Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bikt no. 4934

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

a AN ACT .
STRENGTHENING THE STRUCTURE OF THE NATIONAL
PRINTING OFFICE, DEFINING ITS POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MORE EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF
PRINTING SERVICES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of neve of
the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. The Act shall be known as the National

Printing Office Act of 2044.
SEG. 2 Declaration of Policy. The State shall promote
economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the delivery of. public

services and shall encourage an effective government printing
and public system.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms: As used in this Act, the
following terms shall be defined, as follows:

a) Agency - shall refer to the National Printing Office (NPO)
as provided for in this Act.

b) Government Standard Accountable Forms - refer to the
prescribed forms with money value being printed by the
NPO uniformly designed for general use by the national,
provincial, city and municipal governments including
government corporations, such as: Official Receipts, Real
Property Tax Receipts, Cash Tickets, among others.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO.4534 ]

Introduced by Rep. Winston “ Winnie” Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Philippine Commission Act No. 296 established in 1901 the
Bureau of Public Printing. However, actual operation started only on
November 7, 1902 under the name, Bureau of Printing. Its function
was incorporated in the Revised Administrative Code under Sections
1644 to 1648.

The Bureau of Printing was placed directly under the Office of
the President up to 1959. It was transferred to the defunct
Department of General Services and renamed the Government Printing
Office. Then it was transferred again to the Office of the Press
Secretary and renamed National Printing Office by virtue of Executive
Order No. 290 and 285 series of 1959 and 1987, respectively.

The National Printing Office has exclusive jurisdiction over the
printing service requirements of Government Agencies and
Instrumentalities. However, since it cannot reasonably accommodate
the ever increasing and changing demand of the government agencies
due to its predominantly antiquated printing facilities. The NPO is
constrained, much to its regret, to endorse the accredited printer for
the printing of various specialized government forms.

This bill aims to strengthen the National Printing Office to make
it more viable and efficient in the delivery of printing services.
Through this bill, the NPO will be able to acquire modern facilities,
which will improve in NPO operations that will enable the Agency to
deliver efficient printing services to the requisitioning public.

* ‘The newly invigorated National Printing Office will then be able
to cope with the demand of the various government agencies. It will

no longer be endorsing the various specialized forms to its accredited



c) Goverument Standard Non-Accountable Forms — refer to
prescribed forms being printed by the NPO of general
use by the national, provincial, city\‘and municipal
Governments includiag govemment corporations, such
as: General Fonws, Accounting Forms, Wunicipal Forms,
Provincial Forms, among others. H

|
d) Speciatized Accountable Fonns - refer to forms with
mousy value spectiically designed for use jof a
purticular goverment or lnstrumentality such as:
Parking  ‘Yickets, Delivery Receipts, Business
Pornilts/Liconses, among. others. |
|
©) Specialized Now-Accountable Forms — refer to forms
without money value epecilically designed for use of a
| particular agency or lasitumentality such as: Laboratory

forms, Hospital Forms, Citation Forms, among others.
|

f) Custoraized/Personalived Forms — refer to government
standard accountabio and wonaccountable forms
bearing the loge, mame of treasurer and security
features prescribed by requisitidnihg Agency

re Heparimont of Finance, provided that, such forms shall
be passed upon by the NPO for control purposes|of its
serial numbers, as the case may be.

9) Printed Matiers - refer to forms other than those
mentioned above.

. _ ARTIC |
FUNCTIONS AND POLICE POWERS | .

SEC. 4 Functions: ‘The agency shall have the following functions
and responsibilities:

a) Printing, binding and distvibution of all standard and
accountable forms of the national, provincial, city and
municipal governments including government-owned
and controlled corporations; .

b) Printing of official ballots and other printed matters
related to the conduct of national and local olections;
and .


‘c) Printing of public decumonts such as the Official

Gazetie, General Appropriations Act, Philippine Reports
and development information materials of the Philippine
Information Agency;

Vhe agency may also accept other goverment, byinting jobs,
Including govenument publications, aside from thoss enumerated

above.

SEC. 5 Powers. For general control, security and uniformity, tho

agoncy shail have the following autiovity:

2) To require all national and local governments including
government-owned and controlied corporations to
course all requests for printing to the Agency;

b) To recommend cancellation of business of Fiy-boy-raigging,
printers as well as recommend sanctions against
government officials snd employess engaged ln getting
the services of private printers without’ the Agency's
permission. |

¢) To require all national and local governments Including
government-owned and controtled corporations to
submit thelr Annual Printing Program to the Agency at
least forty five days before end of fiscal year for which
failure to do so will mean appropriate sanction to head
of Agencies as recommended by NPO;

d) To enforce compliance with the prescribed uniform
design for government standard accountable: and non-
accountable forms;

8) To recommend disallowance of payment of transactions
vasuiting to printing services done without. passing

through the Agency.

) To establish monitoring mechanism te..check the
compliance of sil National and Local | Gpvemments
Inctuding Govermmentowned' and | controlled
Corporations with regard to the printing of government
standard accountable and non-accountable forms os
established In this Act;

9) To issue the necessary guidelines ia pursuance to the
contents of this Act; and


fform such other acts which are necessary to
ns and responsibilities.

h) To per
: carry out its’ mandated func

y purposes of policy coordination and
ain attached to the Office of the

SEG. 6. Supervision.
Agency sh

I vey

supervision, thi
Press Secretary.

SEC. 7. Participation of Other Government Agencies in Control
and Monitoring of Printing. The Agency can call upon other
Ss and strumentalities whose roles are
ective implementation of the provisions of this

government age!
» necessary
Act.

SEC. 8. Establishment of Uniform Design for Government
‘Standard Accountable and Non-Accountable Forms. The Department
of Finance shall be responsible for the revision of a uniform design for
government standard and accountable and non-accountable forms for
general use of the National, Provincial, City) and Municipal
Governments, including Government Corporations. The Commission
on Audit shali be responsible for the revision of accounting forms

used

government operations.

SEC. 9. Used ‘of Customized/Personalized and) Specialized
Fors. The use of customized or personalized ratnia| ate than the
uniform design prescribed by the DOF shall not be allowed by the
zed forms used for a particular government

Agency. However, speciz
‘entity’s specific, unique and exclusive purpose shall maybe allowed
provided such has passed through the Agency.

Disallowance of Payment for Printing
ission on Audit through
nce of payment

/ \ SEC. 10. Automai
Services Done by Private Printers. The Com:
its unit auditors shall cause the automatic disallow.
for printing services contracted to private printers who are not duty

edited by the Agency and whose transaction did not pass
a

ac
through the Agency.

ARTICLE It
APPROPRIATIONS

SEC. 14. Funding. The Agency shall continue to be funded yearly
der the General Appropriations Act. ?

“ SEC. 12. Fund for Modernization of Printing Facilities. The
ilize 50% of its annual net income for acquisition of

Agency can
modern printing facilities for the purpose of providing efficient and
effective delivery of public service.



SEC. 13. May avail of long term joan. The Agency can enter into
a contract of loan from any government lending institution in the
amount necessary for complete modernization of its printing facilities
for which 50% of its annual net income is earmarked for loan

_ amortization and the other 50% is for remittance to the National
‘Treasury.

SEC. 14. Use of Revolving Fund. The Agency shhn| continue to
utilize the established Revolving Fund in the purchase of supplies and
materials for its regular printing jobs for government standard and
accountable forms. The Agency, however, can charge to the

‘Revolving Fund ail printing costs incurred in the printing of special

jobs with specific timeframe and which ave not readily available in its
stock. Printing costs include: paper materials, supplies, labor for
overtime services and other expenditures directly incurred during the
printing of the special project. w |

SEC. 45. Establishment of Regional Sales Offices. The Agency
shall establish regional distribution centers all over the country to
expedite delivery of printing services to its clientele. The Dep ment
of Budget and Management shail ensure appropriations of funds for .
the Agency’s regional distribution centers. i

i
!
' ARTICLE IV |
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS |
|
SEG, 16. Submission of Annual Printing Program. For the Agency
to be able to ascertain the total annual printing requirements for the
government, all government agencies and instrumentalities shall be
required to submit their annuai printing requirements: forty-five (45)
days before the end of each fiscal year to enable the Agency to cater
expeditiously printing services up to the far-flung areas of the Land.

SEC. 17. Annual Procurement Program. The underlying purposes
of this program shali be for effective control of procurement
activities, economical: procurement through ee Ps and

expediency of the printing activities. The Annual Printing Program
shail'he the reference of the Agency in the preparation of its Annual
Procurement program, which shalt be implemented on a quarteriy
basis to coincide with quarterly releases of funds for the purpose.



SEC. 18. The operation of the NFO shall mainly evolve on the
Annual Printing Program and Annual Procurement Program as
absence of both programs shail inevitably open, the gateway to a
massive proliferation of unauthorized printing services in the

government that may ultimately result, at ome time or another, to

huge amount of losses as the Agency Is out of complete control on
‘this.

SEC. 19. Subscriptions to the Official Gazette. Section 4 of the
Commonwealth Act 638 Is hereby modified to read as follows: Each
department, bureau, office, and agency or instrumentality of the

ational government, as well as each provincial, city, municipal, and
barangay goveraments, shall subscribe the Official Gazette and pay
for the same out of their respective funds. The purpose of this
provision is for efficient and effective information di: semination on
alll important legislative acts and resolutions of a public nature jof the
Congress of the Philippines; all executive and administrative orders
and proclamations; decisions or abstracts of decisions of the
Supreme Court and the other documents required so to be published
hy law.

ARTICLE V
TRANSITORY PROVISION :

SEC. 20. Contracting the Services of Accredited Security
Printers. For the meantime that the Agency is yet to have sufficiont
modern printing equipment and on exceptional cases wherein the
Agency cannot undertake the printing requirement of a particular

‘gévernment entity for its specific purpose, the services of accredited

security printers shall be sought. The duly accredited security

printers shall undertake press works of printing jobs after which all
printed sheets shall be brought back to the NPO for manpower
privting processes. The Agency shall furnish the accredited security ©
printers with the paper materials needed in the production of
government printing jobs, which bore security markings for purpése
of general control and security from overprinting and after press
works, proper accounting of such production material shall be
undertaken. :


ARTICLE Wa
FINAL PROVISIGNS

SEC. 24. Separability Clause. it, for any reason, aay provision of
this Act is deciared unconstitutional or kivalid, the other provisions
not aitiected thereby shail conthwe to be In full force and effect.

SEC. 22. Kepeoaiiny Cinuse. Ali laws, decrees, executive orders,
instructions, memorandum of agreoment, rules and tions, and
parts thereof, inconsistent with this Act, ave licrehy ronsaled or
modified accordingly.

i

SEC. 23. Effectivity. Tne Act shall take effect fifteen (45) days
after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or a eWSEApOr
of general circulation. |