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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill was originally drafted by the interns of the undersigned‘s Summer sa Senado program, 
namely: Lourdes E. Pulido, Kristine Erika M. Lutap, Mary Shiela M. Olaso, Eva Ann A. Manalo, 
Kristine Sarah R. Payuan, and Anamaine B. Asinas. 
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The Constitution, Article 16 provides: 
Section 9, The State shall protect consumers from trade malpractices and from 
substandard or hazardous practices. 
Rep. Act No. 7934, a.k.a the “Consumer Act of the Philippines” was enacted 
interests of the consumer, promote his general welfare and to establish standards o 
business and industry. 
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These laws recognize that consumers play a key role in the Philippine economy. Hence, they 
:k to protect the rights of consumers and to put a stop to abusive practices of business establishments 
in the country. 
The practice of giving insufficient change or giving no change at all to consumers by product 
sellers or service providers is something that is often taken for granted. This is usually because the 
change involves only a matter of five (9, ten (lo), fifteen (IS), or twenty (20) centavos, or small bills 
which when added up at the end o f  the day, amounts to thousands of pesos. That failure to give the 
change or the exact change constitutes a trade malpractice that must be stopped. 


This bill seeks to (a) prohibit the giving of insufficient change or no change at all o consumers; 
(b) to prohibit the giving of change in any form other than money; (c) require the posting of signs 
reminding consumers to ask for their exact change; and (d) require the use of price tags, when 
appropriate, that will reflect the exact retail price per unit or services, already incorporating the 
applicable tax or taxes. 
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SOR SANTIAM 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
SECTION 3:DeJnition of Terms. - 
(1) “Department” means the Department of Trade and Industry; 
(2) “Consumer” means ‘a natural person who is a purchaser or recipient 
S E N A  
S. B. No. 
of consumer 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS TO GIVE EXACT CHANGE TO 
CONSUMERS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be lcnown as the “Exact Change Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy 
~ It is the policy of the State to protect the interest of the 
consumer, promote his general welfare and to establish standards of conduct for business and industry. 
Towards this end, the State shall implement measures to achieve the following objectives: 
(1) protection against deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable sales acts and practices; 
(2) Provision of information and education to facilitate sound choices and the proper 
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exercise of rights by the consumer; 
(3) provision of adequate rights and means of redress; and 
(4) provision of penalties for offenders. 


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“Consumer .products- and services” means goods, services and credits, debts or 
obligations which are primarily for personal, family, household, or agricultural purposes, which 
shall include, but is not limited to, food, drugs, cosmetics, and devices; 
(5) “Services” means services that are subject of a consumer transaction, either together 
with, or separate from, any kind of personal property, whether tangible or intangible; 
(6) “Price tag” means any device, written, printed, affixed or attached i a consumer 
product or displayed in a consumer retail or service establishment for the purpos of indicating 
the retail price per unit or service; 
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(7) “Change” means the excess in the payment given by a consumer for products or 
services purchased or received; and 
(8) “Insufficient change” means a change that is less than what is due the consumer; 
SECTION 4. Regulated Acts. - (A) In General - It shall be unlawful for any business 
establishment to give insufficient change or no change at all to consumers who purchased or received 
products or services, even if such change is only of a small amount. It shall be the duty of the business 
establishment to give the exact change to the consumer without waiting for the consumer to ask for the 
same. 
SECTION 5. Procedure in Filing a Complaint. - 
(1) Not later_than ten (10) working days after a violation has been committed, the 
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consumer shall write and submit a letter of complaint to the Department. 
(2) The Department shall, in not more than ten (IO) working days after the complaint 
has been submitted, conduct an investigation and shall issue a notice to the establishment 
involved. 
(3) After a full investigation shall have been made by the Department, it 
decision and findings not later than thirty (30) days from the receipt of the 


SECTION 6. Information Campaign. - The Department shall undertake to implement an 
education campaign to inform consumers of the provisions of this Act. It shall regularly publish a list 
of the establishments found to have violated any provisions of this Act. 
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SECTION 8. Penalties. - Any violation of this Act shall be punished as follows 
offense, a violator shall he fined Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00); for the second offense, a 
SECTION 7. Rules and Regulations. - It shall he the duty of the Department, in coordination 
with other executive departments or government agencies which may be involved, to formulate and 
issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act. 
For the first 
violator shall 
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid 
and subsisting. 
SECTION 1 1. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, 
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent with, the 
provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION.-12. EfeZivitj Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved. 
/FN : SB 1736