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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 708 
Introduced by REP. JAVIER MIGUEL “JAVI” L. BENITEZ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of 
government bureaucracies, businesses and schools, driving an increase in 
Internet adoption and use around the world. According to the International 
Telecommunication Union, global Internet use increased by 17 percent, from 
4.1 billion users in 2019 to 4.9 billion in 2021. In the Philippines, at the onset of 
the pandemic in January 2020, there were 73 million Internet users; by January 
2022, 76.01 million were using the Internet.1  
The youth are among the most prolific users of the Internet. In 2019, use 
of the Internet for research and social media were highest among the age group 
15 to 19 years old, at 87.1 percent and 93.1 percent, respectively.2 The shift from 
in-person classes to distance learning, and the promotion of remote work, at 
the height of the pandemic has increased reliance on the Internet among 
students and young professionals. 
Demand for Internet, however, exposed the wide digital divide in the 
country. Many do not have access to affordable, fast Internet. The pandemic 
thus highlighted the need for urgent interventions to enhance Internet 
infrastructure and regulatory structure to improve not just access to but also 
the quality of Internet services in the country.  
One such intervention is to mandate Internet Service Providers to provide 
affordable options on Internet data subscription, including subscription plans 
and promos with data rollover. Instead of unused data expiring at the end of 
the subscription period, it will be added to your data allocation for the 
following subscription period or until end of the calendar year. This effectively 
lowers the cost of Internet data and saves the user money that they could use 
1 Digital 2022: Philippines. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-philippines 
2 2019 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey. Philippine Statistics Authority. 
July 1, 2025
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for other needs – a great help for students in blended or distance learning set-
ups, and workers who choose remote work options. Data rollover guarantees 
that users will get the most from the enjoy to the fullest the data allocation that 
they pay for. 
This bill was approved on third reading in the 18th Congress; the text 
thereof was refined by a Technical Working Group co-chaired by Rep. Strike 
Revilla and this humble representation. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
JAVIER MIGUEL L. BENITEZ 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 708
Introduced by REP. JAVIER MIGUEL “JAVI” L. BENITEZ 
AN ACT MANDATING AND INSTITUTIONALIZING ROLL-OVER DATA 
ALLOCATION SCHEME AND PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES 
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 “Roll-Over Internet 
Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State recognizes the vital role of 
information and communications technology in nation building. The State shall 
implement measures to provide for regulations on internet services provided 
by internet service providers and ensure that the interest and welfare of the 
people and the consuming public are protected and upheld. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
(a) Data Capping refers to the limit of bandwidth allocation an
internet service providers (ISP) is offering to its subscriber per day,
week, or month;
(b) Internet Data Package refers to the internet service packages, plans
or promos offered by ISPs with maximum limits on the open access
data volume an end user may avail per set period of the package;
(c) Internet Service Provider refers to any service-based operator
whose services involve the combination of computer processing,
information storage, protocol conversion, and transmission to


 
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enable subscribers to access internet content and services as well as 
multimedia services and its transmission of data through digital 
subscriber line (DSL), fixed wireless broadband, cable broadband, 
fiber-optic or fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and mobile data to enable 
subscribers to access internet content and services, as well as 
multimedia services; 
 
(d) Offer Duration refers to the length of time a subscriber or user is 
allowed to use an internet data package service and promos; 
 
(e) Roll-Over Data Allocation refers to the unused internet data 
allocation per day, week or month, as the case may be, depending 
on the applicable Internet Data Package, which shall be carried 
over to the following day, week or month until it is fully consumed; 
 
(f) Unlimited Internet Data Package refers to an internet service 
package with no data cap. 
 
SEC. 4. Coverage. – All ISPs in the Philippines shall be covered by this Act. 
 
SEC. 5. Roll-Over Data Allocation Scheme. – All ISPs are required to 
implement a Roll-Over Data Allocation Scheme for their subscribers as follows: 
 
(a) For postpaid subscribers or users: 
 
The rolled-over data allocation shall be prioritized to be 
consumed in the preceding month: Provided, That the unused data 
every month will be rolled-over and accumulated up until the last 
month of the year: Provided further, That all unused data 
allocation for a year may be used and converted as rebates, that 
may be used by subscribers as payment for internet service in the 
succeeding year of subscription. 
 
(b) For prepaid subscribers or users and postpaid subscribers who 
avail of internet data package promo offers: 
 
1) Unused data allocation shall be rolled-over provided that 
the subscriber or user renews the subscription right after the 
lapse of the offer duration; 
 
2) The unused data allocation of subscribers or users who fail 
to renew subscription shall be reduced by twenty percent 
(20%) every day until the subscription is renewed; 
 


 
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3) If after five (5) days, the subscription is not renewed, all 
unused data allocation shall be considered consumed. 
 
SEC. 6. Exemptions. – Subscribers who availed and shall avail of any 
unlimited Internet data package with no data cap shall be exempted from this 
Act. 
 
SEC. 7. Penalties. – Any ISP who fails to comply with any of the provisions 
of this Act, the following penalties shall be imposed: 
 
(a) A fine of Fifty thousand pesos (P 50,000.00) per violation per 
subscriber; and, 
(b) For repeated violations, aside from fine, revocation or cancellation 
of the license, registration or franchise of an ISP including the 
waiving of any pre-termination fees of affected subscriber. 
 
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days from 
the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of Information and 
Communications Technology (DICT), in coordination with the National 
Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and other concerned agencies, shall 
promulgate the rules and regulations and other issuances as may be necessary 
to ensure the effective implementation of this Act. 
 
SEC. 9. Separability Cause. – Should any part or provision of this Act be 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining parts or provisions not 
affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances, 
rules and regulations which may be inconsistent with any of the provisions of 
this Act, are hereby deemed repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,