Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by Rep. Bernadette “BH” Herrera 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Railways traverse multiple cities and municipalities that transport the mass commuting public from 
their origin to their destination. Having a safe, secure, reliable, efficient, integrated, intermodal, affordable, 
cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and people-oriented national transport system plays a vital role 
in modern time given also that there are ongoing developments for the rail sector and widely being 
constructed and projected to be completed throughout the country that will aid the necessity of intercity 
transport of goods, services, and people. 
Part of the Build Better More (BBM) Program is the enhancement of the country’s competitive 
edge in providing effective and efficient transportation systems. In Chapter 12 of the Philippine 
Development Plan 2023-2028, it was identified that the key challenges to transport connectivity and safety 
are low-quality infrastructure, inconsistent regulation, and inefficient operations. The regulatory functions 
for railways are currently fragmented among various rail entities, resulting in inconsistencies in policies 
and standards, and inefficiencies in the planning and regulatory processes. 
This bill addresses the need to rationalize and streamline the regulatory functions over railways by 
creating a single and unified regulatory body for the railway industry to promote the efficient and effective 
management of the national railway system. The bill provides for the creation of Railways Industry 
Authority of the Philippines which will be responsible for the regulations within the Philippine Railway 
Industry. 
In view hereof, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly requested. 
Bernadette “BH” Herrera 
Bagong Henerasyon Partylist 
June 1, 2023
1:31 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ___ 
Introduced by Rep. Bernadette “BH” Herrera 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE RAILWAYS INDUSTRY AUTHORITY OF THE PHILIPPINES AND 
DEFINING ITS POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND STRUCTURE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in the Congress assembled: 
ARTICLE 1 
TITLE, POLICY AND DEFINITION OF TERMS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Railways Industry Authority Act of 2023” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State for a safe, secure, reliable, 
efficient, integrated, intermodal, affordable, cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and people 
oriented national transport system.  
The State recognizes the criticality of a clearly defined transport regulation framework and policy to ensure 
decision and operational consistency, establish efficient and effective coordination and partnership among 
National Government Agencies (NGA) and relevant stakeholders, encourage further infrastructure 
investment, and promote active and substantial participation of the private sector, to the benefit of the 
commuting public. 
The State further acknowledges the importance of streamlining the bureaucracy through merging regulation 
policy and framework into a unified authority, versus distributed and inconsistent regulatory provision.  
In the pursuit hereof, the State adheres to the establishment of a railway industry regulatory entity that is 
national in-scope, but able to address and respond to domestic complexities and unicity. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. For the purpose of this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
(a) "Appropriation" refers to an authorization made by law or legislative enactment directing payment
out of government funds under specified conditions or for specific purposes.
(b) "Asset operators" refer to the entities responsible for the operation, maintenance, and management
of railway infrastructure assets.
(c) "Attached agency" refers to an agency that is attached to a department or other executive agency
for the purpose of policy and program coordination, according to Section 3(e) of Executive Order
No. 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987.
(d) "Concessionaire" refers to a private organization that is authorized to operate, maintain, and/or
develop a specific railway line or service for a certain period of time, subject to certain terms and
conditions.
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(e) “Economic Regulation” refers to the coverage of regulating tariffs and services, developing 
competition, ensuring non-discriminatory access given that there are NO Filipino competent 
counterpart, fare regulation, and ensuring infrastructure investments.  
 
(f) “Environmental Regulation” refers to rail-specific environmental protection. 
 
(g) "Key Performance Indicator" is a measurable value used to measure and evaluate performance 
against specific goals and targets. 
 
(h) "Railway entities" refer to the individual companies, organizations, or agencies that operate within 
the broader "Railways Industry". 
 
(i) "Railways Industry", briefly referred to as "industry" in the broadest concept of the term. All 
enterprises engaged in the designing, constructing, manufacturing, acquiring, operating, supplying, 
repairing and/or maintaining railways, or component parts thereof; of managing and/or operating 
railway lines, shipping and freight forwarding railways agencies, and similar enterprises. 
 
(j) “Safety and Security Regulation” refers to the regulation of the safety and security compliances that 
the railway industry complies with, ensuring the safety and security of the passengers, freight, or 
cargo and as well as enforcement for non-compliance of the said regulation. 
 
(k) “Social Protection” refers to the set of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty and 
vulnerability by promoting efficient labor markets especially when right-sizing the workforce. 
 
(l) “Technical Regulation” refers to a requirement to attain safety, environmental, or operational 
standards.  
 
 
ARTICLE 2 
CREATION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE RAILWAYS INDUSTRY  
AUTHORITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 
 
SECTION 4. Creation of the Railways Industry Authority of the Philippines. The Railways Industry 
Authority of the Philippines (RIAP) is hereby created as the central railway industry regulation authority 
of the Philippine Government.  
 
Its functions and powers are national in scope and are able to address and respond to complexities and 
unicity of the locality to which the railway infrastructure and assets are located.  
 
The RIAP shall be an attached agency of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for purposes of policy 
and program coordination but shall independently be governed by its Rail Industry Board (RIB), and 
operated and managed by its own set of Administrative Officials and Personnel.  
 
SECTION 5. General Functions and Powers of RIAP. In furtherance of its mandate, the RIAP shall have 
the following functions and powers: 
 
(a) Issuances and revocation of certification to entities intending to participate in the Philippine 
Railway Industry, from planning and project development, construction and implementation, 
testing, commissioning and handover, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning and 
disposal; 
(b) Issuance and revocation of franchise to railway infrastructure and asset operators and/or 
concessionaires, as may be delegated by Congress through an enabling law; 
(c) Prescribe and enforce railway-industry related standards, rules and guidance, in compliance with 
domestic statutes (primarily) and international mandates (as applicable to local setting); 
(d) Administer, impose, and implement railway-related regulatory requisites in accordance with 
pertinent statutes, for the following: 
1. Economic (including Fare) Regulation 
2. Safety and Security Regulation  
3. Environmental Regulation 
4. Technical Regulation  
5. Social Protection 
(e) Formulate, prescribe, and enforce unified metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to 
entities involved in the railway industry of the Philippines; 


(f) Provide investment regulation to the Philippine Railways Industry, in partnership with the National 
Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); 
(g) Establishment, operation, and maintenance of extension or regional offices when required by the 
exigencies of its mandate and purpose; 
(h) Formulation of its own organizational structure, and number, positions, and salaries of its personnel, 
subject to pertinent organizational and compensation statutes; 
(i) Exercise such other functions and powers as may be necessary to carry out the mandate and purpose 
to which RIAP was established, or which, from time to time, may be declared by RIB to be 
necessary, useful, incidental, or auxiliary to accomplish its mandate and purpose.  
 
SECTION 6. Composition of the Railways Industry Board. The RIB shall be composed of the following 
ex-officio members, to wit: 
 
(a) Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr); 
(b) Undersecretary for Railways; 
(c) Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); 
(d) Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); 
(e) Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM); 
(f) Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); 
(g) Secretary of the Department of Finance; and  
(h) One (1) representative from the private sector 
 
Furthermore, the President of the Philippines shall appoint through the recommendation of the Secretary of 
DOTr an Administrator who shall sit as the Chairman of the Board. 
 
The RIB shall have the power to recommend an expansion of the membership of the board up to a total of 
eleven (11) Members, upon the approval of the Office of the President.  
 
SECTION 7. Management. The Management of RIAP shall be headed by an Administrator and shall be 
assisted by three (3) Deputy Administrators who shall also be appointed by the President of the Philippines 
through the recommendation of the Secretary of DOTr. The Deputy Administrators shall be responsible for 
the following, to wit: 
 
(a) One (1) shall be responsible for the General Administration of RIAP such as Human Resources, 
Finance, Legal, Information Technology, and other similar divisions deemed necessary. 
(b) One (1) shall be responsible for the Regulations that include the research and development of 
standards, guidelines, and policies. 
(c) One (1) shall be responsible for the Monitoring and Enforcement of the set standards, guidelines, 
and policies, and Adjudication of disputes and complaints arising from the implementation. 
 
SECTION 8. Coordination with Other Agencies. The Authority shall coordinate with the following 
government entities to carry out its functions effectively and efficiently:  
(a) Department of Transportation (DOTr);  
(b) Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);  
(c) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);  
(d) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);  
(e) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);   
(f) Department of Finance (DOF);   
(g) Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT); 
(h) Governance Commission for Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations (GCG); 
(i) Philippine Railways Institute (PRI); and 
(j) Other government entities whose functions concur with that of the Authority. 
SECTION 9. Implementing Guidelines. The following shall be implemented, following the effectivity of 
this Act:  
(a) Appointment of Members of the Rail Industry Board 
 
a. The RIB member from the private sector and the Administrator shall be appointed by the Office 
of the President, from the list of qualified nominees from the DOTr; the rest of the ex-officio 
Members will assume their posts upon the appointment of the former 
b. Initially, RIB members shall be appointed for a term of 12 months, within 30 days from the 
issuance hereof; their primary responsibility is to formulate and issue the required 
implementing rules, regulations and structure governing the operation and management of the 
RIAP itself, within 12 months of their appointment. 


c. Thereafter, members of RIB shall serve for a term of three years; no member of the board shall 
serve for more than two consecutive terms.  
d. Only the Office of the President, through the Executive Secretary, can revoke the appointment 
of private sector member and the Chairman of RIB 
 
(b) Designation of Core Administrative Officials, and Personnel 
 
a. The RIB shall formulate an appropriate, lean and reasonable organizational structure (on top 
of the Core Administrative Positions [Administrator and Deputy Administrators] identified 
hereof) and staffing pattern of RIAP, including its extension or regional offices, as maybe 
required by the existence of railway infrastructure and asset in the given geographic area. 
b. The hiring of Core Administrative Officials, and Personnel shall follow the available and 
applicable qualifications and requirements pertinent to the functions and powers of RIAP, and 
applicable statutes and DBM rules and regulations. 
 
ARTICLE 3 
APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCING 
 
SECTION 10. Initial Funding. Initial funds needed to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be taken 
from the appropriations of DOTr for the current fiscal year in which RIAP is created. Thereafter, continuing 
funding requirements shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act (GAA), subject to the 
usual budgetary preparation procedures. In addition, the RIAP is hereby authorized to retain fifty percent 
(50%) of its collections from fees, charges, and other dues collectible by the regulatory body to defray any 
deficiency in the GAA. 
SECTION 11. Continuing Appropriations and Revenue Generation. Continuing funding requirements 
shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act (GAA), subject to the usual budgetary 
preparation procedures.   
 
In addition, the RIAP is hereby authorized to retain fifty percent (50%) of its collections from fees, charges, 
and other dues collectible by the regulatory body to defray any deficiency in the GAA.  
 
ARTICLE 4 
TRANSITORY PROVISIONS 
 
SECTION 12. Amendment of Mandates of Existing Railway Entities.  The RIAP shall assume all powers 
and functions of the following existing railway entities relative to the issuance of eligibility certifications, 
determination of fares, railways restructuring, quality of service regulation, and investment regulation:  
 
(a) Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA); and  
(b) Philippine National Railways (PNR).  
 
The respective mandates of these railway entities shall be amended to concur with the assumption of powers 
and functions by RIAP. 
SECTION 13. Effect on Future Railways Entities. Any Railway Entity established after this Act takes 
effect shall not be granted any functions or powers that coincide, conflict, or contradict with the functions 
and powers stipulated in Section 5 of this Act. 
 
ARTICLE 5 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
SECTION 14. Congressional Oversight Committee. A Congressional Oversight Committee is hereby 
created, composed of the Chairpersons and Members of the Committee on Public Services of the Senate 
and the Committee on Transportation of the House of Representatives. Additional committees of both 
Houses who wish to be part of this Oversight Committee can join, subject to the approval of their respective 
House Leadership. The Oversight Committee shall, among others, monitor and ensure the effective 
implementation of this Act. 


 
SECTION 15. Separability and Repealing Clause. 
Separability. If any part of this Act herein be declared unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions not 
affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
Repeal. All other orders, guidelines, rules, regulations and issuances, or parts thereof, which are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 16. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.