NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
S.B. No. 2069
Senate
of tlje
23 ABR 17 PI *16
Rl'CEiVEQBV;
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
AN ACT
RENAMING THE AGHAM ROAD AND THE BIR ROAD, STRETCHING FROM 
NORTH AVENUE, TRAVERSING THROUGH QUEZON AVENUE, UP TO EAST AVENUE, 
ALL LOCATED IN QUEZON CITY, AS SENATOR MIRIAM P. DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO
AVENUE
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Senator Miriam Palma Defensor-Santiago was a Filipino scholar, academic, 
lawyer, judge, author, and stateswoman who served in all three branches of the 
Philippine government for almost five decades.
In 1983, while serving as presiding judge in the Regional Trial Court of Quezon 
City, she eradicated the court’s backlog of cases by implementing a no-postponement 
policy.
Thereafter, she held numerous high-level positions in the Executive 
Department, including serving as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration and 
Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform. As Immigration Commissioner, she 
implemented significant reforms that reduced corruption in the bureau. Meanwhile, as 
Secretary of Agrarian Reform, Senator Defensor-Santiago put an end to a controversial 
land conversion scheme where property owners were attempting to have their 
agricultural lands redefined as commercial, industrial, or residential in order to avoid 
or outright violate relevant regulations.
Senator Miriam also served as a three-term senator, where she was consistently 
among those with the highest numbers of bills and resolutions filed, as well as the


author of several landmark laws. Her advocacies covered wide-ranging topics related 
to education; job creation and support to entrepreneurs; public order, youth, women, 
and family relations; health and demography; and justice and human rights.
Due to her exemplary work in public service. Senator Santiago received 
numerous prestigious awards for excellence, some of which are the Outstanding 
Women in Nation's Service Award for Law (1986), Magsaysay Award for government 
service (1988), Gold Vision Triangle Award for government service, YMCA (1988), the 
Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, Spain (2007), and the Distinguished Icon of 
Legal Excellence and Public Service Award (2016).
Senator Santiago was the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to be elected judge 
to the International Criminal Court for a nine-year term. However, she was not able 
to serve in the prestigious international body as she had to step down because of her 
illness.
Thus, in honor of Senator Defensor-Santiago's life-long public service and 
unparalleled contribution to shaping Philippine governance through her mastery of the 
law, this bill proposes to rename the Agham Road and the BIR Road to Senator Miriam 
P. Defensor-Santiago Avenue.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
TOL" N. TOLENTINO


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
S.B. No. 2069
of tl)C Bi-i'-ehup
23 ABR17 PI *16
RECEIVED BY.
Introduced by SENATOR FRANCIS "TOL" N. TOLENTINO
AN ACT
RENAMING THE AGHAM ROAD AND THE BIR ROAD, STRETCHING FROM 
NORTH AVENUE, TRAVERSING THROUGH QUEZON AVENUE, UP TO EAST 
AVENUE, ALL LOCATED IN QUEZON CITY, AS SENATOR MIRIAM P. 
DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO AVENUE
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Phiiippines in 
Congress assembied:
1 
SECTION 1. The Agham Road and the BIR Road, stretching from North Avenue,
2 
traversing through Quezon Avenue, up to East Avenue, all located In Quezon City, are
3 
hereby renamed as Senator Miriam P. Defensor-Santiago Avenue.
4 
SEC. 2. The Department of Public Works and Highways shall issue the necessary
5 
rules, orders, and circulars to implement the provisions of this Act within sixty (60) days
6 
from its effectivity.
7 
SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
8 
Official Gazette or In a newspaper of general.
Approved,