FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SEN'Ya41 
S.No. ___ _ 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to provide for disclosure of fire safety standards and measures with respect 
to campus buildings of higher learning by calling upon colleges and universities to report 
information on the level of fire safety on their campuses to the Commission on Higher Education 
(CHED) and to the public 
This legislation will help parents to identify schools that set a strong emphasis on fire 
safety. When selecting a school, studen.ts and parents must also consider the school's track record 
when it comes to fire safety. The Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act will provide them with 
", ,itru 'of"m,"oo llicy oood to m"':t;~:~S()1rSJ4f 
I This bill was originally filed in the Thirteenth Congress, Third Regular Session. 
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, ,; 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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TO PROVIDE FOR DISCLOSURE OF FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS AND MEASURES 
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WITH RESPECT TO CAMPUS BUILDINGS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Campus Fire Safety Right-to-
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Know Act". 
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SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. - The following terms as used in this Act shall be 
, 
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defined as follows: 
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(1) "Chairman" refers to the Chairman ofthe Commission on Higher Education; 
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(2) "CHED" refers to Commission on Higher Education. 
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SECTION 3. Disclosure of Five Safety of campus Buildings. -
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(1) Fire Safety Reports Required - Each eligible institution participating in any program 
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under this title shall, beginning in academic next following the effectivity of this Act, and each 
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year thereafter, prepare, publish, and distribute, through appropriate publications or mailings, to 
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all current students and employees, and to any applicant for enrollment or employment upon 
• 
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request, an annual fire safety report containing at least the following information with respect to 
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the campus fire safety practices and standards of that institution: 
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(a) A statement that identifies each student housing facility of the 
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institution, and whether or not that facility is equipped with a fire sprinkler system 
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.or other fire safety systems, or both; 
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(b) Statistics concerning the occurrence on campus, during the 2 preceding 
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calendar years for which data are available, of fires and false fire alarms in 
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student housing facilities. 
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(c) For each such occurrence, a statement of the human injuries or deaths 
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and the structural damag~ caused by the occurrence. 
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(d) Information regarding fire alarms, smoke alarms, the presence of 
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adequate fire escape planning or protocols, rules on portable electrical appliances, 
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smoking and open flames (such as candles), regular mandatory supervised fire 
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drills, and planned and future improvement in fire safety. 
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(2) Rule of Construction - Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize the 
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Chairman to require particular policies, procedures, or practices by institutions of higher 
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education with respect to fire safety. 
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(3) Reports - Each institution 'participating in any program under this title shall make 
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periodic reports to the campus community on fires and false fire alarms that are reported to local 
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fire departments in a manner that will aid the prevention of similar occurrences. 
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(4) Reports to the Chairman - On an aI1I1ual basis, each institution participating in any 
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program under this title shall submit to the Secretary a copy of the statistics required to be made 
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available under paragraph (l)(B). The Chairman shall: 
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(a) review such statistics; 
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(b) make copies of the statistics submitted to the Chairman available to the 
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public; and 
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(c) in coordination with representatives of institutions of higher education, 
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identify exemplary fire safety policies, procedures, and practices and disseminate 
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information concerning those policies, procedures, and practices that have proven 
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effective in the reduction of campus fires. 
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SECTION 4. Report to Congress by the Chairman ofCHED. - Within one (1) year after 
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the effectivity of this Act, the Chairman shall prepare and submit to the Congress a report 
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containing--
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(1) an analysis of the current status of fire safety systems in college and university 
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facilities, including sprinkler systems; 
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(2) an analysis of the appropriate fire safety standards to apply to these facilities, which 
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the Chairman shall prepare after cOIl~ultation with such fire safety experts, representatives of 
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institutions of higher education, and other government agencies as the Chairman, considers 
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appropriate; 
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(3) an estimate of the cost of bringing all nonconforming dOlwitories and other campus 
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buildings up to current new building codes; and 
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(4) recommendations from the Chairman concerning the best means of meeting fire 
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safety standards in all college facilities, including recommendations for methods to fund such 
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cost. 
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SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the 
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provisions ofthis Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
/ptrhtOljuly2010 
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