Page | 1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. __________ 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative JOEY SARTE SALCEDA 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
MODERNIZING THE NATIONAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (NMS) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This proposed legislation builds on Republic Act No. 9236, also known as “National 
Metrology Act of 2003”. In consonance with the objectives set forth under RA 9236, the State 
shall provide support to Research and Development (R&D) in Metrology covering the 
environment and climate change, public health and safety, transportation Information 
Communication Technology (ICT), Biotechnology / Genomics, Materials Science, 
Nanotechnology, Photonics, Metrology in Chemistry, Space Technology applications and 
other emerging and enabling technologies.  This bill endeavors to facilitate progress in the 
national economy by encouraging the standardization and modernization of units and standards 
of measurements to adapt to the needs of times. It seeks to encourage the adoption of 
international best practices in measurements in response to future developments and 
requirements. 
This bill supports the harmonization of national metrological standards with 
international standards, mutual recognition arrangements and statistical controls as envision in 
the ASEAN economic integration, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and international 
agreements and covenants  resulting to globally competitive and quality products and services 
that conforms with national standards. In addition this bill will accord greater consumer 
protection, transparency and confidence in measurements. 
For the purpose of strengthening the NMIS and to attain harmonization of metrology 
standards consistent with the ASEAN and other recognized international standards, the 
National Metrology Institute (NMI) is hereby created and shall be placed directly under the 
NMB. The NMI shall be headed by an Executive Director, and under the policy, technical, 
administrative supervision and control of the Department of Science and Technology. 
July 1, 2022
8:00 am
635


Page | 2 
The National Metrology Board under Section 5 of RA 9236, shall be strengthened to 
include the Secretary/Chairman or the duly authorized representative of the following 
agencies/offices: 
•
Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
•
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
•
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
•
Department of Health (DOH)
•
Department of Energy (DOE)
•
National Measurement Institute of the Philippines (NMIPhil)
•
Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP)
•
One (1) representative each from the: manufacturing industry sector, local
manufacturer of measuring instruments; and private calibration laboratories /
professional metrology association of national membership
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought 
JOEY SARTE SALCEDA 


Page | 1 
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. __________ 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative JOEY SARTE SALCEDA 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
MODERNIZING THE NATIONAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (NMS) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
ARTICLE I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Title. – This Act shall be known as the “National Measurement System 
Modernization Act of 2022”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to 
facilitate the development of scientific and technical knowledge and progress in the national 
economy by providing a modernized National Measurement System (NMS) that will ensure 
the integrity of measurements in the country, meet regional and international requirements, and 
provide support for the competitiveness of Philippine products and services. 
The State shall support the undertaking of necessary activities to promote metrology, 
develop appropriate infrastructures, and sustain research and development in metrology for the 
purpose of: 
a) continuously improving the national measurement standards and their measurement
uncertainties;
b) developing novel measurement techniques and technologies aiming at Philippine
industry take-up to stimulate industrial innovation; and
c) addressing the measurement needs of Philippine society and industries, focusing on
contributions for (i) energy efficiency, (ii) food security, (iii) environmental
protection, and (iv) the health, security and economic well-being of Filipinos.
635


Page | 2  
 
 
The State shall likewise undertake the harmonization of national requirements, 
including technical regulations, document standards and conformity assessment procedures, 
with international requirements as envisioned in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), 
World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international agreements and covenants, resulting 
to the free flow of goods and services, and a predictable trading environment. 
 
Lastly, the State shall define the roles and responsibilities of the different 
instrumentalities of the national government and local government units as well as the 
contribution of the private sector and other non-government organizations. 
 
SEC. 3. Scope. – This Act shall cover all agencies, institutions, entities involved in 
metrological activities and processes, both private and public. 
 
SEC. 4. Objectives. – Pursuant to the foregoing policy, the Modernization of the 
National Measurement System shall have the following objectives: 
 
a) Enhance current capabilities and ensure that measurements in the country are 
reliable by upgrading physical resources and operational techniques through the 
acquisition and development of state-of-the-art instruments, equipment, facilities 
and systems; 
 
b) Strengthen and harmonize the country’s measurement system in accordance with 
international best practices to support confidence in measurements for regulation, 
trade and manufacturing through research and development (R&D), and other 
similar activities; 
 
c) Implement legal metrological controls of measuring instruments in the country in 
the interest of fair trade, health, safety, law enforcement, and environmental 
protection; 
 
d) Disseminate knowledge on state-of-the-art calibration techniques and develop 
competencies on legal metrological controls through capacity building programs; 
 
e) Foster a metrology culture that will instill a keen appreciation of the metrology as 
a discipline through public information, advocacy and the integration of metrology 
courses in the educational system; 
 
f) Establish a national metrology institute with the appropriate organizational set-up 
and sufficient manpower complement; and 
 
g) Promote professionalism and commitment to public service through the provision 
of a more competitive base pay and other benefits for personnel. 
 
SEC. 5. Definition of Terms. – For the purpose of harmonizing with international best 
practices, and utilizing the International Vocabulary of Metrology and International 
Vocabulary of Legal Metrology as references, the following terms are defined as follows: 
 


Page | 3  
 
a) Accreditation refers to the process in which an authoritative body formally 
recognizes the competence, impartiality and capability of an organization to carry 
out specific activities, such as certification, testing, calibration and inspection; 
 
b) ASEAN Common Requirements for Prepackaged Products refers to a regionally-
agreed document specifying the labelling requirements and allowed quantity 
deficiency in prepackaged products for ASEAN Member States; 
 
c) Asia Pacific Legal Metrology Forum (APLMF) refers to a grouping of legal 
metrology authorities from the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Member 
economies and other economies in the Pacific Rim for the development of legal 
metrology and promotion of free and open trade in the Asia Pacific region through 
harmonization and removal of technical or administrative barriers to trade in the 
field of legal metrology; 
 
d) Asia Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP) refers to a grouping of national 
metrology institutes from the Asia-Pacific region for the promotion and support of 
a measurement infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region that facilitates international 
trade, improves industrial efficiency and competitiveness, ensures equity in the 
marketplace, and enhances the quality of life and the environment through reliable 
measurements; 
 
e) Calibration refers to an operation that, under specified conditions, in a first step, 
establishes a relation between the quantity values with measurement uncertainties 
provided by measurement standards and corresponding indications with associated 
measurement uncertainties and, in a second step, uses this information to establish 
a relation for obtaining a measurement result from an indication; 
 
f) Calibration laboratories refer to public or private entities that perform tests and/or 
calibrations in a permanent, temporary, or remote location; 
 
g) Certification refers to a procedure where a third party provides written attestation 
that a product, process or service meets specified requirements; 
 
h) Conformity assessment refers to a set of processes that shows a product, service or 
system meets specified requirements. The main forms of conformity assessment are 
testing, certification, and inspection; 
 
i) Designated Institutes refer to government agencies or private organizations or 
entities appointed by the country’s national metrology institute to hold, maintain, 
or provide specific measurement standards or services that are not covered by the 
national metrology institute; 
 
j) Inspection refers to the examination of a measuring instrument to ascertain all or 
some of the following: verification mark and/or certificate is valid, no sealing marks 
are damaged, after verification the instrument suffered no obvious modification, its 
errors do not exceed the maximum permissible in service errors. The inspection of 
a measuring instrument may be done only after verification; 
 


Page | 4  
 
k) International System of Units or Système International d'Unités (SI), in French, 
refers to a modern metric system establishing seven base units for base quantities, 
namely: metre for length, kilogram for mass, second for time, ampere for electric 
current, kelvin for thermodynamic temperature, mole for amount of substance and 
candela for luminous intensity. The derived units of the SI (e.g. metre per second, 
watt, newton, etc.) are then formed as products of powers of the base units, 
according to the algebraic relations that define the corresponding derived quantities 
in terms of the base quantities; 
 
l) Legal metrological controls refer to a series of evaluations and periodic checks 
performed on regulated measuring instruments throughout their lifetime to monitor 
if they are still suitable for their intended use. For prepackaged products, it refers to 
the checking of the quantities contained in the package with reference to the 
quantity indicated in the label; 
 
m) Legal metrology refers to the practice and process of applying regulatory structure 
and enforcement to measurements and measuring instruments to ensure trade and 
legal decisions are fair, and that the health, safety and interest of every citizen and 
his environment are protected against possible abuse related to wrong 
measurements; 
 
n) Legal units of measurement refer to units of measurement required or permitted by 
regulations; 
 
o) Measurement standard refers to a material measure, measuring instrument, 
reference material or measuring system intended to define, realize, conserve or 
reproduce a unit, or one or more values of a quantity to serve as a reference; 
 
p) Measuring instrument refers to a device used for making measurements, alone or in 
conjunction with one or more supplementary devices. This may be an indicating 
measuring instrument or a material measure; 
 
q) Metre Convention refers to a diplomatic treaty which established a permanent 
organizational structure for member governments to act in common accord on all 
matters relating to metrology; 
 
r) Metrological traceability refers to the property of a measurement result whereby 
the result can be related to a reference through a documented unbroken chain of 
calibrations, each contributing to the measurement uncertainty; 
 
s) Metrology refers to the science of measurement and its application. It includes all 
theoretical and practical aspects of measurement; 
 
t) National accreditation body refers to a national organization which attests to the 
competence and impartiality of conformity assessment bodies (testing and 
calibration laboratories, certification and inspection bodies), according to 
internationally accepted standards; 
 


Page | 5  
 
u) National measurement standards refer to measurement standard recognized by 
national authority to serve as the basis for assigning quantity values to other 
measurement standards for the kind of quantity concerned in a state or economy; 
 
v) National Measurement System (NMS) refers to collective infrastructure of national 
measurement standards, expertise, knowledge and research, facilities, and the legal 
framework for reliable, consistent and internationally recognized measurement. The 
infrastructure encompasses essential elements of both the public and private sectors; 
 
w) National metrology institutes refer to bodies with the responsibility of maintaining 
the national measurement standards and disseminating the SI Units nationally, to 
provide metrological traceability; 
 
x) National Regulatory Agencies refer to national government departments, agencies, 
instrumentalities, or offices that promulgate measurement standards for specific 
products or services, conduct calibration activities for measuring instruments, and 
issue certificates of compliance to measurement standards? 
 
y) International Organization for Legal Metrology or Organisation Internationale de 
Métrologie Légale (OIML), in French, refers to an intergovernmental organization 
that establishes the coordination and harmonization at the international level of the 
administrative and technical regulations applied to measurements and measuring 
instruments passed by different governments; 
 
z) OIML Recommendations refer to model regulations that establish the metrological 
characteristics required of certain measuring instruments and which specify 
methods and equipment for checking their conformity. These model regulations are 
concerned with the acceptable tolerances referred to as maximum permissible 
errors, within which regulated measurements and measuring instruments should 
operate despite variations in temperature and humidity, power supply and 
electromagnetic interference; 
 
aa) Prepackaged products refer to commodities that are enclosed in a container or 
wrapped in any manner, and for which their quantities have been determined and 
indicated on their labels prior to being offered for sale. The quantity contained 
cannot be changed without the prepackaged product being opened or doing a 
perceptible modification; 
 
bb) Proficiency testing refers to a comparison activity that determines the continuous 
performance of individual laboratories for specific tests or measurements for 
regular monitoring; 
 
cc) Regional Metrology Laboratory refers to a body under the Department of Science 
and Technology (DOST) Regional Office that is tasked to provide calibration and 
measurement services to stakeholders in the region; 
 
dd) Regulated Areas refer to field of endeavors or areas which are critical to citizens as 
they affect health, safety, welfare, physical conditions, trade and commerce, legal 
transactions, environment and other areas as may be determined by the Board; 
 


Page | 6  
 
ee) Traceability refers to the property of a result of a measurement relating to 
appropriate standards, generally national or international through an unbroken chain 
of comparison; and 
 
ff) Working measurement standard refers to a measurement standard that is used 
routinely to calibrate or verify measuring instruments or measuring systems 
 
 
ARTICLE II  
THE NATIONAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM 
 
 SEC. 6. National Measurement System. – The National Measurement System (NMS) 
is the collective infrastructure of national facilities, expertise, knowledge and research, and the 
legal framework for reliable, consistent and internationally recognized measurement, covering 
both the public and private sectors. It shall provide confidence in measurements used for 
regulation, trade, and manufacturing in the country.  
 
The NMS shall cover the following: 
a) legal units of measurement;  
b) national measurement standards; 
c) hierarchy of measurement standards; 
d) legal metrological controls; 
e) metrological traceability for regulated and non-regulated areas; 
f) national legal metrology regulations for measurements and measuring instruments;  
g) certification system; and  
h) accreditation system. 
 
SEC. 7. Legal Units of Measurement. – The International System of Units (SI) and 
combinations of those units shall be the mandatory legal units of measurement in the country, 
and to include non-SI units that are: 
 
a) accepted for use with the SI, such as, but not limited to, minute, hour, and day for 
time, hectare for area, tonne for mass, bar for pressure, angstrom for length, nautical 
mile for distance, decibel for sound level; and 
 
b) allowed by international agreements, such as, but not limited to, feet for altitude 
navigation and mmHg for blood pressure. 
 
SEC. 8. National Measurement Standards. – The national measurement standards of 
the country shall be those measurement standards recognized by the National Measurement 
Institute of the Philippines (NMIPhil) which shall serve as the basis for assigning quantity 
values to other measurement standards for the concerned kind of quantity. The national 
measurement standards shall in all cases be those assumed to be the most accurate measurement 
standards of the country. The country’s national measurement standards shall comply with 
international measurement standards. 
 
The NMIPhil shall periodically undertake metrological activities, calibration, re-
calibration and other related activities to effectively undertake its functions, duties and 
responsibilities, and comply with international standards.  
 


Page | 7  
 
Any equipment, instrument, artifact, and/or other National Measurement Standards 
used by NMIPhil that shall be subject to such activities, including proficiency testing, 
comparison measurements, preventive maintenance and repair, requiring foreign technical 
services; such processes shall be exempt from any taxes, dues, and other impositions by the 
Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue or by the Secretary of Finance. The 
implementing mechanism shall be included in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of this 
Act.  
 
SEC. 9. Hierarchy of Measurement Standards and Their Application. – There shall be 
a hierarchy of measurement standards to be promulgated, recognized, or disseminated, as may 
be appropriate, by the NMIPhil. It shall include, but not limited to, the primary, secondary, 
reference, working, and intrinsic measurement standards. 
 
The NMIPhil, or its Designated Institutes, as the case may be, shall maintain the 
national measurement standards for the legal units of measurement having the highest accuracy 
for the country.  
 
The NMIPhil, or its Designate Institute, as the case may be, shall provide calibrations 
at appropriate levels of accuracy for the calibration laboratories, national regulatory agencies, 
and NMB-authorized public or private entities to disseminate the legal units of measurement.  
 
Private and public calibration laboratories including the Regional Metrology 
Laboratories under the DOST Regional Offices shall, in turn, use working measurement 
standards that have been calibrated by the NMIPhil, or its Designated Institute, to provide 
lower-accuracy calibrations and measurements to industry and the community. 
 
Similarly, national regulatory agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs) and entities 
authorized by the NMB shall use working measurement standards calibrated by the NMIPhil, 
or its Designated Institute, to provide legal metrological controls of measuring instruments and 
measurements  
 
SEC. 10. Legal Metrological Controls. – Measuring instruments used in trade, health, 
safety, law enforcement and environmental protection  and compliance with quantity and 
labelling requirements of prepackaged products, shall be subject legal metrological controls of 
national regulatory agencies, LGUs, and other NMB-authorized public and private entities 
based on the relevant OIML Recommendations, ASEAN Guidelines on Standards, Technical 
Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures, ASEAN Common Requirements of 
Prepackaged Products, and/or Board-authorized document standards. 
 
For the effective implementation of this Section, national regulatory agencies, LGUS 
and public or private entities authorized to conduct legal metrological controls shall have the 
right of access to every establishment or commercial premise, where regulated measuring 
instruments are, or may be installed, kept or used. In the same manner, they shall also have the 
right of access to every premise or facility where prepackaged products are manufactured, or 
may be filled, packed, labeled, kept or offered for sale. 
 
Any officer or agent of the establishments, commercial premises or other facilities who 
shall refuse the inspection shall be liable to the penalties imposed under Section 29 of this Act. 
 


Page | 8  
 
SEC. 11. Metrological Traceability. – Measurements in both the regulated and non-
regulated areas  shall be traceable to the realization of the SI and other accepted or allowed 
non-SI units through the national measurement standards maintained by the NMIPhil and its 
Designated Institutes to ensure international compatibility and acceptance of measurement 
results. 
 
For traceability not provided through the NMIPhil and its Designated Institutes, is 
hereby authorized to recognize measurement standards of other ASEAN Member States and of 
other national metrology institutes provided they are internationally accepted by the global 
metrology community. 
 
SEC. 12. Registration of Regulated Measuring Instruments. – To support and facilitate 
the implementation of legal metrological controls and for an efficient metrological traceability, 
a system of registration of measuring instruments is hereby mandated. 
 
Measuring instruments used as working measurement standards by the national 
regulatory agencies, LGUs, and other NMB-authorized entities shall be registered with the 
NMIPhil. 
 
All measuring instruments used in trade, health, safety, law enforcement and 
environmental protection with the relevant national regulatory agencies and LGUs. 
 
The NMIPhil  shall promulgate the guidelines for the adoption and implementation of 
the system of registration. 
 
SEC. 13. Certification System. – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in 
collaboration with the NMIPhil, and in consultation with the NMB, LGUs and other private 
entities involved in metrology, shall establish a certification system to ensure that legal 
metrological controls are carried out only by accredited certification bodies and laboratories, 
and competent personnel. 
 
SEC. 14. Accreditation System. – The DTI, in collaboration with the NMIPhil, shall 
maintain an accreditation system to ensure the technical competence of calibration and testing 
laboratories in the performance of their services under the terms of ISO/IEC 17025 “General 
Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories” and other relevant 
international guidelines and standards. 
 
The Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB), as the national accreditation body of the 
Philippines under the DTI, shall be responsible to accredit inspection, testing and certification 
bodies, and other bodies offering conformity assessment services.  
 
 
ARTICLE III 
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE 
 
SEC. 15. National Measurement Institute of the Philippines. – The National Metrology 
Division (NMD) of the Industrial Technology Development Institute of the Department of 
Science and Technology (DOST) is hereby transformed as the national metrology institute of 
the country, to be known as the National Measurement Institute of the Philippines (NMIPhil). 


Page | 9  
 
It shall be attached to the DOST for policy, program coordination and administrative 
supervision. 
 
SEC. 16. Mandates, Powers and Functions of the NMIPhil. – The NMIPhil shall be 
responsible for establishing and maintaining the national measurement standards in physical 
quantities of the country. It shall: 
 
a) Maintain and continuously update the national measurement standards in all 
relevant fields and, as such, guarantee that all metrological laboratories, 
infrastructure, equipment, instruments, artifacts, reference standards and other 
similar articles are in good condition, internationally compliant, reliant and possess 
other qualities that may be required in the future; 
 
b) Provide metrological traceability to the realization of the International System of 
Units (SI) and other accepted or allowed non-SI units for measurements done in the 
country; 
 
c) Facilitate international harmonization and comparability of measurements, 
including participation in related international metrological activities, such as 
proficiency testing, peer review, and research and development; 
 
d) Carry out the type evaluation/approval activities of measuring instruments, or 
provide support to bodies designated to perform this function; 
 
e) Appoint competent laboratories as “Designated Institutes” for specific 
measurement fields of national interest it does not cover, or for measurement 
services it does not provide, such as ionizing radiation and time of the day; 
 
f) Engage and/or coordinate research and development work in metrology; 
 
g) Provide the necessary advice and technical support to the government, industry, 
commerce and the public in measurement related issues; 
 
h) Strengthen the collaboration with calibration laboratories in the areas of capacity 
building and harmonization of measurement procedures; 
 
i) Perform calibration procedures at appropriate levels of accuracy for calibration 
laboratories, national regulatory agencies, LGUs and other NMB-authorized public 
or private entities to disseminate SI and other non-SI legal units of measurement; 
 
j) Disseminate knowledge and competencies in metrology through education and 
capacity building programs to relevant regulatory bodies and other entities 
responsible for the implementation of this Act; 
 
k) Coordinate with other local institutes/bodies having metrological responsibilities; 
 
l) Establish and maintain linkages with, and represent the Philippines’ interest in, 
international and regional metrology organizations, consultative committee 
meetings and working groups, including, but not limited to, the International Bureau 
of Weights and Measures (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, BIPM), the 


Page | 10  
 
International Organization for Legal Metrology (OIML), the Asia Pacific 
Metrology Programme (APMP); and the Asia Pacific Legal Metrology Forum 
(APLMF); 
 
m) Strengthen and develop a human resource development program; 
 
n) Provide support to National Quality Infrastructure-related institutes, especially on 
aspects of standardization, accreditation and conformity assessments that are related 
to metrology; 
 
o) Serve as the technical and administrative secretariat of the National Metrology 
Board; 
 
p) Coordinate, implement, and monitor the programs and activities of the National 
Metrology Board; and 
 
q) Perform such other functions necessary to achieve the objectives of this Act. 
 
SEC. 17. Organizational Structure of the NMIPhil. – The NMIPhil shall be headed by 
an Executive Director, to be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the 
Secretary of the DOST and shall receive the benefits, privileges and emoluments equivalent to 
the rank of Undersecretary. 
 
As the chief executive officer, the Executive Director shall be responsible for the 
promulgation and implementation of policies, rules and regulations, and in directing and 
controlling the activities of the different divisions and units, of the NMIPhil. 
 
The Executive Director shall be assisted by three (3) Deputy Directors, for Scientific 
and Industrial Metrology, Legal Metrology and Quality Management System, and Finance and 
Administration, who shall likewise be appointed by the President. 
 
The NMIPhil, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management and the 
Civil Service Commission, shall determine the technical and administrative support 
complement necessary for its effective and efficient operations. It shall have, but not limited 
to, the following Divisions: 
 
a) Mass and Related Quantities Division; 
b) Metrology-In-Chemistry and Biometrology Division; 
c) Photometry and Radiometry Division; 
d) Thermometry and Hygrometry Division; 
e) Length and Dimensional Metrology Division; 
f) Electricity and Magnetism Division; 
g) Time and Frequency Division; 
h) Metrological Controls and Registration Division; 
i) National Regulators and Laboratories Liaison Division; 
j) Policy and Legislation Division 
k) National Metrology Training and Proficiency Testing Division; 
l) Finance and Administrative Division; 
m) Planning, Information Technology, and Quality Management Division; and 
n) Public Information and External Affairs Division. 


Page | 11  
 
 
There shall be established a National Metrology Training Center under the NMIPhil to 
undertake training on metrology for building the competence and capabilities of metrology-
related entities and in implementing legal metrological controls in the country.  
 
SEC. 18. Main Office of the NMIPhil. – The NMIPhil shall have its main office within 
the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga and Tarlac. The Bases Conversion and 
Development Authority shall allocate at least thirty (30) hectares to be used exclusively for 
NMIPhil offices and research facilities. The NMIPhil may establish additional offices, research 
facilities, and launch sites in strategic areas of the country as it may deem necessary. 
 
SEC. 19. National Metrology Board. – There is hereby established a National 
Metrology Board (NMB) which shall be responsible for standardizing, delineating and 
overseeing the implementation of legal metrological controls in the country through the 
coordination with other national regulatory agencies and LGUs, and other NMB-authorized 
public and private entities. The NMB shall prescribe the procedures in the conduct of legal 
metrological controls, in conformity with the relevant OIML Recommendations, ASEAN 
Guidelines on Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures, 
ASEAN Common Requirements of Prepackaged Products, mandated national policies, and 
other international and regional agreements and guidelines. 
 
A Regional Metrology Laboratory Network and Partnerships shall be institutionalized. 
This shall include establishment of a framework of cooperation between the NMI, existing 
regional metrology laboratories and other similar entities within the country to standardize the 
metrology protocols, guidelines in calibration, and among others. 
 
In the exercise of its functions, duties and responsibilities, the Board is empowered to 
delegate authority to public and private entities to ensure that measurements and measuring 
instruments used in trade, health, safety, law enforcement and environmental protection are 
subjected to legal metrological controls and are complying with the relevant regulations. 
  
The NMB shall be composed of the following: 
 
a) The Secretary of the DOST as Chair; 
b) The Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 
c) The Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)  
d) The Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) 
e) The Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) 
f) The Executive Director of the National Measurement Institute of the Philippines 
(NMIPhil) 
g) The President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) 
h) One (1) representative each from the:  
1) manufacturing industry sector;  
2) local manufacturer of measuring instruments; and 
3) private calibration laboratories /professional metrology association of national 
membership; 
 
The Secretary of the DOST may designate an Undersecretary as alternate chair, and the 
Secretaries of the DTI, DENR, DOH, and DOE may designate at least a Director IV as alternate 


Page | 12  
 
member to the NMB. The President of ULAP may assign the Association’s Executive Vice 
President or the Secretary-General to temporarily represent the Association. 
 
The representatives of the private sector shall serve for a term of three (3) years, to be 
appointed by the Secretary of the DOST from nominees submitted by their respective 
organizations. 
 
To achieve its mandates, the NMB may call upon and seek the assistance of national 
government departments and agencies, LGUs, and private institutions, such as the: 
 
a) Department of Agriculture (DA) 
b) Department of Justice (DOJ) 
c) Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 
d) Department of National Defense (DND) 
e) Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) 
f) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 
g) Department of Transportation (DOTr) 
h) Bureau of Customs (BOC) 
i) Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)  
j) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 
k) Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) 
l) Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) 
m) Manila Water Company, Inc. 
n) Maynilad Water Services, Inc. 
o) Metropolitan Manila Development Agency (MMDA) 
p) Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) 
q) National Food Authority (NFA) 
r) National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) 
s) National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) 
t) Oil Industry Management Bureau (OIMB) 
u) Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)   
v) Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA) 
 
 
The Board shall convene at least twice a year. Special meetings may be convened upon 
the request of the Chair or majority of the member of the NMB. 
 
The Chair and Members of the NMB shall be entitled to per diems, allowances and 
other reimbursable expenses as prescribed by the Department of Budget and Management 
(DBM). 
 
The NMIPhil shall provide technical and administrative secretariat support to the NMB. 
 
 
ARTICLE IV 
CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT AND CAPABILITY BUILD-UP OF NMIPhil 
 
SEC. 20.  Acquisition and Upgrading of Physical Resources and Operational 
Techniques. – To enhance the capability and capacity of the NMIPhil to continuously improve 
the national measurement standards and their measurement uncertainties, develop novel 
measurement techniques and technologies, and address the measurement needs of society and 


Page | 13  
 
industry, the acquisition and/or upgrade of state-of-the-art instruments, equipment, facilities 
and systems shall be pursued. This shall be complemented with technical capability building 
programs for NMIPhil personnel that are similar or comparable to those in other national 
metrology institutes and in accordance with international best practices in order to support 
confidence in measurements for regulation, trade and manufacturing. 
 
 
SEC. 21. Strengthening of Research and Development Capacity. – This shall involve 
the enhancement of research and development capacity with focus on improvement of 
metrological activities such as but not limited to calibration, material testing, proficiency 
testing, and other related metrological activities to effectively implement this Act. 
 
SEC. 22.  Human Resource Development Program. –  The NMIPhil shall formulate a 
continuing Human Resource Development Program to recruit and maintain a cadre of highly-
proficient personnel on the different of metrology: scientific metrology, applied metrology, and 
legal metrology. It shall include: 
 
a) Scholarship and Financial Assistance – Not later than three (3) years from the 
enactment of this Act, scholarship and financial assistance grants shall be provided 
for undergraduate and graduate studies in metrology and related fields, as well as 
for specialized training programs, in coordination with the DOST, Commission on 
Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 
(TESDA), Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and other entities providing 
support for metrology development in the country. Cooperation on human resources 
upgrading and capability enhancement with regional and international 
organizations shall also be undertaken; and 
 
b) New Salary Scale for NMIPhil Personnel - The Department of Budget and 
Management (DBM) shall develop a new salary scale for NMIPhil personnel in 
consonance with Republic Act No. 8439, as amended. or the “Magna Carta for 
Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and other Science Technology Personnel in 
Government” with the corresponding increase in the base pay, allowances and other 
benefits. 
 
SEC. 23. Capacity Enhancement Plan. – Within six (6) months from the start of the 
effectivity of this Act, the DOST Secretary, and the Executive Director of the NMIPhil, in 
coordination with the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the 
Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), shall formulate the 
NMIPhil Capacity Enhancement Plan and submit to the President for approval. 
 
The Plan shall indicate among others: 
 
a) The objectives and key performance indicators; 
 
b) Requirements in terms of equipment, facilities and personnel necessary to attain the 
Plan’s objectives; 
 
c) The projects to be undertaken, which shall indicate the equipment and technology 
acquisitions, including major construction or upgrade of facility; and 
 
d) The schedules and estimated cost of each project. 


Page | 14  
 
 
SEC. 24. NMIPhil Cacpacity Enhancement Fund. – To fund the implementation of the 
enhancement of the capacity and capability of the NMIPhil to maintain and continuously 
improve the national measurement standards and support adherence to legal metrological 
control, there is hereby established the NMIPhil Capacity Enhancement Fund. The Fund shall 
be sourced from the following: 
 
a) The amount of three billion pesos (P3,000,000,000.00) to be taken from the share 
of the National Government in the gross income of the Philippine Amusement and 
Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). For four (4) years from the start he effectivity of 
this Act, an amount of Seven Hundred Fifty Million Pesos (P750,000,000.00) per 
year shall be released to the NMIPhil. The entire amount, including any interest 
income thereon, shall be used exclusively for capital outlay. 
 
b) Eighty percent (80%) of the income of NMIPhil from fees and other charges 
collected for metrology-related works including, but not limited to, calibration and 
measurement services, technical trainings, proficiency testing services, and 
specialized products and services. This shall be used exclusively for the upkeep and 
modernization of measurement standards and facilities, purchase of measurement 
standards and equipment, promotion of metrology culture, awareness raising 
programs and advocacy campaigns.  
 
c) Loans, grants, bequests, and donations whether from local or foreign sources. The 
Secretary of the DOST, with the approval of the NEDA and subsequently the 
Department of Finance (DOF), is hereby granted the authority to enter into loan 
agreements with foreign financial institutions. 
 
The Fund shall be administered by the Executive Director of the NMIPhil in accordance 
with existing government budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations 
 
SEC. 25. Tax Exemptions. – Any equipment, instrument, artifact, and/or other National 
Measurement Standards used by NMIPhil that shall be subject to, among others, proficiency 
testing, comparison measurements, preventive maintenance and repair, and requiring foreign 
technical services, shall be exempt from all taxes, dues, and other impositions by the Bureau 
of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, or by the Secretary of Finance. The Department of 
Finance shall cause the promulgation of the necessary issuances to implement the provisions 
of this Section. 
 
 
ARTICLE V 
INFORMATION, ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION 
 
SEC. 26. Public Information and Advocacy. – The NMIPhil, in collaboration with other 
concerned government agencies and stakeholders, shall engage in information campaigns and 
advocacy programs to increase the public’s awareness on metrology and instill greater 
appreciation of metrology by the public. 
 
SEC. 27. Education and Curriculum Development. – The NMIPhil, Department of 
Education, CHED, TESDA and other concerned government agencies shall formulate the 


Page | 15  
 
design and details of a curriculum on metrology and its inclusion in all levels of the Philippines’ 
education system. 
 
 
ARTICLE VI 
PROHIBITED ACTS, AND FINES AND PENALTIES 
 
SEC. 28. Prohibited Acts. – The following shall constitute prohibited acts of any person 
or juridical person and are hereby declared unlawful: 
 
a) To sell, offer, or expose for sale goods or products with a quantity less than the 
quantity represented; 
 
b) To represent the quantity in any manner or intending to mislead or in any way 
deceive another person; 
 
c) Failure to register regulated measuring instruments; 
 
d) Use of unregistered regulated measuring instruments; 
 
e) Hinder or obstruct any national regulatory agency, LGU, and NMB-authorized 
entities in the performance of their duties; 
 
f) Falsely represent a national regulatory agency, LGU, or NMB-authorized public 
and private entity; 
 
g) Affix fake or undue conformity marking or verification marks; 
 
h) Use of units other than the legal units of measurement in trade, commercial 
transactions, documentation and advertisements for products and services, 
publications, or training; 
 
i) Use of regulated measuring instruments which have not been submitted to legal 
metrological control; 
 
j)  Use of regulated measuring instruments which have failed the legal metrological 
control and are giving false/wrong measurements; 
 
k) Affix false conformity markings or affix conformity markings illegally on 
measuring instruments; 
 
l) Falsification of documents relative to legal metrological control; 
 
m) Remove or tamper any tag, seal, or mark from any weight or measure or measuring 
instrument without being duly authorized by the proper authority; and 
 
n) Manipulate software and/or hardware of measuring instruments to give false 
measurements. 
 


Page | 16  
 
SEC. 29. Penalties. – Any person who violates any provision of this Act shall be 
penalized by imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than five (5)  years or 
fine of not less Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php 50,000.00) but not more than Five Hundred 
Thousand Pesos (Php 500,000.00),  or both upon the discretion of the court: Provided, however, 
that if the violator is a corporation, firm, partnership or association, the penalty shall be imposed 
upon the president or the manager or any officer thereof who knows or ought to have known 
the commission of the offense: Provided, finally, That in case the offender is an alien engaged 
in business in the country, his license shall be revoked and shall be ipso facto deported after 
service of sentence without need of further proceedings. 
 
 
ARTICLE VII 
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
 
SEC. 30. Transitory Provisions. – The transfer of functions, assets, funds, equipment, 
properties, transactions, and personnel of the affected agency, and the formulation of the 
internal organic structure, staffing pattern, operating system, and revised budget of NMIPhil, 
shall be completed within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act. 
 
The existing personnel of the National Metrology Division shall continue to assume 
their posts in holdover capacities until new appointments are issued. There shall be no 
diminution of rank and salaries, allowances and benefits of transferred employees. 
 
SEC. 31. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within one hundred eighty (180) days 
from the start of the effectivity of this Act, the DOST, in consultation with the relevant national 
government departments and agencies, LGUs, the private sector, and other concerned 
organizations, shall issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations of this Act. 
 
SEC. 32. Progress Report. – The Executive Director of the NMIPhil shall submit an 
annual report on the status of the implementation of this Act, through the Secretary of the 
DOST, to the President of the Philippines and to the Chairpersons of the Committees on 
Science and Technology of the Senate and the House of Representatives not later than June 30 
of the succeeding year. 
 
SEC. 33. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
Act shall be initially charged against the current fiscal year appropriations of the DOST-
Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI). Thereafter, the amount needed for the 
continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act. 
 
SEC. 34. Separability Clause. – If for any reason, any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the other sections or provisions hereof which are not affected shall continue 
to be in full force and effect. 
 
SEC. 35. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or 
portions thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 36. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,