EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S.B. No. 1642
/-yRCCEIVEOit.
,SS- E-FILED 
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11:00 a.m.
time:
NDEX
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
INSTITUTING THE POLICIES FOR THE NEW NORMAL ADDRESSING THE 
EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article II, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution states that, "The prime duty of 
the Government is to serve and protect the people." The COVID-19 pandemic has 
taken the country and the whole world aback. The Philippines is one of the high-risk 
countries affected by the pandemic. On 17 March 2020, President Rodrigo Roa 
Duterte, through Proclamation No. 929, declared a state of calamity in the country 
due to the sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases.
As of the moment, there are 9.44 million cases worldwide and the Philippines 
has 32,295 confirmed cases and the numbers are still expected to rise since there is 
still no vaccine available in the market.
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing on us a "new normal' where people need 
to practice social distancing and adapt to other behavioral changes in order to 
prevent the spread of the virus.
The public, with the government taking lead, should prepare to transition 
towards a "new /70/7wa///wherein social and economic life can both function through 
a whole-of-government approach and whole-of-society approach. Thus, this bill 
seeks to institute policies for the "new normal' by providing various programs from 
health care modernization, to public transportation, to creation of jobs, and 
promotion of public spaces, among others. This bill not only aims to manage the 
current situation Filipinos are facing but also aims to improve over-all situation in the 
long haul. Given the abovementioned circumstances, the urgent passage of this bill 
is earnestly sought.
IMEE R. MARCOS


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S.B. No. 1642
^fRECEI.VEl)%-^
ipr o
lui date:
E-FILED U'Z] 
June 29 2020 m
COi
time:
11:00 a.m.
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
INSTITUTING THE POLICIES FOR THE NEW NORMAL ADDRESSING THE 
EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled.
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "New Normal Act of
2 
2020."
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State has the prime duty to serve and
4 
protect the people by instituting poiicies for the new normal that shall address the
5 
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government shail take the lead in the
6 
transition towards a "new normal' wherein social and economic life can both
7 
function through a whoie-of-government approach and whoie-of-society approach.
8 
Sec. 3. Heath Care Delivery System and Services. - The Department of
9 
Health (DOH), in coordination with the Department of Interior and Locai
10 
Government (DILG) and Local Government Units (LGUs), shail strengthen and
11 
modernize the health care delivery system and services of the country to fight and
12 
prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus which shaii also adopt a comprehensive,
13 
consistent, and systematic approach to current and existing health threats, issues,
14 
and concerns to complement the state-of-the-art technology.
15 
The Universal Health Care for all Filipinos under Repubiic Act No. 11223 or
16 
otherwise known as the "UniversalHealth Care Act' shouid be fuiiy impiemented and
17 
there shaii mandatory Pooied Baseline Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing or Pooled
18 
Baseline PCR Testing which shall be available, accessible, and affordable to all
19 
Filipinos especialiy to those in the vulnerabie sector, as may be determined by DOH.


1 
Sec. 4. Social Protection and Basic Services. - The Department of Social
2 
Welfare and Development (DSWD), in coordination with the DILG and LCDs, shall
3 
ensure that social protection and basic services shall be made available and
4 
accessible to all Filipinos especially to the hardest hit and poorest sector. The
5 
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in coordination with the Department of
6 
Information and Communications Technology (DICT), shall ensure that the
7 
Philippine Identification System under Republic Act No. 11055 shall be fast-tracked
8 
and fully implemented to facilitate the identification of qualified beneficiaries under
9 
the social amelioration program of the government.
10 
The Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education
11 
(CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
12 
shall provide educational support and assistance to students especially in adapting to
13 
online learning and other programs that build back better school systems.
14 
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public
15 
Works and Highways (DPWH), in coordination with the LGUs and the Metro Manila
16 
Development Authority (MMDA), shall undertake to improve and reform the public
17 
transportation system and major highways and thoroughfares for a more efficient
18 
travel and to ease traffic congestion.
19 
Provided that, the government shall continuously monitor the implementation
20 
of the mandatory safety measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus
21 
subject to the guidelines, as may be implemented, following the effectivity of this
22 
Act.
23 
Sec. 5. Job Provision and Protection. - The government shall create a
24 
program which shall provide for the creation of jobs and assistance to unemployed
25 
Filipinos as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jobs may be offered for skilled,
26 
semi-skilled and unskilled workers in government offices, sites, projects, or any
27 
government-related undertaking such as infrastructure projects, health programs,
28 
creative projects, cleaning and management of the environment and government-
29 
owned infrastructure, reforestation, flood control, conservation projects,
30 
development of national parks, forests, and historic sites, among others.
31 
The public and private sector shall also endeavor to provide, when applicable,
32 
work from home arrangements with the use of telecommunication and/or computer


1 
technologies, in accordance to Republic Act No. 11166 otherwise known as the
2 
''Telecommuting Act." Provided that, labor protection and benefits such as social
3 
security and/or health insurance shall also be provided to 'gig' work arrangements
4 
which shall be based on a pro-rated basis, linking employer-benefit contributions to
5 
time worked, jobs completed, or income earned. Provided further that, protection to
6 
non-payment of "gif work arrangements shall also be made, as may be determined
7 
by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
8 
For purposes of this Act, "gig work arrangement^' shall be defined as any
9 
temporary position in a free market system for short-term commitments.
10 
Sec. 6. Agri-industry Development. - The Department of Agriculture (DA)
11 
shall promote the development of agriculture, fisheries and food production to
12 
ensure the sustainability of food supply, food productivity, availability, accessibility,
13 
and affordability despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The DA shall provide nationwide
14 
programs that will benefit farmers, fisherfolks, and consumers to increase national
15 
agri-fishery output through intensified use of quality seeds, appropriate inputs, and
16 
modern technologies to increase levels of productivity across all commodities, both
17 
in urban and rural areas.
18 
Sec. 7. New Normal Development Task Force. - There is hereby created an
19 
"New Normal Development Task Forcd' hereinafter referred to as the "Task Forcd'
20 
which shall spearhead and ensure that fiscal and financial stimulus programs actually
21 
work for the most vulnerable while strengthening multilateral and regional responses
22 
that will engender the appropriate adaptation to the new normal. The Task Force
23 
shall be composed of the following:
24 
(a) 
Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG);
25 
(b) Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA);
26 
(c) 
Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH);
27 
(d) 
Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);
28 
(e) 
Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
29 
(f) 
Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
30 
(DENR);
31 
(g) 
Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr);


1 
(h) Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development
2 
Authority (TESDA);
3 
(I) 
Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA);
4 
0) 
President of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP); and
5 
(k) 
President of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP).
6 
The Chairperson of the Council shall be the Secretary of the DILG who shall
7 
have the power to require the participation of such other government agencies or
8 
instrumentalities in the Council, as he may deem necessary. Provided that, the
9 
Council shall, thereafter, formulate a national policy and plan which shall incorporate
10 
how the programs, as mentioned in this Act, shall be swiftly implemented and
11 
utilized.
12 
Sec. 8. Resilience and Response Programs. - The government shall formulate
13 
and implement response programs that will strengthen Filipino resiliency and
14 
adaptation to the new normal, such as:
15 
(a) Promote social cohesion and investing in community-led resilience and
16 
response systems;
17 
(b) Provide community support group especially for the repatriated Overseas
18 
Filipino Workers (OFWs) and promotion of mental health;
19 
(c) Environment protection and sustainability;
20 
(d) Digitalization of government public administration and public service
21 
functions through E-Government Systems;
22 
(e) Access to fast and affordable internet connection;
23 
(f) Promote E-commerce and digital payments; and
24 
(g) Promote the use of non-motorized vehicle such as bicycles.
25 
Sec. 9. Promotion, Encouragement, and Management of Public Spaces. - The
26 
government shall promote and encourage the use of outdoor public spaces where
27 
people can conduct social activities while observing the proper social distancing
28 
measures, as may be determined by the DOH.
29 
Local government units shall, thereafter, designate public spaces for such
30 
purpose and shall be responsible in monitoring privately managed public spaces.
31 
For purposes of this bill, the term "public spaced' shall mean an accessible
32 
outdoor social space, complete with adequate basic facilities, where three (3) or


1 
more people gather together to conduct activities for purposes of sports, culture,
2 
arts, and other productive activities that are inclusive of all diversity groups.
3 
Sec. 10. Monitoring. - Local government units, in coordination with the
4 
respective departments and agencies, shail be responsible in instituting and
5 
monitoring the policies and programs which shall be formulated after the effectivity
6 
of this Act.
7 
Sec. 11. Appropriations. - Upon its effectivity, an initial amount of ten billion
8 
pesos (P 10,000,000,000.00) shall be included in the annual General Appropriations
9 
Act (GAA) for the impiementation of this Act. Thereafter, the appropriation
10 
necessary shall be determined by the government, in coordination with the
11 
Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
12 
Sec. 12. Impiementing Ruies and Reguiations. - Within sixty (60) days from
13 
the effectivity of this Act, the concerned departments and agencies shall issue the
14 
necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act.
15 
Sec. 13. Repeaiing Ciause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations
16 
or other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
17 
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
18 
Sec. 14. Separabiiity Ciause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is
19 
declared unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected
20 
thereby shall remain in force and effect.
21 
Sec. 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days
22 
following the completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a
23 
newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.
24
25 
Approved,