Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by REP. SITTIE SHAHARA “BAI DIMPLE” I. MASTURA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to renew the franchise granted to the Sultan Kudarat Islamic 
Academy Foundation, Inc., now renamed Sultan Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat Islamic 
Academy Foundation, Inc.,1  under Republic Act No. 8681.  R.A. 8681 lapsed into law 
on June 25, 1998. 
The right to information on matters of public concern, freedom of expression and of 
the press are enshrined in our Constitution.  It is a tacit recognition of the crucial role 
media plays in the development and growth of our country. 
Recognizing the vital role of communication and information in nation building, the 
State granted the Sultan Kudarat Islamic Academy Foundation authority to operate for 
twenty-five (25) years.  It conducted its broadcast via FM frequency DXMM 107.3 MHz, 
serving the people of Sultan Kudarat, most particularly the students, the youth and 
educational institutions with its campus broadcast and information services. 
It has complied with its mandate to “construct, install, operate and maintain for 
commercial, educational and cultural purposes and in the public interest, radio stations 
anywhere in the Philippines where frequencies and/or channels are still available for 
radio broadcasting with technological auxiliaries and utilities, special broadcast and 
other program and distribution services and relay stations.” 
Under the terms of R.A. 8681, the franchise granted to Sultan Kudarat Islamic 
Academy Foundation, Inc. will expire on June 25, 2023. 
Considering the vital role played by Sultan Kudarat Islamic Academy Foundation, 
Inc. - now Sultan Muhammud Dipatuan Kudarat Islamic Academy Foundation – in 
1 SEC Reg. No. AN091-195240 dated September 02, 1991 
September 16, 2022
12:02 pm
4899


information dissemination, it is imperative that the State allows its public service to 
continue uninterrupted by granting a renewal of its franchise. 
In view of its vital importance, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
SITTIE SHAHARA “BAI DIMPLE” I. 
MASTURA 
Representative 
First District of Maguindanao  
and Cotabato City 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by REP. SITTIE SHAHARA “BAI DIMPLE” I. MASTURA 
AN ACT 
GRANTING THE SULTAN MUHAMMAD DIPATUAN KUDARAT ISLAMIC ACADEMY 
FOUNDATION, INC.2 A FRANCHISE TO CONSTRUCT, INSTALL, ESTABLISH, 
OPERATE AND MAINTAIN RADIO BROADCASTING STATIONS ANYWHERE IN 
THE PHILIPPINES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Nature and Scope of Franchise.  Subject to the provisions of the 
Philippine Constitution and applicable laws, rules and regulations, there is hereby 
granted  to the Sultan Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat Islamic Academy Foundation, Inc., 
hereunder referred to as the grantee, its successors or assignees, a franchise to 
construct, install, establish, operate, and maintain for commercial purposes and in the 
public interest, radio broadcasting stations anywhere in the Philippines where 
frequencies and/or channels are still available for radio broadcasting, including digital 
radio system, through microwave, satellite, or whatever means, including the use of any 
present technology in radio systems, with the corresponding technological auxiliaries 
and facilities, special broadcast and other program and distribution services and relay 
stations. 
SEC. 2.  Manner of Operation of Stations or Facilities.  The stations or facilities of the 
grantee shall be constructed and operated in a manner as will, at most, result  only in 
the minimum interference  on the wavelengths or frequencies of existing stations or 
other stations which may be established by law, without in any way diminishing its own 
privilege to use its assigned wavelengths or frequencies and the quality of transmission 
2 Formerly the Sultan Kudarat Islamic Academy Foundation, Inc., per SEC Reg. No. AN091-195240 dated 
September 02, 1991 
4899


or reception thereon as should maximize rendition of the grantee’s services and/or 
availability thereof. 
 
SEC. 3. Prior approval of the National Telecommunications Commission. - The grantee 
shall secure from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) the appropriate  
permits and licenses for the construction and operation of its stations or facilities and 
shall not use any frequency in the radio spectrum without authorization from the NTC.  
The NTC, however, shall not unreasonably withhold, or delay, the grant of such 
authority.   
 
SEC. 4. Responsibility to the public. – The grantee shall provide, free of charge, 
adequate public service time which is reasonable and sufficient to enable the 
government, through the broadcasting stations or facilities of the grantee, to reach the 
pertinent populations or portions thereof, on important public issues and relay important 
public announcements and warnings concerning public emergencies and calamities, as 
necessity, urgency or law may require; provide at all times sound and balanced 
programming; promote public participation, assist in the functions of public information 
and education; conform to the ethics of honest enterprise; promote audience sensibility 
and empowerment including closed captioning, and not use its station facilities for the 
broadcasting of obscene or indecent language, speech, act or scene; or for the 
dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, to the 
detriment of public interest; or to incite, encourage or assist in subversive or treasonable 
acts. 
 
 
Public service time referred herein shall be equivalent to a maximum aggregate 
of ten percent [10%] of paid commercials or advertisements which shall be allocated 
based on need to the executive, legislative, judiciary, constitutional commissions and 
international humanitarian organizations duly recognized by statutes:  Provided, That 
the NTC shall increase the public service time in case of extreme emergency or 
calamity.  The NTC shall issue rules and regulations for this purpose, the effectivity of 
which shall commence upon applicability with other similarly situated broadcast network 
franchise holders. 
 
SEC. 5.  Right of the Government.  -  The radio spectrum is a finite resource that is part 
of the national patrimony and the use thereof is a privilege conferred upon the grantee 
by the State and may be withdrawn any time after due process. 
 
   A special right is hereby reserved to the President of the Philippines, in times of war,  
rebellion, public calamity, emergency, disaster or disturbance of the peace and order, to 
temporarily take over and operate the stations or facilities of the grantee, to temporarily 
suspend the operation of any station or facility in the interest of public safety, security 
and public welfare; or to authorize the temporary use and operation thereof by any 
agency of the government, upon due compensation to the grantee, for the use of said 
stations or facilities during the period when these shall be so operated. 
 
SEC. 6.  Term of Franchise. – This franchise shall be in effect for a period of twenty-five 
(25) years from the effectivity of this Act, unless sooner revoked or cancelled.  This 


franchise shall be deemed ipso facto revoked in the event the grantee fails to comply 
with any of the following conditions: 
 
(a)  Commence operations within one (1) year from the approval of its operating 
permit by the NTC; 
(b) Commence operations within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act; 
and 
(c) Operate continuously for two (2) years. 
 
 
SEC. 7. Self-regulation by and Undertaking of the Grantee. – The grantee shall not 
require any previous censorship of any speech, play, act or scene, or other matter to be 
broadcast from its stations, but if any such speech, play, act or scene or other matter 
should constitute a violation of the law or infringement of a private right, the grantee 
shall be free from any liability, civil or criminal, for such speech, play, act or scene, or 
other matter: Provided, That the grantee, during any broadcast, shall cut off the airing of 
such speech, play, act or scene, or other matter being broadcast if the tendency thereof 
is to propose and/or incite treason, rebellion or sedition; or the language used therein or 
the theme thereof is indecent or immoral: Provided, further, That wilful failure to do so 
shall constitute a valid cause for the cancellation of this franchise. 
 
SEC. 8.  Warranty in Favor of the National and Local Government.  -  The grantee shall 
hold the national, provincial, city and municipal governments of the Philippines free from 
all claims, liabilities, demands or actions arising out of accidents causing injury to 
persons or damage to properties, during the construction or operation of the stations of 
the grantee. 
 
SEC. 9. Commitment to Provide and Promote the Creation of Employment 
Opportunities. – The grantee shall create employment opportunities and shall allow on-
the-job-trainings in their franchise operation: Provided, That priority shall be accorded to 
the residents where their principal office is located: Provided, further, That the grantee 
shall follow the applicable labor standards and allowance entitlement under existing 
labor laws, rules and regulations and similar issuances; Provided, finally, That the 
employment opportunities or jobs created shall be reflected in the General Information 
Sheet (GIS) to be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission annually. 
 
SEC. 10. Sale, Lease, Transfer, Grant of Usufruct or Assignment of Franchise. – The 
grantee shall not sell, lease, transfer, grant the usufruct of, nor assign this franchise or 
the rights and privileges acquired thereunder to any person, firm, company, corporation 
or other commercial or legal entity, nor merge with any other corporation or entity, nor 
the 
controlling 
interest 
of 
the 
grantee 
be 
transferred, 
simultaneously 
or 
contemporaneously, to any such person, firm, company, corporation, or entity without 
notice to the Congress of the Philippines. 
 
Congress shall be informed of any sale, lease, transfer, grant of usufruct or assignment 
of franchise or the rights and privileges acquired thereunder, or of the merger or transfer 
of controlling interest  of the grantee, within sixty (60) days after the completion of the 


said transaction.  Failure to report to Congress such Congress such change of 
ownership shall render the franchise ipso facto revoked.  Any person or entity to which 
this franchise is sold, transferred or assigned shall be subject to the same conditions, 
terms, restrictions and limitations of this Act. 
 
SEC. 11. Reportorial Requirements. – The grantee shall submit an annual report to the 
Congress of the Philippines, through the Committee on Legislative Franchises of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Public Services of the Philippine 
Senate, on its compliance with the terms and conditions of the franchise and on its 
operations on or before April 30 of every year during the term of its franchise.  Such 
reportorial compliance to the Congress shall be required before any application for 
permit certificate is accepted by the NTC. 
 
SEC. 12.  Fine.  – Failure of the grantee to submit the requisite annual report to 
Congress shall be penalized by a fine of Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00)  for non-
compliance.  The fine shall be collected by the NTC from the delinquent franchise 
grantee separate from the reportorial penalties imposed by the NTC and the same shall 
be remitted to the National Treasury. 
 
SEC. 13. Equity Clause.  -  Except for taxes and custom duties, any advantage, favour, 
privilege, exemption, or immunity granted under existing franchises, or which may 
hereafter be granted for radio and/or television broadcasting, upon prior review and 
approval of Congress, shall become part of this franchise and shall be accorded 
immediately and unconditionally to the herein grantee:  Provided, That the foregoing 
shall neither apply to nor affect provisions of broadcasting franchises pertaining to the 
term, the type of service, or the territorial coverage of the franchise. 
 
SEC. 14.  Repealability and Non-exclusivity Clause.  -    This franchise shall be subject 
to amendment, alteration or repeal by the Congress of the Philippines when the public 
interest so requires and shall not be interpreted as an exclusive grant of the privileges 
herein provided. 
 
SEC. 15.  Separability Clause.  -  If any of the sections or provisions of this Act is held 
invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid. 
 
SEC. 16.  Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, resolutions, rules 
and regulations, or parts or provisions thereof which are not consistent with this Act are 
hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 17.  Effectivity.  – This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,