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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S.B. NO. ' 
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Introduced by Senate President Manny Villar 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Tattooing, a tradition among people around the world, has been 
practiced worldwide among Polynesian peoples, and among certain tribal 
groups in the Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, 
South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand and 
China. Tattoos have served as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, 
symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual 
lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, amulets and 
talismans, protection, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts. 
Today, tattoos have experienced a resurgence in popularity in many 
parts 
of 
the 
world. 
People 
choose 
to 
be 
tattooed 
for 
cosmetic, 
sentimental/ memorial, religious, and magical reasons, and to symbolize their 
belonging to or identification with particular groups. They are useful in 
enhancing eyebrows, lips, eyes and even moles, usually with natural colors as 
the designs are intended to resemble make-up. 
Tattooing, however, may carry health risks, including infection and 
allergic reactions. 
,Infections that could be transmitted via the use of 
unsterilized tattoo equipment include surface infections of the skin, herpes 
simplex virus, tetanus, staph (infected tattoo) fungal infections, some forms of 
hepatitis and HIV. 
This bill seeks to protect and promote the right to health of the people by 
providing standards in the operation of tattoo studios to ensure the safety of 
the people against health risks and all possible complications that may arise in 
receiving a tattoo. 
Under the proposed measure, the owner of a tattoo studio or tattoo artist 
shall have the duty to discuss with the patron or person intending to be 
tattooed the health risks involved in the tattoo requested, including the 
potential that a tattoo may interfere with the clinical reading of a magnetic 
resonance imaging study, should the patron ever encounter a medical need for 
such a study. The owner of a tattoo studio or tattoo artist is also mandated to 
advise the patron of all the possible complications that may arise in receiving a 
tattoo. 


The proposed bill also seeks to penalize any person who shall perform 
tattoo work on a minor without the written consent of the latter’s parents or 
guardian; any person who is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or 
alcohol; pregnant or nursing women; any person with contraindicated skin 
condition; and any person incapable of giving consent due to mental 
incapacity. 
It is hoped that the health risks and all possible complications which 
may arise in receiving a tattoo shall be minimized. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is ear estly requested. 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S. B. NO; 18'36 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING STANDARDS IN THE OPERATION OF TATTOO STUDIOS, 
PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Phil@pines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. 
Protection Act of 2007". 
Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Tattoo Patrons 
SEC. 2, Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State to protect and promote the right to health of the people. Toward this end, 
the government shall provide standards in the operation of tattoo studios to 
ensure the safety of the people against health risks and all possible 
complications that may arise in receiving a tattoo. 
SEC. 3. License Requirement. -No person shall perform tattoo or 
operate a tattoo studio unless he possesses the qualifications that may be 
prescribed by the Department of Health. 
SEC. 4. Duty to inform and advise patron. - It shall be the duty of the 
owner of a tattoo studio or tattoo artist to discuss with the patron or person 
intending to be tattooed the health risks involved in the tattoo requested, 
including the potential that a tattoo may interfere with the clinical reading 
of a magnetic resonance imaging study, should the patron ever encounter a 
medical need for such a study. The owner of a tattoo studio or tattoo artist 


shall also advise the patron of all the possible complications that may arise in 
receiving a tattoo. 
SEC. 5.' Records. - The owner of a tattoo studio in which the tattoo was 
performed shall maintain a complete record which shall contain, but not 
limited to, the following: 
(a) name and signature of the person; 
(b) address; 
(c) age; 
(d) date tattooed; 
(e) design of the tattoo; 
(f) location of the tattoo in the person's body; 
(8) name of the tattoo artist who performed the work. 
He shall also keep on file the written consent of the parents or guardian 
in case the person to be tattooed is a minor and the advice given to the patron 
regarding the possible complications that may arise in receiving a tattoo. 
SEC. 6. Procedures. - Every owner of a tattoo studio or tattoo artist 
shall conform to the following procedures: 
A copy of the printed instructions shall be posted in a conspicuous 
place, clearly visible to the person being tattooed; 
Each tattoo artist shall wear a clean outer garment, i.e., patron, 
smock, T-shirt, etc.; 
Tattoo artists who are experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, fever, rash, 
productive cough, jaundice, draining or open skin infections such 
as boils which could be indicative or more serious conditions such 
as, but not limited to, impetigo, scabies, hepatitis-B, HIV or AIDS 
shall refrain from tattooing activities until such time as they are no 
longer experiencing or exhibiting the aforementioned symptoms; 
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Before working on each patron, the fingernails and hands of the 
tattoo artist shall be thoroughly washed and scrubbed without 
running water, antibacterial soap and an individual hand brush 
that is clean and in good repair; 
The tattoo artist’s hands shall be air blown dried or dried by a 
single-use towel. In addition, disposable latex examination gloves 
shall be worn during the tattoo process. 
The gloves shall be 
changed each time there is an interruption in the tattoo 
application, the glove become torn or punctured or whenever their 
ability to function as a barrier is compromised; 
Only sterilized or single-use, disposable razors shall be used to 
shave the area to be tattooed; 
Immediately prior to beginning the tattoo procedure, the affected 
skin area shall be treated with an antibacterial solution; 
If an acetate stencil is sued by a tattoo artist for transferring the 
design to the skin, the acetate stencil shall be thoroughly cleaned 
and rinsed in a germicidal solution for at least twenty minutes and 
then dried with sterile gauze or dried in the air on a sanitized 
surface after each use; 
If a paper stencil is used by a tattoo artist for transferring the 
design to the skin, the paper stencil shall be single-use and 
disposable; 
If the design is drawn directly onto the skin, the design shall be 
applied with a single-use article only. 
SEC. 7. Dyes or pigments. - In performing tattoo work, the owner of a 
tattoo studio or tattoo artist shall use only nontoxic sterile dyes or pigments 
which shall be prepared in sterilized or disposable single-use containers for 
each patron. After tattooing, the unused dye or pigment in the single-use 
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containers shall be discarded along with the container. All dyes or pigments 
used in tattooing shall be from professional suppliers specifically providing 
dyes or pigments for the tattooing of human skin. 
SEC. 8. Sterilization of needles. - In performing tattoo work, the owner 
of a tattoo studio or tattoo artist shall use a set of individual, sterilized needles 
shall be used for each patron. No less than twenty-four sets of sterilized 
needles and tubes shall be on hand for the entire day or night operation. 
Unused sterilized instruments shall be re-sterilized at intervals of no more than 
six months from the date of the last sterilization. 
Used, non-disposable instruments shall be kept in a separate, puncture 
resistant container until brush scrubbed in hot water and soap and then 
sterilized by autoclaving. 
If used instruments are ultrasonically cleaned prior to being placed in 
the used instrument container, they shall be ultrasonically cleaned and then 
rinsed under running hot water prior to being placed in the used instrument 
container. The ultrasonic unit shall be sanitized daily with a germicidal 
solution. 
If used instruments are not ultrasonically cleaned prior to being piaced 
in the used instrument container, they shall be kept in a germicidal or soap 
solution until brush scrubbed in hot water and soap and then sterilized by 
autoclaving. 
All non-disposable instruments, including the needle tubes, shall be 
sterilized and shall be handled and stored in such a manner as to prevent 
contamination. 
Instruments to be sterilized shall be sealed in bags made 
specifically for the purpose of autoclave sterilization and shall include the date 
of sterilization. If non-transparent sterilization bags are utilized, the bag shall 
also list the contents. 
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Autoclave sterilization bags, with a color code indicator which changes 
color upon proper steam sterilization, shall be utilized during the autoclave 
sterilization process. Instruments shall be placed in the autoclave in such a 
manner as to allow live steam to circulate around them. 
The owner of a tattoo studio shall not keep in the studio any rusty, 
defective or faulty instruments. 
SEC. 9. Aftercare of tattoo. - The completed tattoo shall be washed 
with a single use towel saturated with an antibacterial solution. Printed 
instructions on the care of the skin after tattooing shall be given to each patron 
as a precaution to prevent infection. 
SEC. 10. Prohibited Acts. - It shall be unlawful for any person to 
perform tattoo work on the following: 
(a) 
any person who is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs 
or alcohol; 
(b) 
pregnant or nursing women; 
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any person incapable of giving consent due to mental 
any person with contraindicated skin condition; and 
incapacity. 
SEC. 11. Penalties. - Any person who violates the provisions of this Act 
shall, upon conviction, be penalized by imprisonment of not less than one (1) 
year nor more than five (5) years or a fine of not less than One Hundred 
Thousand pesos (PlO0,OOO.OO) nor more than Five Hundred Thousand pesos 
(P500,000.00), or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the 
court. 
The license to operate a tattoo studio and to perform tattoo shall be 
revoked. 
Any action arising from the violation of the provisions of this Act shall 
prescribe in five (5) years. 
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SEC. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of 
Health, in coordination with Department of Trade and Industry, shall 
promulgate rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
SEC. 13. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any provision of this 
Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, other parts or provisions hereof 
which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
SEC. 
14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
regulations, or portions thereof, inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed 
or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 15. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) 
days following its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
Approved, 
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