Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING PROTECTION TO CONSUMERS AND THEIR MEDICAL NECESSITIES 
DURING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, EPIDEMICS OR OUTBREAKS, AND 
PANDEMICS, AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7581, AS AMENDED OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE "PRICE ACT" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about challenges to Filipino households, especially with the 
massive economic impact on the nation’s economy due to the long and strict community 
quarantine measures. During the earlier months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a huge 
shortage of medical necessities such as personal protective equipment and disinfectants which 
was taken advantage of by some unscrupulous individuals who hoarded and sold these essentials 
for twice or thrice the original price.  
This proposed measure seeks to protect consumers from such activities and ensure the stability 
of the price and supply of these essential goods. This measure shall amend Republic Act No. 
7581, as amended by Republic Act No. 10623, otherwise known as the Price Act, to include 
epidemics/outbreaks, pandemics, or public health emergencies to the conditions for the mandated 
price ceiling and include personal protective equipment and medical devices to items covered by 
the price control. This also seeks to penalize illegal price manipulation and violation of the price 
ceiling for personal protective and medical devices deemed as a priced commodity by the 
Department of Health during times of public health emergencies. 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the 
Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
August 22, 2022
10:22 am
3865


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUSTAVO S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT  
PROVIDING PROTECTION TO CONSUMERS AND THEIR MEDICAL NECESSITIES 
DURING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, EPIDEMICS OR OUTBREAKS, AND 
PANDEMICS, AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7581, AS AMENDED OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE "PRICE ACT" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7581, as amended, is hereby amended to 
read as follows:  
"SEC. 2. Declaration of Basic Policy. – It is the policy of the State to ensure the 
availability of necessities and prime commodities at reasonable prices at all times without 
denying legitimate businesses a fair return on investment. It is also a declared policy of 
the State to provide effective and sufficient protection to consumers against hoarding, 
profiteering, and cartels concerning the supply, distribution, marketing, and pricing of said 
goods, especially during periods of calamity, emergency, PUBLIC HEALTH 
EMERGENCIES, EPIDEMICS OR OUTBREAKS, PANDEMICS, widespread illegal price 
manipulation, and other similar situations. "  
XXX 
SECTION 2. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 7581, as amended, is hereby amended and 
renumbered accordingly as follows: 
"SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of this Act, the term: 
(1)
"Basic necessities" includes x x x
(2)
"Buffer fund" means x x x
(3)
"EPIDEMIC/OUTBREAK" REFERS TO AN OCCURRENCE OF MORE CASES
OF DISEASES THAN NORMALLY EXPECTED WITHIN A SPECIFIC PLACE
OR GROUP OF PEOPLE OVER A GIVEN PERIOD;
(4)
"Implementing agency" means x x x
3865


(5) "MEDICAL 
DEVICE" 
MEANS 
ANY 
INSTRUMENT, 
APPARATUS, 
MACHINE, IMPLANTS, OR IN VITRO REAGENTS INTENDED FOR USE 
IN, OR USED IN DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, MONITORING, OR 
PREVENTION OF DISEASE OR INJURY; 
(6) "PANDEMIC" REFERS TO AN EPIDEMIC OCCURRING WORLDWIDE, OR 
OVER A VERY WIDE AREA, CROSSING INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES 
AND USUALLY AFFECTING A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE; 
(7) 
"Panic-buying" means xx x 
(8) 
"Person" means x x x 
(9) "PERSONAL 
PROTECTIVE 
EQUIPMENT" 
MEANS 
EQUIPMENT 
INTENDED FOR USE TO PROTECT THE EYES, FACE, HEAD, HEARING, 
EXTREMITIES, OR A RESPIRATORY TRACT FROM HAZARDS OR TO 
FUNCTION AS PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, AS A PROTECTIVE SHIELD OR 
BARRIER, AS A PERSONAL FALL ARREST OR LADDER SAFETY DEVICES 
OR AS SAFETY AND HEALTH MONITORING AND INSTRUMENTATION 
DEVICES; 
(10) "Prevailing Price" means x x x 
(11) "Price ceiling" means x x x 
(12) "Prime Commodities" are goods not considered necessities but are essential to 
consumers in times of any of the cases provided under Section 7 of this Act such 
as, but not limited to, flour; dried, processed, or canned pork, beef and poultry 
meat; dairy products not falling under necessities; onions, garlic, vinegar, patis, 
soy sauce; toilet soap; fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides; poultry, livestock, 
and fishery feeds and veterinary products; paper; school supplies; nipa shingle; 
sawali; cement; clinker; GI sheets; hollow blocks; plywood; plyboard; 
construction nails; batteries; electrical supplies; light bulbs; steel wire; 
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND MEDICAL DEVICES AS 
DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH; all drugs not classified 
as essential drugs by the Department of Health and such other goods as may be 
included under Section 4 of this Act; AND 
(13) "PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY" REFERS TO AN OCCURRENCE OR 
IMMINENT THREAT OF AN ILLNESS OR HEALTH CONDITION AS 
DEFINED UNDER SECTION 3(1) OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11332, 
ENTITLED THE "MANDATORY REPORTING OF NOTIFIABLE DISEASES 
AND HEALTH EVENTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN ACT." 
SECTION 3. Section 6 of Republic Act No. 7581, as amended, is hereby amended to 
read as follows: 
"Sec. 6. Automatic Price Control. – Unless otherwise declared by the President, prices 
of necessities, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, AND MEDICAL DEVICES AS 
DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH in an area shall automatically be 
frozen at their prevailing prices or placed under automatic price control whenever:  
XXX 
SECTION 4. Section 7 of Republic Act No. 7581, as amended, is hereby amended to 
read as follows: 


"Sec. 7. Mandated Price Ceiling. - The President, upon the recommendation of the 
implementing agency, or the Price Coordinating Council, may impose a price ceiling on 
any basic necessity or prime commodity if any of the following conditions so warrant:  
XXX  
(2) The threat, existence, or effect of an emergency, INCLUDING AN 
EPIDEMIC/OUTBREAK, PANDEMIC, OR A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY; 
XXX 
SECTION 5. Section 10 of Republic Act No. 7581, as amended, is hereby amended to 
read as follows: 
"Sec. 10. Powers and Responsibilities of Implementing Agencies. – To carry out 
the intents and purposes of this Act, the head of the implementing agency shall have the 
following additional powers and responsibilities:  
(5) From time to time, he may issue suggested reasonable retail prices for any or all 
necessities and primes commodities under his jurisdiction, UPON CONSULTATION 
WITH RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS, for this information and guidance of producers, 
manufacturers, traders, dealers, sellers, retailers, and consumers. FOR THIS 
PURPOSE, THE IMPLEMENTING AGENCY SHALL ADOPT MECHANISMS TO 
ENSURE THE DISSEMINATION OF SUCH INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICES AND MANDATORY 
PRICE CEILINGS OR PRICE FREEZES. 
XXX  
(9) He may conduct investigations of any violation of this Act and, after due notice 
and hearing, impose administrative fined in such amount as he may deem reasonable 
which shall in no case be less than one thousand pesos (Pl,000) nor more than THREE 
MILLION PESOS (P3,000,000). In the imposition of administrative fines, the 
following factors shall be taken into consideration: 
XXX 
SECTION 6. Section 15 of Republic Act No. 7581, as amended, is hereby amended to 
read as follows: 
"Sec. 15. Penalty for Acts of Illegal Price Manipulation. – Any person who commits 
any act of illegal price manipulation of any basic necessity or prime commodity under 
Section 5 hereof shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment for not less than five (5) years 
nor more than ten (10) years, and shall be imposed a fine of not less than Five thousand 
pesos (P5,000) nor more than Two million pesos (P2,000,000); PROVIDED, THAT THE 
PENALTY 
FOR 
PERSONS 
WHO 
COMMIT 
ACTS 
OF 
ILLEGAL 
PRICE 
MANIPULATION OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND MEDICAL 
DEVICES IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AS A PRIME 
COMMODITY 
DURING 
TIMES 
OF 
EMERGENCIES, 
INCLUDING 


EPIDEMICS/OUTBREAKS, PANDEMICS OR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY, 
SHALL SUFFER THE PENALTY OF IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT LESS THAN FIVE 
(5) YEARS BUT NOT MORE THAN TWENTY (20) YEARS, AND SHALL BE IMPOSED 
A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN TEN THOUSAND PESOS (P10,000) BUT NOT MORE 
THAN FOUR MILLION PESOS (P4,000,000), DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY, 
FREQUENCY AND EXTENT OF THE VIOLATION COMMITTED. 
SECTION 7. Section 16 of Republic Act No. 7582, as amended, is hereby amended to 
read as follows: 
"Sec. 26. Penalty for Violation of Price Ceiling. – Any person who violates Section 6 
or 7 of this Act shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment for not less than one (1) year nor 
more than ten (10) years or a fine of not less than Five thousand pesos (P5,000) nor more 
than One million pesos (P1,000,000) or both, at the discretion of the court; PROVIDED, 
THAT THE PENALTY FOR PERSONS WHO VIOLATE THE PRICE CEILING FOR THE 
SALE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND MEDICAL DEVICES 
IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AS A PRIME COMMODITY 
DURING TIMES OF EMERGENCIES, INCLUDING EPIDEMICS/OUTBREAKS, 
PANDEMICS OR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY, SHALL SUFFER THE PENALTY OF 
IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT LESS THAN TWO (2) YEARS BUT NOT MORE THAN 
TWENTY (20) YEARS, AND SHALL BE IMPOSED A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN TEN 
THOUSAND PESOS (P10,000) BUT NOT MORE THAN TWO MILLION PESOS 
(P2,000,000), DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY, FREQUENCY AND EXTENT OF 
THE VIOLATION COMMITTED. 
SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in consultation with the 
members of the Price Coordinating Council and relevant stakeholders, shall promulgate the 
necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.  
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. – Any portion or provision of this Act that is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect of nullifying other portions or provisions hereof 
as long as such remaining portions can still subsist and be given effect in their entirety.  
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. – All laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, other issuances, or 
parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen ( 15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,