existent.
Despite the frequency of these service outages and disruptions, consumers foot 
the bill for their monthly or pre-paid Internet subscriptions without adjustments or 
refunds for such occurrences - they are paying for a service that they have not 
enjoyed or used for hours, if not, even days through no fault on their part. This bill, 
by virtue of an amendment to R.A. No. 7925 or the "Public Telecommunications Policy 
Act of the Philippines", seeks to put an end to this by requiring Internet Service 
Providers (ISPs) and Public Telecommunications Entities to provide, on a pro-rated 
basis, a refund credit to a customer, or adjust a customer's bill, who has experienced 
a service outage or disruption for an aggregate period of twenty-four (24) hours or 
more within a month. The refund or bill adjustment mandated under this proposed 
measure shall likewise be granted to customers subscribing to a service on a pre-pald 
basis. The refund credit or bill adjustment shall be automatically Implemented without 
need of any action or request on the part of the affected customer.
The principle behind this measure is quite simple - that there Is no unjust 
enrichment on the part of big businesses to the prejudice of consumers. Not even a 
single centavo shall be paid out of the pockets of our people for a service that they 
did not use due to an outage or disruption.
In view of this, early passage of this bill is sought.
LITO^. LAPI
Senator
3httns://downdetector.rih/status/converne/news/369631-nroblems-at-conver|’e/
4 httns://downdctector.ph/status/nldt/ncws/369502-oroblems-at-pldt/


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
-
SENATE 
S. No. 2092
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by;
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Introduced by Senator Manuel "LIto" M. Lapid
AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7925, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "PUBLIC 
TELECOMMUNICAnONS POLICY ACT OF THE PHILIPPINES", BY 
REQUIRING PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTITIES AND INTERNET 
SERVICE PROVIDERS TO INSTITUTE A REFUND MECHANISM FOR SERVICE 
OUTAGES AND DISRUPTIONS
Be It enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Refund for Internet and 
Telecommunications Service Outages and Disruptions Act."
Section 2. A new Section 20-A is hereby added to Republic Act No. 7925, 
otherwise known as the "Public Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines", to 
read as follows:
SECTION 20-A. REFUNDS FOR INTERNET AND 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE OUTAGES AND 
INTERRUPTIONS. 
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(A) 
PUBLIC
TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTITIES, INCLUDING 
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS (ISPS), SHALL, ON A


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PRO-RATED BASIS/ PROVIDE A REFUND CREDIT TO A 
CUSTOMER/ OR ADJUST A CUSTOMER'S BILL/ WHO 
HAS EXPERIENCED A SERVICE OUTAGE OR 
DISRUPTION FOR AN AGGREGATE PERIOD OF 
TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS OR MORE WITHIN A 
MONTH. 
THE ISPS AND PUBLIC
TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTITIES CONCERNED SHALL 
NOT REQUIRE THE CUSTOMER TO TAKE ANY ACTION 
IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A REFUND CREDIT OR BILL 
ADJUSTMENT UNDER THIS SECTION.
(B) THE REFUND CREDIT GRANTED UNDER THE 
CIRCUMSTANCES MENTIONED ABOVE SHALL 
LIKEWISE BE GRANTED TO CUSTOMERS SUBSCRIBING 
TO A SERVICE ON A PRE-PAID BASIS.
Section 3. Repealing Clause. — All laws, presidential decrees, executive 
orders, proclamations, rules and regulations, or any part thereof, which are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly.
Section 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act, or the 
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutional or invalid, 
the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.
Section 5. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
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from Its publication In the Official Gazette or In at least two (2) newspapers of general
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circulation.
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Approved,