Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ___________ 
Introduced by HON. ALFREDO A. GARBIN, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Undoubtedly, broadcast industry plays a vital role in the development and growth 
of our country and, ultimately, in shaping our country’s future. It promotes public 
participation and influences public opinion on important matters concerning our country. 
It is noteworthy to emphasize, however, that broadcast industry is capital 
intensive and high technology dependent. In other words, to fully harness and utilize its 
benefits, substantial and considerable investments on emerging and modern broadcasting 
facilities are needed. Needless to state, only after investing in a state-of-the-art, 
sophisticated, and efficient broadcasting and transmission system can we expect positive 
changes and improvement in the means information is received by, and disseminated to, 
the public.  
Thus, it is imperative that the government continue to play an active role in 
sustaining and encouraging the development of broadcast industry. The government has 
to attract, promote and welcome more capital infusion and investments into broadcast 
industry. Equally important, the government has to ensure that any and all existing media 
infrastructure and facilities are utilized to the fullest extent possible and that the 
owners/investors thereof could continue their service and assistance to the nation.  
In its commitment to provide innovative ways to deliver public service to the 
Filipino people, Asia Pacific Business and Industrial Services, Inc. (“Asia Pacific”) has 
made, and intends to make, significant capital investments to upgrade, improve, and 
enhance its broadcasting facilities and transmission system. These investments are 
expected continue with the government-mandated shift from analog transmission to 
digital transmission. In recognition of the capital requirements of Asia Pacific’s 
operations, the renewal and expansion of its franchise are recommended to fully utilize 
the capital invested therein, to ensure the uninterrupted, nationwide, and improved 
delivery of its services to the Filipino people, to fully assist the government in 
disseminating information to the people, and to enrich, enhance, and improve the 
broadcasting system in our country.  
 In view of the foregoing, this bill is respectfully submitted for consideration and 
approval.  
HON. ALFREDO A. GARBIN, JR. 
AKO BICOL Party List 
January 18, 2022
9:52 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ___________ 
Introduced by HON. ALFREDO A. GARBIN, JR. 
AN ACT GRANTING ASIA PACIFIC BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL 
SYSTEMS, INC. A FRANCHISE TO CONSTRUCT, INSTALL, OPERATE, 
AND MAINTAIN RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTING STATIONS 
THROUGHOUT THE PHILIPPINES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:  
SEC. 1. Nature and Scope of Franchise. – Subject to the provisions of the 
Constitution, as well as other applicable laws and their amendments, the franchise 
granted to Asia Pacific Business and Industrial Systems, Inc., its successors or 
assigns, hereunder referred to as the grantee, to construct, install, establish, 
operate and maintain for commercial purposes, including for pay-service, and in 
the public interest, radio, television and satellite broadcasting stations throughout 
the Philippines, including digital terrestrial television, multi-channel microwave 
transmission, repeater stations, translators, satellite transmission, and direct-to-
home user satellite broadcast system, cable or community antennae television 
system (CATV), multi-point distribution system (MUDS), local multi-point 
distribution system (LMDS), interactive system or station, transmitting, receiving 
and switching stations, both for local and international services, lines, fiber optics, 
microwave, satellite, transmit and receive systems, control signals, audio and 
video systems, information service bureau, pay and pay-per-view television, 
video on demand and public information on demand services, multi-disc read-
only memory, memory network delivery, packet and frame relay and electronic 
mail services and other value-added services and all other technologies as are 
presently available through technical advances or innovations in the future, as is, 
or are convenient to or essential to efficiently carry out the purposes of this 
franchise and to install radio communication facilities for the grantee's private use 
in its broadcast services, means of distribution including the use of all new 
technologies in broadcasting as are at present available or to be made available 
through technological advances or innovations in the future, with the 
corresponding technological auxiliaries and facilities, special broadcast and other 
program and broadcast distribution services, and relay stations, is hereby renewed 
for another twenty-five (25) years from the effectivity of this Act.  
SEC. 2. Manner of Operation of Stations or Facilities.  – The stations or facilities 
of the grantee shall be constructed and operated in a manner as will, at most, result 
only in the minimum interference on the wavelengths or frequencies of existing 
stations or other stations which may be established by law, without in any way 
diminishing its own privilege to use its assigned wavelengths or frequencies and 
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the quality of transmission or reception thereon as should maximize rendition of 
the grantee’s services and/or the availability thereof. 
 
 
SEC. 3. Prior Approval of the National Telecommunications Commission. – The 
grantee shall secure from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) 
the appropriate permits and licenses for the construction and operation of its 
stations or facilities and shall not use any frequency in the radio/television 
spectrum without authorization from the NTC.  The NTC, however, shall not 
unreasonably withhold or delay the grant of any such authority. 
 
 
SEC. 4. Responsibility to the Public. –The grantee shall provide, free of charge, 
adequate public service time which is reasonable and sufficient to enable the 
government, through the broadcasting stations or facilities of the grantee, to reach 
the pertinent populations or portions thereof, on important public issues and relay 
important public announcements and warnings concerning public emergencies 
and calamities, as necessity, urgency or law may require; provide at all times 
sound and balanced programming; promote public participation; assist in the 
functions of public information and education; conform to the ethics of honest 
enterprise; promote audience sensibility and empowerment including closed 
captioning; and not use its stations or facilities for the broadcasting of obscene or 
indecent language, speech, act, or scene; or for the dissemination of deliberately 
false information or willful misrepresentation, to the detriment of the public 
interest; or to incite, encourage, or assist in subversive or treasonable acts. 
 
 
Public Service Time referred herein shall be equivalent to a maximum 
aggregate of ten (10%) percent of paid commercials or advertisements which shall 
be allocated based on need to the executive, legislative, judiciary, constitutional 
commissions and international humanitarian organizations duly recognized by 
statutes: Provided, That the NTC shall increase the Public Service Time in case of 
extreme emergency or calamity. The NTC shall issue rules and regulations for this 
purpose, the effectivity of which shall commence upon applicability with other 
similarly situated broadcast network franchise holders. 
 
 
SEC. 5. Right of the Government.  –   The radio spectrum is a finite resource 
that is part of the national patrimony and the use thereof is a privilege conferred 
upon the grantee by the State and may be withdrawn any time after due process.  
 
 
A special right is hereby reserved to the President of the Philippines, in 
times of war, rebellion, public peril, calamity, emergency, disaster, or disturbance 
of peace and order: to temporarily take over and operate the stations or facilities 
of the grantee; to temporarily suspend the operation of any station or facility in 
the interest of public safety, security and public welfare; or to authorize the 
temporary use and operation thereof by any agency of the government, upon due 
compensation to the grantee, for the use of said stations or facilities during the 
period when these shall be so operated. 
 
 
SEC. 6. Term of Franchise.  – This franchise shall be for a term of twenty-five 
(25) years from the date of the effectivity of this Act, unless sooner revoked or 
cancelled. This franchise shall be deemed ipso facto revoked in the event the grantee 
fails to operate continuously for two (2) years. 
 
 
SEC. 7. Self-regulation by and Undertaking of the Grantee.  –  The grantee shall 
not require any previous censorship of any speech, play, act or scene, or other 


matter to be broadcast from its stations: Provided,  That the grantee, during any 
broadcast, shall cut off from the air the speech, play, act or scene, or other matter 
being broadcast if the tendency thereof is to propose and/or incite treason, 
rebellion or sedition; or the language used therein or the theme thereof is indecent 
or immoral: Provided, further, That willful failure to do so shall constitute a valid 
cause for the cancellation of this franchise. 
 
 
SEC. 8. Warranty in Favor of the National and Local Governments. –  The grantee 
shall hold the national, provincial, city, and municipal governments of the 
Philippines free from all claims, liabilities, demands, or actions arising out of 
accidents causing injury to persons or damage to properties, during the 
construction or operation of the stations of the grantee. 
 
 
SEC. 9. Commitment to Provide and Promote the Creation of Employment 
Opportunities. – The grantee shall create employment opportunities and shall allow 
on-the-job trainings in their franchise operation: Provided, That priority shall be 
accorded to the residents in areas where any of its offices is located: Provided 
further, That the grantee shall follow the applicable labor standards and allowance 
entitlement under existing labor laws, rules and regulations and similar issuances: 
Provided, finally, That the employment opportunities or jobs created shall be 
reflected in the General Information Sheet to be submitted to the Securities and 
Exchange Commission annually. 
 
 
SEC. 10.  Sale, Lease, Transfer, Grant of Usufruct, or Assignment of Franchise. – 
The grantee shall not sell, lease, transfer, grant the usufruct of, nor assign this 
franchise or the rights and privileges acquired thereunder to any person, firm, 
company, corporation or other commercial or legal entity nor merge with any 
other corporation or entity, without the prior approval of the Congress of the 
Philippines and compliance with legal requirements stipulated in other statutes: 
Provided, That any person or entity to which this franchise is sold, transferred, or 
assigned shall be subject to the same conditions, terms, restrictions, and limitations 
of this Act. 
 
 
SEC. 11. Dispersal of Ownership. –  In accordance with the constitutional 
provision to encourage public participation in public utilities, the grantee shall 
offer to Filipino citizens at least thirty percent (30%) or a higher percentage that 
may hereafter be provided by law of its outstanding capital stock in any securities 
exchange in the Philippines within five (5) years from the commencement of its 
operations:  Provided,  That in cases where public offer of shares is not applicable, 
the grantee shall apply other methods of encouraging public participation by 
citizens and corporations operating public utilities as allowed by law. 
Noncompliance therewith shall render the franchise ipso facto revoked. 
 
 
SEC. 12. Reportorial Requirement.  – The grantee shall submit an annual 
report to the Congress of the Philippines, through the Committee on Legislative 
Franchises of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Public Services 
of the Philippine Senate, on its compliance with the terms and conditions of the 
franchise and on its operations on or before April 30 of every year during the term 
of its franchise.  The reportorial compliance certificate issued by Congress shall be 
required before any application for permit or certificate is accepted by the NTC. 
 
 
SEC. 13. Fine.  – Failure of the grantee to submit the requisite annual report 
to Congress shall be penalized by a fine of Five hundred pesos (P500.00) per 


working day of noncompliance. The fine shall be collected by the NTC from the 
delinquent franchise grantee separate from the reportorial penalties imposed by 
the NTC and the same shall be remitted to the National Treasury. 
 
 
SEC. 14. Equality Clause.  – Any advantage, favor, privilege, exemption, or 
immunity granted under existing franchises, or which may hereafter be granted 
for radio and/or television broadcasting, upon prior review and approval of 
Congress, shall become part of this franchise and shall be accorded immediately 
and unconditionally to the herein grantee:  Provided,  That the foregoing shall 
neither apply to nor affect  provisions of broadcasting franchises concerning 
territorial coverage, the term, or the type of service authorized by the franchise. 
 
 
SEC. 15. Repealability and Nonexclusivity Clause.  – This franchise shall be 
subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal by the Congress of the Philippines 
when the public interest so requires and shall not be interpreted as an exclusive 
grant of the privileges herein provided for. 
 
 
SEC. 16. Separability Clause.  – If any of the sections or provisions of this Act 
is held invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid. 
 
 
SEC. 17. Repealing Clause.  – All laws, decrees, orders, resolutions, 
instructions, rules and regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof which are 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or 
modified accordingly. 
 
 
SEC. 18. Effectivity.  – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
 
 
 
Approved,