EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E
S. No. 1021
d e n o te
'v 
■ © {ftu of Ibr sbecrrtirf
*19 SEP-9 A9:09
RECEk t DBV
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, 3R.
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL PROGRAM TO SUPPORT AND CARE FOR 
ABANDONED, NEGLECTED AND VOLUNTARILY COMMITTED CHILDREN, 
CREATING A SPECIAL TRUST FUND THEREFORE, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which the Philippines is a state 
party, provides that "A child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family 
environment, or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that 
environment, shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the 
State."
It cannot be denied that there is still a considerable number of orphaned, 
abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed children in the country. These children 
need the same care and protection, maybe even more, from their environment 
especially because of their status.
This proposed measure seeks to provide for a trust fund account for each 
orphaned, 
abandoned, 
neglected 
or 
voluntarily 
committed 
minor 
under 
DSWD-accredited child caring institutions and care centers. This fund will be funded 
by the State regularly. The trust fund matures when the orphaned, abandoned.


neglected or voluntary committed minor reaches the age of majority. This may aid 
him/her in starting to face the challenges of matured life.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
RAMOMBONG REVILLA, JR.


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
S E N A T E
S. No. 
1021
S e n a te
/^<9VL\a o( tt)f i>rtrrurp
•19 
SEP “ 9 
A 9 K)9
RECEIVl D b y.
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REYILLA, JR.
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL PROGRAM TO SUPPORT AND CARE FOR 
ABANDONED, NEGLECTED AND VOLUNTARILY COMMITTED CHILDREN, 
CREATING A SPECIAL TRUST FUND THEREFORE, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
Be it  enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Congress assembled:
1
2
3
4
5
6 
7 
g 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Section 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Trust Fund for the 
Abandoned, Neglected or Voluntarily Committed Child of 2019."
Sec. 2. Declaration o f Policy. In line with the State policy recognizing the vital 
role of the youth in nation-building and the State's duty to promote and protect their 
physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being, it is hereby declared a 
policy of the State to support and care for children who have been abandoned, 
neglected or voluntarily committed in accordance with the duty of the State under the 
doctrine of parenspatria or guardian of the rights of the people. This duty of the State 
becomes even more imperative in light of the constitutional mandate that the State 
shall strengthen the family as a basic social institution. This is especially so when the 
relatives or guardian of these children fail, refuse or are incapable of providing for the 
needs o f the said children. The State shall thereby establish a trust fund for such 
children to be withdrawn only upon their reaching the age of majority.


1 
Sec. 3. Definition o f Terms. -  For purposes of this Act, the following terms are
2 
defined:
3 
a) C7;/7cf refers to a person below eighteen (18) years of age or a person over
4 
eighteen (18) but is unable to fully take care of him/herself or protect
5 
him/herself from abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination because of
6 
physical or mental disability or condition.
7 
b) Abandoned Child refers to a child who has no proper parental care oOf
8 
guardianship, or whose parent(s) have deserted him/her for a period of at
9 
least three (3) continuous months, which include a foundling.
10 
c) Neglected Child refers to a child whose basic needs have been
11 
deliberately unattended or inadequately attended within a period of three
12 
(3) continuous months. Neglect may occur in two (2) ways:
13 
1. There is physical neglect when the child is malnourished, ill-clad, and
14 
without proper shelter. A child is unattended when left 
by
15 
himself/herself without proper provisions and/or without proper
16 
supervision.
17 
2. There is emotional neglect when the child is maltreated, raped,
18 
seduced, exploited, overworked, or made to work under conditions
19 
not conducive to good health; or is made to beg in the streets or
20 
public places; or when children are in moral danger or exposed to
21 
gambling, prostitution, and other vices.
22 
d) Voluntarily Committed Child is one whose parent(s) or legal guardian
23 
knowingly and willingly relinquished parental authority to the DSWD or to
24 
any duly accredited child-placement or child-caring agency or institution.
25 
e) Trust Entities o r Any Bank which Offers Trust Services refers to a reputable
26 
private financial institution with a proven track record in the banking
27 
industry owned by a group of individuals which accepts deposits, makes
28 
business loans, and offers related services;
29 
f) 
Trust Fund fo r the Abandoned, Neglected o r Voluntarily Committed Child
30 
refers to a special fund set aside for the children under the care of the
31 
DSWD or any DSWD-accredited child-caring institution. The said fund shall
32 
operate as a special trust fund managed by a reputable trust entity;


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
g) Child-Caring Institution refers to any twenty-four hour resident group care 
service for the physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being of nine or 
more mentally gifted, dependent, abandoned, neglected, handicapped or 
disturbed children that is coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare 
and Development (DSWD); and
h) Guardian refers to the owner and/or any elder in the child-caring institution 
tasked to keep an eye on the abandoned, neglected or voluntarily 
committed child.
Sec. 4. Coverage. -  This Act shall cover all abandoned, neglected or voluntarily 
committed children, under the case of the DSWD or DSWD-accredited child-caring 
institutions that may be recognized by the DSWD in accordance with the implementing 
rules and regulations of this Act.
Sec. 5. National Monitoring System fo r Abandoned, Neglected o r Voluntarily 
Committed Children. -  The DSWD, in coordination with other government agencies 
tasked with caring for the welfare and development of children and the youth, shall 
come up with a comprehensive monitoring system to address the needs of abandoned, 
neglected or voluntarily committed children. The system shall include, but not be 
limited to, coming up with an updated data on the number, location and personal 
profile of abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed children; profiling of child­
caring institutions nationwide; and establishing a transparent mechanism that would 
provide a grant of a reasonable lump sum grant to abandoned, neglected or voluntarily 
committed children who already turned 18 years old and are ready to lead a life on 
their own.
Sec. 6. Trust Fund fo r Abandoned, Neglected, Voluntarily Committed Children. 
-  a trust fund account in a commercial bank or in a number of commercial banks as 
defined in this Act shall be opened in the name of every covered abandoned, neglected 
or voluntarily committed child under a memorandum o f agreement (MOA) to be 
entered into by a commercial bank and the DSWD. The DSWD, sourcing it from a 
regular annual appropriation item in its budget, shall deposit the sum of two thousand


1 
five hundred pesos (P2,500.00) quarterly in every trust fund account until the account
2 
matures, unless terminated earlier by the DSWD due to the death or ineligibility of the
3 
recipient.
4 
Each of the trust fund account shall be opened by the DSWD based on a verified
5 
list of abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed children submitted by their
6 
respective child-caring institutions. To maintain the real purchasing value of the said
7 
amount through the years, it shall be increased by the DSWD every three (3) years in
8 
proportion to the average inflation rate for the said period as certified by the National
9 
Economic Development Authority (NEDA).
10 
Each covered abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed child shall be
11 
entitled to the said quarterly deposit in his/her trust fund for the entire duration that
12 
he/she was in a child-caring institution until he/she reaches the age of 18. In the event
13 
that the abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed child has been rendered
14 
ineligible to receive the said fund, or dies prior to reaching the age of majority, the
15 
trust fund for such child shall be forfeited in favor of the State.
16
17 
Sec. 7. Budgetary Requirement -  The DSWD shall incorporate the budgetary
18 
requirements of this Act in their annual budget proposal.
19
20 
Sec. 8. Revocation o f the Grant -  The grant envisioned for every abandoned,
21 
neglected or voluntarily committed child under this Act shall be revoked when:
22 
a) the abandoned, neglected of voluntarily committed children or his guardian,
23 
his fellow abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed children or his
24 
guardian, his ascendants or descendants;
25 
b) the abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed child has abandoned the
26 
child-caring institution for a period of six months and efforts have been
27 
exhausted to locate the abandoned, neglected, or voluntarily committed
28 
child within the stated period;
29 
c) the abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed child has been found to
30 
be pushing or using prohibited drugs, or otherwise involved in illegal
31 
activities;


3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
2
d) the abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed child has been found to 
be living a dishonorable or disgraceful life; and
e) the abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed child has been convicted 
of any crime involving moral turpitude.
Should the abandoned, neglected or voluntarily committed child die prior to 
reaching the age of majority, his or her trust fund account shall be forfeited in favor 
of the State.
Sec. 9. Im plementing Rules and Regulations. -  The DSWD, in consultation with 
the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the National Economic and 
Development Authority, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other agencies 
they deem necessary to consult, shall issue the Implementing Rules and Regulations 
(IRR) within ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act.
Sec. 10. Separability Clause. I f  any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting.
Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly.
Sec. 12. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,