FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
Senate Bill No. ___ 
948 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Cigarette is one of the leading causes of fire-deaths in the country. 
This bill, the "Cigarette Fire Safety Act," calls for the creation of fire safety 
standards for cigarettes that would make them less likely to ignite upholstered 
furniture and mattresses and therefore reduce the number of fires caused by 
careless smokers. 
Scientists and fire officials say a great number of deaths could often be 
avoided because small design changes in cigarettes would make them less 
prone to start fires: a filter tip, less porous paper, more expandable tobacco, a 
smaller diameter, and no citrate added to the paper. More recently, Philip 
Morris has announced in January, 2000, that it has the technology to make a 
safer paper for cigarettes. 
Cigarettes are designed to continue burning when left unattended. If 
dropped on mattresses, upholstered furniture or other combustible material while 
still burning, their propensity to start fires varies depending on the cigarette 
design and content. 
Studies showing the technical and economic feasibility of commercial 
production of fire-safe cigarettes, a result of relatively minor design changes 
which could reduce the propensity for igniting mattresses and upholstered 
furniture, were undergone. Mass production of fire-safe smoking materials has 
not been undertaken due to a lack of consensus on a uniform test method on 
which to base a standard for fire-safe cigarettes. 
Mass production of cigarettes incorporating the new technology, a 
potentially important burn prevention tool, will not occur until standards against 
which fire-starting performance can be measured, have been mandated by law. 
MANNY VIL AR 9 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
~~~~~1~~~ 
BY :-.- 
S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. 948 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
CONCERNING FIRE-SAFE CIGARETTES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title- This Act shall be known and cited as the "Cigarette Fire 
Safety Act." 
SECTION 2. Safety Standards.- Within two years after the effective date 
of this act, the Bureau of Fire Protection, after consultation with the Bureau of 
Product Standards, shall promulgate fire safety standards for cigarettes sold or 
offered for sale in the country. 
As may be necessary to effectuate the purpose of this act. 
b. The standards shall insure either: 
1. That such cigarettes, if ignited, will stop burning within a time 
period specified by the standards if the cigarettes are not smoked during 
that period; or 
2. That such cigarettes meet performance standards prescribed by 
the division to limit the risk that such cigarettes will ignite upholstered 
furniture, mattresses or other household furnishings. 
In promulgating fire safety standards for cigarettes pursuant to this 
section, the Bureau of Fire Protection, in consultation with the Department of 
Health, shall consider whether cigarettes manufactured in accordance with such 
standards may reasonably result in increased health risks to consumers. 
SECTION 3. The Bureau of Fire Protection shall be responsible for 
administering the provisions of this Act. The Bureau shall report to the Congress 
no later than 18 months after this section takes effect on the status of its work in 
promulgating the fire safety standards required by this act. 
SECTION 4. On and after the date the fire safety standards take effect in 
accordance with this Act, no cigarettes shall be sold or offered for sale in the 


country state unless the manufacturer thereof has certified in writing to the 
Bureau of Fire Protection that such cigarettes meet the performance standards 
prescribed by the Bureau. Copies of such written certifications shall be provided 
by the certifying manufacturer to all licensed wholesale dealers. The Bureau shall 
prescribe procedures by which licensed retail dealers are notified of which 
cigarettes have been certified by manufacturers as meeting the performance 
standards prescribed by the Bureau. 
SECTION 5. The fire safety standards required under this act shall take 
effect on such date as the Bureau shall specify in promulgating such standards 
and this date shall be the earliest practicable date by which manufacturers of 
cigarettes can comply with the standards; except that this date shall not be later 
than 180 days after the standards are promulgated. 
On and after that date, no person shall sell cigarettes that have not been 
certified by the manufacturer in accordance with this act; except, that nothing in 
this act shall be construed to prohibit any licensed wholesale dealer from selling 
cigarettes that have not been certified by the manufacturer in accordance with 
this act if such cigarettes are or will be stamped for sale by licensed dealers in 
another country or are packaged for sale outside the Philippines. 
SECTION 6. Violations- Any licensed wholesale dealer or any other 
person who knowingly sells cigarettes wholesale in violation of this Act shall be 
subject to a civil penalty of no more than Php1,000,000.00 for each such sale of 
such cigarettes. 
Any retail dealer who knowingly sells cigarettes in violation of this section 
shall be subject to the following: (1) a civil penalty of not more than 
Php300,000.00 for each such sale or offer for sale of such cigarettes, when the 
total number of cigarettes sold or offered for sale in such sale does not exceed 
1,000 cigarettes; (2) a civil penalty of not more than Php500,000.00 for each 
such sale or offer for sale of such cigarettes, when the total number of cigarettes 
sold or offered for sale in such sale exceeds 1,000. 
In addition to any penalty prescribed by law, any person engaged in the 
manufacture of cigarettes that knowingly makes a false certification pursuant to 
this Act shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than Php500,000.00 for 
each such false certification. 
SECTION 7. All laws, decrees or executive issuances and any rules and 
regulations or any part thereof which may be inconsistent with any of the 
provisions of this Act are hereby deemed repealed, amended or modifies 
accordingly. 
SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
Approved. 
publication in two (2) newspapers of general publication.