TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
a{ liir
25 AUG-4 P5 59
SENATE
S. No. 872
R’TEIVED BY: E1
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF LAWS IN THE PRINT OR ONLINE 
VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND OF A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL 
CIRCULATION
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Republic Act No. 386, otherwise known as the Civil Code of the Philippines 
was approved on June 18, 1949 and provides under Article 2 that, "Laws shall take 
effect after fifteen days following the completion of their publication either in the 
Official Gazette, unless it is otherwise provided."
The said law was amended in 1987 by Executive Order No. 200 to include 
newspapers of general circulation as a means to comply with the requirement for 
publication of laws. This is in recognition of the limited readership and erratic 
release of the Official Gazette. This concern was raised by the Supreme Court in 
Tahada, et. al. vs. Tuvera, et. al. (G.R. No. 6395, December 29, 1986).
In the same year. Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the 
Administrative Code of the Philippines was signed and it contained provisions 
consistent with Executive Order No. 200. Particularly, Chapter 5 (Operation and 
Effect of Laws) and Chapter 6 (Official Gazette) provides for other rules related to 
laws that govern the country.


With the advancements in information and communication technology, 
information dissemination through the internet has become very reliable in terms of 
speed and reach. Hence, online documents are more accessible to the public at the 
faster, more convenient, and more affordable manner.
In this light, this measure seeks to include the online version of publication of 
both the Official Gazette and the newspapers of general circulation as among the 
legal and recognized format and channel of publication of laws of the country.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this legislative proposal is 
highly recommended.
L
Y EJERCITO ESTRADA


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
: (©fliiT of !;■' ?=•
25 AUG-4 P5S9
SENATE 
S. No. 872
RITtlVED BV
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF LAWS IN THE PRINT OR ONLINE 
VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND OF A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL 
CIRCULATION
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1
2 
Section 1. Article 2 of Republic Act No. 386, otherwise known as the "Civil
3 
Code of the Philippines," is hereby amended to read as follows:
4 
"Article 2. Laws shall take effect [after] fifteen (15)
5 
days [following the completion of] AFTER their publication
6 
[either] IN FULL, in the PRINT OR ONLINE VERSION
7 
OF THE Official Gazette, or in THE PRINT OR ONLINE
8 
VERSION OF a newspaper of general circulation in the
9 
Philippines, unless [it] A DIFFERENT PERIOD is otherwise
10 
[providedr] PRESCRIBED TO RESPOND TO A
11 
NATIONAL EMERGENCY: 
PROVIDED, THAT
12 
PUBLICATION IN THE ONLINE VERSION OF THE
13 
OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND THE NEWSPAPER OF
14 
GENERAL CIRCULATION SHALL INDICATE THE
15 
OFFICIAL DATE OF THE PUBLICATION.
16 
"AS USED IN THIS ACT, THE TERM "LAWS"
17 
SHALL REFER TO:


1 
"(1) ALL STATUTES ENACTED BY THE
2 
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES;
3 
"(2) 
ALL 
ORDERS, PROCLAMATIONS,
4 
CIRCULARS AND OTHER ISSUANCES PROMULGATED
5 
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES PURSUANT
6 
TO THE ORDINANCE POWER, AS PROVIDED FOR BY
7 
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 292, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
8 
THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1987; OR
g 
"(3) 
ALL 
RULES AND REGULATIONS
10 
PROMULGATED TO IMPLEMENT OR ENFORCE
11 
STATUTES PURSUANT TO A VALID DELEGATION OF
12 
LEGISLATIVE POWER BY THE CONGRESS OF THE
13 
PHILIPPINES."
14 
Sec. 2. Section 18 of Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the
15 
Administrative Code of 1987, is hereby amended to read as follows:
16 
"Sec. 18. When Laws Take Effect. - Laws shall
17 
take effect after fifteen (15) days following the completion of
18 
their publication in the PRINT OR ONLINE VERSION OF
19 
THE Official Gazette or IN THE PRINT OR ONLINE
20 
VERSION OF [m] a newspaper of general circulation,
21 
unless [it] A DIFFERENT PERIOD is otherwise [provided.]
22 
PRESCRIBED TO RESPOND TO A NATIONAL
23 
EMERGENCY."
24 
Sec. 3. Sections 24 and 25 of the same Executive Order are hereby amended
25 
to read as follows:
26 
"Sec. 24. Contents. - There shall be published in the
27 
Official Gazette, IN ITS PRINT AND ONLINE VERSION,
28 
all legislative acts and resolutions of a public nature; all
29 
executive and administrative issuances of general
30 
application; decisions or abstracts of decisions of the
31 
Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, or other courts of
32 
similar rank, as may be deemed by the said courts of


1 
sufficient importance to be so published; such documents or
2 
classes of documents as may be required so to be published
3 
by law; and such documents or classes of documents as the
4 
President shall determine from time to time to have general
5 
application or which he may BE authorized so to be
6 
published.
7 
"The publication of any law, resolution or other official
8 
documents in the Official Gazette 
shall 
be prima facie
9 
evidence of its authority.
10 
"Sec. 25. Editing and Publications. - The Official
11 
Gazette shall be edited in the Office of the President and
12 
published weekly in [Pilipino] FILIPINO or in English
13 
language IN PRINT OR THROUGH THE OFFICIAL
14 
GAZETTE WEBSITE MANAGED BY THE OFFICE OF THE
15 
PRESIDENT OR SUCH OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY
16 
OR OFFICE AUTHORIZED BY THE PRESIDENT, [ft]
17 
THE PRINT VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE s\\^W
18 
be sold and distributed by the National Printing Office which
19 
shall promptly mail copies thereof to the subscribers free of
20 
postage."
21 
Sec. 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
22 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise
23 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.
24 
Sec. 5. Repealing Clause. — Article 2 of Republic Act No. 386, otherwise
25 
known as the Civil Code of the Philippines, is hereby amended. Executive Order No.
26 
200, dated June 18, 1987, is hereby repealed. Sections 18, 24 and 25 of Executive
27 
Order No. 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, are hereby
28 
amended. All other laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive orders, presidential
29 
proclamations, issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are contrary
30 
to or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed,
31 
amended or modified accordingly.


1 
Sec. 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
2 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,