EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE } 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES }
Second Regular Session 
}
SENATE
S. B. No. 1844;
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20 SEP 22 P 3:29
RECEiVn)'!-
Introduced by Senators VICENTE C. SOTTO III, RALPH G. RECTO, JUAN MIGUEL F. 
 ZUBIRI, FRANKLIN M. DRILON, and PANFILO M. LACSON
AN ACT
AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESSING AND 
ISSUANCE OF NATIONAL AND LOCAL PERMITS AND LICENSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In the World Bank's 2020 Doing Business Report, Philippines jumped 29 
notches, ranking 95th from 124th last year. The Philippines got an Ease of Doing 
Business score of 62.8 in the 2020 report, an improvement over its grade in the 
previous year of 57.68. Based on the report, the Philippines improved on three areas: 
starting a business, dealing with construction permits, and protecting minority 
investors.1 Although it was a big leap from the previous year's, the Philippines is still 
last in the ranking among the founding members of Southeast Asian Nations.
According to some reports in 20192, the Philippines is a top foreign investment 
destination largely attributable to its continuing digital transforrriation and combined 
information and communications technology (ICTO and infrastructure efforts. 
Furthermore, based on an article published by the Philippine News Agency on 
December 30, 2019, Philippine economy is still anx)ng Asia's fastest amid easing 
inflation. The Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) accelerated by 6.2 percent In
1 https://www.dof.gov.ph/dof-confident-of-even-better-doing-business-ranking-for-phl-next-year-amid-msme- 
reform/
2 https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/philippines-a-top-foreign-investment-destination-with- 
613-surge-in-approved-investments-10287103931#


the third quarter, making it the second fastest-growing major economy after Vietnam, 
and ahead of China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Moreover, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of 
Finance, the Philippines entered 2020 with strong growth prospects due to the 
conservative and responsible fiscal management and tax reform measures, just to 
name a few factors. The Philippines is even said to be among the fastest growing 
economies, with a revenue of 16.1% of gross domestic product (GDP), which is the 
country's highest since 1997.
However, the economic landscape of the Philippines has drastically changed by 
reason of the pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 to the different sectors of our society 
are all unprecedented. The Philippine economy is forecast to contract by 7.3% in 2020 
amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Asian Development Bank3. While this 
has been the case, the Department of Finance4 remained optimistic in saying that the 
peso has emerged as among Asia's strongest currencies owing to the country's mild 
inflation rate.
Uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, although have been 
lessened, still exist. Measures to cushion its effect to our people and our economy 
have already been made. However, there are still a lot to be accomplished in order to 
rebuild the economy and defeat COVID-19 altogether.
Thus, this bill seeks to authorize the President, during the time of national 
emergency, to suspend the requirements for national and local permits, licenses and 
certifications, and to streamline and expedite the process for the issuance of the same. 
While this may be a small step. It surely can create a significant impact on all 
enterprises. Likewise, this move could ease the already heavy burden of the 
businesses that were heavily hit and continuously being beaten by the gargantuan 
effects of the pandemic. This Act could be one of the needed breathers of the
3 https://www.adb.org/news/philippine-economy-decline-further-2020-amid-covid-19-recovery-2021
4 https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/01/strong-peso-shows-confidence-in-ph-dof/


crumbling enterprises. And ultimately, this will redound to the benefit of our economy 
and encourage investors to capitaiize in the country.
The COVID-19 virus is spreading fast, so our action must likewise be swift. 
Therefore, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
VICENTE C. S0TTO III
IGUEL F. ZUBIRI
(LIN M. DRILON
PANFILO M. LACSON


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE } 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES }
Second Regular Session 
}
SENATE
Senate Bill No. 1844
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20 SEP 22 P3*-29
RECEiv-nn^ 
------- .
Introduced by Introduced by Senators VICENTE C. SOTTO III, RALPH G. RECTO, 
JUAN MIGUEL F. ZUBIRI, FRANKLIN M. DRILON, and PANFILO M. LACSON
AN ACT
AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESSING AND 
ISSUANCE OF NATIONAL AND LOCAL PERMITS, LICENSES AND
CERTIFICATIONS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
SECTION 1. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all agencies of the Executive
2 
branch, including departments, bureaus, offices, commissions, boards, councils;
3 
government instrumentalities, government owned and controlled corporations such as
4 
but not limited to the following: Department of Finance (DOF), Bureau of Internal
5 
Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs (BOC); Department of Environment and Natural
6 
Resources (DENR), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), Environmental
7 
Management Bureau (EMB), Land Management Bureau; Department of Justice (DOJ),
8 
Land Registration Authority (LRA), Bureau of Immigration (BI); Department of
9 
Transportation (DOTr), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
10 
(LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
11 
(CAAP), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA);
12 
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Commission on
13 
Indigenous Peoples (NCIP); Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG),
14 
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP); Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drug
15 
Administration (FDA); Department of Information and Communications Technology
16 
(DICT), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC); Department of Agriculture
17 
(DA), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR); Department of Energy


1 
(DOE); Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC); Department of Labor and Employment
2 
(DOLE); Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Home
3 
Mutual Development Fund (HDMF/PAGIBIG), Human Settlements Adjudication
4 
Commission (HSAC); Social Security System (SSS); Government Service Insurance
5 
System (GSIS); and local government units.
6 
SEC. 2. Authority of the President to Suspend the Requirements for 
1 Nationai and Locai Permits, Licenses and Certifications, and to Streamiine
8 
and Expedite the Process for the Issuance thereof - Notwithstanding any law,
9 
decree, order or ordinance to the contrary, the President, in times of national
10 
emergency shall have the authority to:
11 
(a) accelerate and streamline regulatory processes and procedures for new and
12 
pending applications for permits, licenses, clearances, certifications or
13 
authorizations, including fixing or shortening the periods provided for under
14 
existing laws, regulations, issuances, and ordinances;
15 
(b) suspend or waive the requirements in securing such permits, licenses,
16 
clearances, certifications or authorizations.
17 
SEC. 3. Power to Suspend or Remove- Consistent with Article VII Sections
18 
1 and 17 of the Constitution, the Revised Administrative Code, other existing laws,
19 
and jurisprudence, the President shall have the authority to suspend or remove, upon
20 
the determination of a competent body, any government official or employee
21 
performing acts contrary to the preceding section.
22 
SEC. 4. Separabiiity Ciause. — If any provision of this Act is declared
23 
unconstitutional or Invalid, the provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in
24 
full force and effect.
25 
SEC. 5. Repeating Ciause. — All laws, decrees, orders, ordinances, rules and
26 
regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
27 
accordingly.
28 
SEC. 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect upon its publication in the
29 
Official Gazette and in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,