NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
Senate
•22 JULll P6 ’17
S. No.
SENATE
271
Rra'/[^DLV;
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRONICS DONATION AND RECYCLING PROGRAM
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
EXPLANATORY NOTE
With the launching of new models of mobile phones, laptops, tablets and other 
electronic gadgets almost occurring every year, it is expected that thousands, if not 
millions, of new gadgets flood the market on an annual basis. Users then frequently 
discard or dispose of their old gadgets for brand-new units, which in turn, contributes 
to the escalating electronic waste problem in our country. A study conducted by 
engineers from the University of the Philippines yielded an estimate that by 2021 the 
number of discarded phones will hit over 24.9 Million, with respondents saying that 
they were replacing phones at a rate of once every one to two years.1 This means 
that Filipinos are throwing out their gadgets despite not being totally unusable and 
not being beyond their estimated useful life. Some of this electronic waste may not 
even be "waste" at all.
This wastage ignores the fact that access to an electronic gadget is severely 
limited for lower income households. A 2020 study by the Philippine Institute for 
Development Studies (PIDS) revealed that only 69% of poor households have mobile 
phones, while only 1% and 6% of poor and low-income families have computers.
1 Mateo, Janvic. One News. (9 July 2019). Phi’s E-waste Problem: Over 24 MPhones 
Discarded Yearly by 2t?27.Retrieved from: https://onenews.ph/phl-s-e-waste-problem-over- 
24-m-phones-disearded-yearly-by-2021


respectively.2 With the shift to remote learning modalities for 2020-2021 school year 
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this digital divide is rendered more evident. In the 
National Capital Region (NCR) alone, around 648,405 public school students lack 
gadgets.3 On the side of our teachers, 13% of them have no laptops or computers at 
their home based on a recent Department of Education (DepEd) survey.4 This lack of 
access to gadgets to be used for distance learning, coupled with the problem 
concerning internet connectivity, may have forced some of our youth to skip school 
and not enroll for the current school year, or at least until they have procured the 
necessary tools and equipment.
The juxtaposition of the apparent wastage in the disposal of still-usable 
gadgets, on one hand and the lack of electronic gadgets among our students from 
poor and low-income households, on the other, serves as the primary motivation for 
this proposed measure.
Under this bill, an Electronics Donation and Recycling Program shall be 
established nationwide through which all manufacturers and retailers of electronic 
gadgets will be mandated to establish and set up donation and recycling booths within 
the premises of their sales outlets, stores, service centers and similar locations. This 
is for the purpose of processing and accepting electronic gadgets intended by their 
respective owners for donation and/or recycling.
For collected gadgets which are intended for donation, the recipient shall be 
the Department of Education (DepEd) for distribution to poor students, subject to 
appropriate guidelines to be issued by the said agency.
2 PIDS (14 April 2020). Projected Disease Transmission, Health System Requirements, and 
Macroeconomic Impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Philippines. 
Retrieved from: https://www.pids.gov.ph/publications/7022
3 Agoncillo, Joddee. Inquirer.net (7 August 2020). DepEd laments dearth of devices. 
Retrieved from: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1317951 /deped-laments-dearth-of-devices
4 ABS-CBN News. (16 June 2020). Thousands of teachers lack gadgets, internet to cope with 
pandemic: DepEd. Retrieved from: https://news.abs-cbn.eom/news/06/16/20/thousands-of- 
teachers-lack-gadgets-internet-to-cope-with-pandemic-deped


For collected gadgets which are intended for recycling, the same shall be 
disposed of or turned over to Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
(DENR)-accredited facilities capable of recycling electronic gadgets and components.
Thus, this bill will serve two purposes - protecting the environment by 
controlling the unnecessary wastage of electronic devices and at the same time, 
bridging the digital divide that had hampered our poor students from participating in 
a modern educational system.
In view of this, early passage of this bill is sought.
<M#rrTUEL W.lW M. LAPII
Senator


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
2
S. No. c-
of tsu
•22 JUL11 P6;17 
\
RiXEI'/'-D EV.
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
1 
AN ACT
2 
ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRONICS DONATION AND RECYCLING PROGRAM
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ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as ''Electronics Donation and
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Recycling Act"
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Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State 
to promote and protect the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology In 
accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. In consonance with this objective, the 
proliferation of electronic waste shall be addressed through programs that encourages 
the proper recycling of electronic gadgets that will channel electronic waste to the 
appropriate disposal facilities and the donation of still fit-for-use gadgets to poor 
students.
Section 3. Electronics Donation and Recycling Program.- IKW manufacturers and 
retailers of electronic gadgets shall be required to establish and set up donation and 
recycling booths within the premises of their sales outlets, stores, service centers and 
similar locations all over the country for the purpose of processing and accepting 
electronic gadgets intended by their respective owners for donation and/or recycling. 
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in coordination with the Department of 
Information and Communications Technology (DICT), shall issue the specific
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guidelines regarding the layout, contents, sorting and recycling processes, simple
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repairs required for donated items and other relevant details for the operation and
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maintenance of these booths.
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DTI shall maintain a publicly-accessible website containing the following: (1)
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detailed and updated list of sales outlets, stores, services centers, etc. which have
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donation and recycling booths within their premises; (2) contact information of those
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listed in no. 1; (3) basic information on electronics donation and recycling; and (4)
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hotline/s for inquiries, feedbacks and reporting of problems and issues.
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Section 4. Destination of CoiiectedEiectronic Gadgets. - For collected gadgets
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which are Intended for donation, the recipient shall be the Department of Education
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(DepEd) for distribution to poor students, subject to appropriate guidelines to be
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issued by the said agency.
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For collected gadgets which are intended for recycling, the same shall be
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disposed of or turned over to Department of Environment and Natural Resources
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(DENR)-accredited facilities capable of recycling electronic gadgets and components.
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Section 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from
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the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in coordination
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with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and
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other relevant government agencies and stakeholders, shall issue the necessary rules
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and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.
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Section 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
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proclamations, rules and regulations, or any part thereof, which are inconsistent with
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the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
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Section 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act, or the
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application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutional or invalid,
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the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.


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Section 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from
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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,