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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, ERIC G. YAP, 
EDVIC G. YAP, and JEFFREY SORIANO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippines is a disaster-prone country, evident in the twenty (20) typhoons that 
visit it every year in addition to the fact that the country is nestled in the Pacific’s 
earthquake and volcano Ring of Fire. The Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA) 
accounts for nearly half a trillion Pesos lost in the national economy as a result of the 
events and disasters from 2010 to 2019. 
Given these circumstances, the country is mandated to adopt a streamlined relief 
system that are expedient and responsive to the affected citizens. This is critical given 
that the country’s geography is an archipelago—mainly requiring common carriers, 
freight forwarders, freight companies and other logistics companies to collect, sort, 
store, transport, and deliver relief goods including those donated by international and 
local donors to areas declared in a "state of calamity" in the most economical, reliable, 
speedy and secured manner. 
This bill seeks to order the Logistics Cluster of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), in 
coordination with the Philippine Postal Corporation (PPC) and all freight companies, 
common carriers, private carriers, freight forwarders and other logistic companies in 
the country to provide free freight services to duly registered relief organizations in 
the transportation of emergency relief goods and donated articles to areas that are 
declared to be in a state of calamity by the President or a local government units (LGU) 
concerned through its Sanggunian.  
September 14, 2022
10:26 am
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In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
ERIC G. YAP 
        EDVIC G. YAP 
           JEFFREY SORIANO 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, ERIC G. YAP, 
EDVIC G. YAP, and JEFFREY SORIANO 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR FREE FREIGHT SERVICES IN THE TRANSPORTATION OF 
RELIEF GOODS TO CALAMITY-STRICKEN AREAS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Relief Goods Free 
Transportation Act." 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to strengthen existing 
mechanisms that will facilitate quick responses to the demands and needs during 
disasters and emergencies and to encourage altruism among the citizens when it is 
necessary to provide timely relief to the victims of catastrophic phenomena by 
engaging the services of both public and private common carriers, freight forwarders, 
freight companies and other logistics companies to collect, sort, store, transport, and 
deliver relief goods donated by international and local donors to areas declared in a 
"state of calamity" in the most economical, reliable, speedy and secured manner. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act: 
a. Common carriers refer to persons, corporations, firms or associations offering
their services to the public and engaged in the business of carrying or
transporting passengers or goods or both, by land, water, or air, for
compensation;
b. Disaster refers to a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or
a 
society 
involving 
widespread 
human, 
material, 
economic 
or
environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected
community to cope using its own resources;
c.
Donated goods or articles refer to food or non-food items responsive to any
situation affecting disadvantaged or distressed individuals and families in
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order to meet their basic needs, given in kind by any individual or group or 
entities; 
 
d. Duly registered relief organization refers to any relief organization, not 
operated for profit, duly registered, licensed or accredited with any national 
government agency; 
 
e. Emergency refers to an unforeseen or sudden occurrence, especially danger, 
demanding immediate action; 
 
f. Freight companies refer to companies that specialize in the moving or 
transporting of freight or cargo from one place to another and categorized 
either as international freight forwarders or domestic freight forwarders; 
 
g. Freight forwarders refer to persons or companies that organize shipments for 
individuals or corporations to get goods from the manufacturer or producer 
to a market, customer or final point of distribution; 
 
h. International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA) refers to any aid and action taken 
by any duly coordinated foreign government or organization in the form of 
financial donations, international relief workers and in-kind donations, for 
the benefit of disaster-stricken areas, aimed at providing emergency 
response, rehabilitation and recovery operations to mitigate the effects of 
disasters or major emergencies; 
 
i. Private carriers refer to those entities, that undertake the delivery of goods 
or passengers for compensation, without being engaged in the business of 
carrying as a public employment; 
 
j. Relief refers to interventions to alleviate, ease, or mitigate a distressed or 
critical situation affecting persons, families, groups or communities; 
 
k. Relief goods refer to food packs and non-food items such as clothing articles, 
mats, blankets, mosquito nets, kitchen wares, water containers, hygiene 
kits, and medical and health-related products to be given directly to the 
victims of a disaster or an emergency; 
 
l. Response Cluster refers to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and 
Management Council (NDRRMC) cluster of government agencies and 
instrumentalities and humanitarian agencies working in a unified manner 
to provide assistance to the needs of communities affected by a disaster; and 
 
m. State of calamity refers to a condition involving mass casualty or major 
damages to property and public infrastructure, disruption of means of 
livelihood, and the normal way of life in the areas affected by the occurrence 
of a disaster, whether natural or human-induced. 
 


 
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SEC. 4. Free Freight Services for the Transportation of Relief Goods. - With the 
aim of bringing immediate relief to victims of natural or man-made disasters when 
government resources are not available or are insufficient to address the needs of the 
emergency, the Logistics Cluster of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), in coordination 
with the Philippine Postal Corporation (PPC) and all freight companies, common 
carriers, private carriers, freight forwarders and other companies providing logistic 
services in the Philippines are hereby mandated to provide free freight services to 
duly registered relief organizations in the transportation of emergency relief goods 
and donated articles to areas declared to be in a state of calamity by the President or 
a local government unit (LGU) concerned through its Sanggunian. 
 
These common carriers, freight forwarders, and other similar entities are 
mandated to deliver goods and services free of charge to areas where they operate. 
 
When the area is not accessible, such relief goods shall be sent or delivered to 
the nearest LGU and shall be consigned to the concerned local chief executive. 
 
Certain shipping auxiliary cost, such as those for arrastre services, pilotage, and 
other port charges that are routinely passed on to customers, shall be borne by the 
concerned arrastre, pilotage, and port authorities: Provided, That container van costs, 
turnaround time, and volume of cargo being shipped free of charge shall be 
considered in order to minimize the loss of profits of the private sector. 
 
SEC. 5. Vigilance Over Relief Goods. - The Law and Order Cluster of the 
NDRRMC shall be responsible for providing security and traffic management 
assistance to the Response Cluster's operations to facilitate the speedy movement of 
people, goods, and equipment to the affected population and responding agencies. 
 
SEC. 6. Release of Donated Relief Goods and Articles. – The release of donated 
relief goods and articles intended for distribution to areas under a state of calamity 
shall be in accordance with existing rules and procedures of responsible government 
agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bureau 
of Customs (BOC), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), 
LGUs, and other government agencies mandated to authorize the distribution of these 
relief goods and articles, with proper verification of the receiver and in consideration 
of prevailing policies of freight service and logistics companies and carriers. 
 
SEC. 7. Implementing Agency. - The OCD and the Department of 
Transportation (DOTr), through the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), Maritime 
Industry Authority (MARINA), and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory 
Board (LTFRB), shall implement the provisions of this Act, monitor and oversee 
compliance of freight service companies, common and private carriers and other 
companies providing logistic services as provided for under this Act. 
 
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - To carry out the provisions of 
this Act, the OCD, in coordination with the DOTr, through the CAB, MARINA and 
LTFRB, BOC, PPC, DSWD, and the association or authorized representatives of freight 
service companies and freight forwarders, common and private carriers and other 


 
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companies offering logistic services in the country shall, within sixty (60) days from 
the effectivity of this Act, issue the implementing rules and regulations, including a 
mechanism or procedure in availing the free services as provided for under this Act. 
 
SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - In the event that any provision of this Act or any 
portion thereof is declared unconstitutional by a competent court, the other provisions 
shall not be affected thereby and shall remain valid and enforceable. 
 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed 
or amended accordingly. 
 
SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,