Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
House Bill No. _______
Introduced by Honorable Ma. Alana Samantha Taliño Santos
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A SLEEP DISORDER AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
PROGRAM
EXPLANATORY NOTE
As mandated by our Constitution, “the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the
people and instill health consciousness among them.”1 Promotion of health should be holistic,
and should address various aspects of a citizen’s well-being.
Studies have shown that sleep plays a pivotal role in good health and well-being. Sleep helps to
support healthy brain function, maintain physical health and support growth and development.
Inadequate and low quality sleep can raise overtime risk for chronic or long term health
problems such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and stroke.2 Sleep also
affects the performance of day to day activities including school and work, and also affects how
people react, work, learn and get along with others. Experiencing mental health problems may
have a compounding effect on mental health problems. The American Psychiatric Association
(APA) recognizes that sleep problems “often occur along with medical conditions or other
mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or cognitive disorders.”3
Given how pervasive the effects of sleep are both on a person’s day to day activities and long
term health, there is a need to enact laws that would address various sleep related health
problems and provide adequate support to citizens suffering from these issues.
This bill aims to provide support to citizens experiencing sleep-related issues through better
identification of patients and training educators to address these issues. Those suffering from
sleep-related disorders will be provided free medical assistance and therapy. The bill also aims to
increase public awareness in sleep disorders through mandating the development, distribution,
and promotion of public service announcements on sleep disorders by the Department of
Education and the Commission on Higher Education, in consultation with the Department of
Health and requiring the DOH to conduct a study on the prevalence and impact of sleep disorders
and make recommendations to strengthen awareness programs.
1 Sec 15, Art II, 1987 Constitution
2 https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-
important#:~:text=During%20sleep%2C%20your%20body%20is,long%2Dterm)%20health%20problems.
3 Torres, F. (2020). “What are Sleep Disorders?”, American Psychiatric Association. Accessed
from: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/sleep-disorders/what-are-sleep-disorders (Accessed on: 18
September 2021).
March 31, 2023
1:05 pm
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With the passage of this bill, we are upholding the citizen’s right to overall health. Given the
high importance of sleep and the detrimental dangers to health, well-being and public safety
insufficient sleep and untreated sleep disorders may lead to, it is high time for the State to enact
laws to promote public awareness on sleep-related health issues, and provide much needed
support to individuals experiencing these issues.
HON. MA. ALANA SAMANTHA TALIÑO SANTOS
Representative, 3rd District of Cotabato


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
House Bill No. _______
Introduced by Honorable Ma. Alana Samantha Taliño Santos
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A SLEEP DISORDER AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
PROGRAM
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Sleep Disorder Awareness and
Education Act.”
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the
right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. As such, the State shall
promote awareness to sleep disorders, including insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome,
sleep apnea; and provide educational and health programs that may help the public to be
knowledgeable on these disorders, and to provide help to those who are experiencing it.
Section 3. Definition. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean:
i. “Insomnia” – is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty with falling asleep, staying
asleep, or both.
ii. “Narcolepsy” – a condition characterized by extreme sleepiness during the day and
failing asleep suddenly during the day.
iii. “Restless legs syndrome” (RLS) – a type of sleep movement disorder. Restless legs
syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbon disease, causes an uncomfortable sensation and an urge to
move the legs while you try to fall asleep.
iv. “Sleep apnea” – is a sleep condition wherein the breathing stops and restart many times
while fall asleep.
v. “Sleep disorder” – refers to a condition which involves problems with the quality,
timing, and amount of sleep, which result in daytime distress and impairment in functioning.
Section 4. Innovative Assistance for the Identification of, Training on, and Educational
Awareness of Sleep Disorder. The Department of Health (DOH) shall craft programs to improve
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the identification of patients with sleep disorders, increase awareness of such disorders with the
public, and train educators (such as teachers, nurses, social workers, coaches, counselors, and
school administrators) on effective sleep disorder assistance methods and the prevention of this
disorder. The DOH may also provide free medical assistance and therapy to those who are
suffering from it.
Section 5. Public Service Announcements. – The Department of Education and the
Commission on Higher Education, in consultation with the DOH, shall carry out a program to
develop, distribute, and promote the broadcasting of public service announcements to improve
public awareness, and to promote the identification and prevention of sleep disorders.
Section 6. Sleep Disorder Research and Report. – Not later than 18 months after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the DOH shall conduct a study on the impact of sleep disorder on
educational advancement and achievement. The study shall:
(a) determine the prevalence of sleep disorder among the population and the morbidity
and mortality rates associated with sleep disorder;
(b) report on current national and local programs to educate the public about the dangers
of sleep disorder, as well as evaluate the value of such programs; and
(c) make recommendations on measures that could be undertaken by the Congress, the
Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Health, to strengthen sleep disorder
awareness programs.
Section 7. Intervention of LGUs – Local Government Unit (LGUs) shall likewise provide
policies in promoting the sleep disorder awareness programs and ensure the implementation of
those.
Section 8. Appropriations - To carry out the provision of this Act, such amount as may be
necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, the
amount necessary for the continuous operation of the program shall be included in the annual
appropriations of the Department of Health.
Section 9. Separability Clause. — If any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting.
Section 10. Repealing Clause. –Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order,
letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent or contrary to the provision of this Act is
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Section 11. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,