Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” C. Villanueva 
AN ACT PROTECTING THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE  
TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN THE PHILIPPINES GUARANTEED 
UNDER SECTION 5, ARTICLE III OF THE 1987 CONSTITUTION  
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Our society is held together not only by law and its enforcement, but, 
more importantly, by those who voluntarily obey the established laws as 
motivated by their internalized norms of righteous or correct behavior. Since 
time immemorial, religious belief has been a vital influence in man’s 
knowledge of right and wrong and produces voluntary compliance by a large 
number of our citizens. 
Having recognized the significance of religion in human history, 
democratic countries all over the world has long been implementing and 
improving substantial laws to protect and promote religious freedom. 
Examples of  these are the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of the United 
States of America, the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act of Singapore, 
and the International Religious Freedom Act of Canada – to name a few. 
July 21, 2022
4:21 am
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The Philippines, however, has not yet enacted a law that will give 
substance to the right of the people to religious freedom guaranteed under 
Article III, Section 5 of our Constitution, which states that, “No law shall be 
made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise 
thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, 
without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious 
test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.” 
 
In view of the foregoing, this bill seeks to provide for an implementing 
law that will protect and promote the right of Filipinos to religious freedom, 
subject to certain exceptions. With this bill, Filipinos will be encouraged to 
pursue spiritual growth by affording them the freedom to conduct their lives 
in accordance with their faith or religious belief without the fear of 
persecution, threat, or punishment.  
 
Moreover, this measure also aims to promote a free market of religious 
ideas in the country where no religion is suppressed or quelled over the 
other. By leveling the playing field for the propagation of different religions, 
Filipinos are afforded the full spectrum of varying faiths and the freedom to 
choose to which they will subscribe. This, in turn, will counter religious 
fanaticism which gives rise to many societal problems in the country.  
 
Since the bill was already approved on 3rd Reading in the 18th 
Congress, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
Eduardo “Bro. Eddie” C. Villanueva 
AN ACT PROTECTING THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE  
TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN THE PHILIPPINES GUARANTEED 
UNDER SECTION 5, ARTICLE III OF THE 1987 CONSTITUTION  
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
1 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
2 
3 
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Magna 
4 
Carta on Religious Freedom Act." 
5 
6 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the declared policy of the 
7 
State to protect and uphold the fundamental and inalienable right of every 
8 
person to freely choose and exercise one's religion and beliefs and to act 
9 
and live according to one's conscience as guaranteed under Section 5, 
10 
Article Ill of the Constitution and other international human rights 
11 
instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 
12 
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on 
13 
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the Elimination on All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on 
1 
Religion and Belief, to which the State is a party or that it adheres thereto. 
2 
The right of every Filipino to profess, practice and propagate 
3 
religious beliefs must always be recognized, respected, allowed, and 
4 
protected. 
5 
 
6 
Towards this end, the State must ensure that no act of the 
7 
government or any of its agencies, instrumentalities, officers, or 
8 
employees shall burden, curtail, impinge, or encroach on the person’s right 
9 
to exercise one’s religious belief, freedom and liberty of conscience. In 
10 
addition, the government must also prohibit any act by a person, natural 
11 
or juridical, or any group of persons that burdens, curtails, impinges or 
12 
encroaches on the said right. 
13 
 
14 
Section 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act: 
15 
 
16 
a. Atheism, refers to the denial of the existence of a personal God 
17 
or deity, and shall be treated as form of religion for the purpose 
18 
of entitlement to the protection of freedom of religion and 
19 
conscience; 
20 
 
21 
b. Child refers to any person below eighteen (18) years of age or 
22 
older but who is incapable of taking care of oneself, as defined 
23 
under the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, 
24 
Exploitation and Discrimination Act (Republic Act No. 7610, as 
25 
amended); 
26 
 
27 
c. Conscience refers to a person’s sense or conviction of right or 
28 
wrong whether or not such sense or conviction comes from a 
29 
well-defined religious belief; 
30 
 
31 
d. Discrimination refers to any distinction, exclusion, restriction or 
32 
preference on the basis of a person’s religion or conscience and 
33 
which has the purpose or effect of burdening, curtailing, 
34 
impinging or encroaching on the person’s right to freedom of 
35 
exercise of religion and liberality of conscience; 
36 
 
37 


 
e. Expression of religious belief or conscience refers to the 
1 
outward or overt manifestation of one’s religious belief or 
2 
conscience, whether by speech, or action, sense or conviction of 
3 
right or wrong, whether or not such sense or conviction comes 
4 
from a well-defined religious belief; 
5 
 
6 
f. Guardian refers to a legal guardian or any person, other than the 
7 
biological parents, who takes the responsibility of taking care of 
8 
the personal and property rights of a child; 
9 
 
10 
g. Religion refers to a particular system of belief, faith, “paniniwala”, 
11 
concerning God or a Higher Authority, whether personal or 
12 
otherwise, or a transcendent or divine deity or deities, whether in 
13 
the singular or plural, as well as the recognition, worship, 
14 
obedience, or submission to said God or Higher Authority, either 
15 
by a fixed dogma, creed, set of doctrines or belief, or code of 
16 
conduct or lifestyle, or by an individual’s sense of appropriate or 
17 
proper behavior, code, or lifestyle in relation to that God or Higher 
18 
Authority. 
19 
 
20 
h. Religious belief refers to a particular belief or set of beliefs held 
21 
by a particular religion, or by an individual person. 
22 
 
23 
i. Religious Freedom refers to the freedom to change, adopt, or 
24 
retain one’s religion or belief; or from coercion that would impair 
25 
one’s freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of one’s choice, 
26 
and to manifest one’s religion or belief in worship, observance, 
27 
practice and teaching, in public or private, either individually or in 
28 
community with others; 
29 
 
30 
j. Religious group refers to a church, religious entity, religious 
31 
organization or group of persons who have formed together into 
32 
a congregation for the worship of a Higher Authority according to 
33 
the group’s established doctrines and ceremonies whether or not 
34 
the same is registered with the government. For purposes of this 
35 
Act, the group does not need to be registered to be entitled to 
36 
recognition as a religious group. 
37 
 
38 


 
Section 4. Freedom of Religion and Conscience Protected. - The 
1 
right of every person to freedom of religion and liberty of conscience, as 
2 
well as the free exercise or expression thereof, as defined and enumerated 
3 
in this Act, shall be protected by the State. It shall not be denied, burdened, 
4 
regulated, or curtailed even if it is a result of the rule of general applicability 
5 
of existing laws, except in the cases provided in Section 6 hereof. 
6 
 
7 
Section 5. Scope. - This Act shall not apply to the act of the 
8 
Government in enacting laws in the exercise of its police power. If any such 
9 
law is declared unconstitutional, the law shall be invalidated but the 
10 
Government through its responsible officers, shall not be subjected to any 
11 
prosecution under this Act. 
12 
 
13 
Section 6. Exception Clause. – The right of every person to 
14 
freedom of religion, or the free exercise thereof and liberality of 
15 
conscience can be denied, regulated, burdened, or curtailed only if it can 
16 
be demonstrated that: 
17 
 
18 
(a) the free exercise of religious freedom or conscience of a religious 
19 
group or individual results to violence or inflicts or poses to inflict 
20 
direct or indirect physical or material harm or danger on other 
21 
people, or infringe on their own freedom of religion or conscience; 
22 
and 
23 
 
24 
(b) it is necessary to protect public safety, public order, health, 
25 
property and good morals. 
26 
 
27 
Further, the State shall ensure that in burdening, regulating, or 
28 
curtailing religious freedom or freedom of conscience in the circumstances 
29 
above-mentioned, the State shall adopt the least restrictive means. It shall 
30 
also ensure that the measures taken do not become a basis, reason, or 
31 
excuse for the defamation, discrimination, or infliction of physical harm, 
32 
hostility, violence, war, or dissemination of propaganda or advocacy 
33 
against any such person or group of persons whose expression of 
34 
religious freedom or conscience is subject of burden, regulation, or 
35 
curtailment under conditions stated in this Act. 
36 
 
37 


 
Section 7. Right to Choose a Religion or Religious Group. – The 
1 
State shall protect and promote the right of a person to freely choose one’s 
2 
religion, belief or religious group. 
3 
Section 8. Right to Exercise or Express Religious Belief, 
4 
Practices, Acts or Activities. – The State shall protect and promote the 
5 
right of a person to freely profess, exercise, manifest, or express religious 
6 
belief, practices, acts or activities, either individually or in community with 
7 
others and in public or private, without fear of discrimination subject to 
8 
exceptions provided under this Act. 
9 
 
10 
Section 9. Right to Act in Accordance with Conscience. – The 
11 
State shall similarly protect and promote the right of a person to act, 
12 
without any form of coercion, in accordance with one’s conscience: 
13 
Provided, That the act does not inflict physical or material harm to any 
14 
person, does not infringe on the religious freedom of others or is not 
15 
contrary to morals, health, property, public order and safety. 
16 
 
17 
Section 10. Right to Propagate Religious Beliefs. – The State 
18 
shall protect and promote the right of a person to propagate one’s religious 
19 
belief without any form of coercion subject to the exceptions provided 
20 
under this Act. 
21 
 
22 
Section 11. Right to Disseminate Religious Publications. – The 
23 
State shall protect and promote the right of a person to disseminate 
24 
religious information or publication, in whatever form, kind or nature and 
25 
through any platform such as broadcast, print, social media or other online 
26 
platforms, subject to the exceptions provided under this Act. 
27 
 
28 
Section 12. Right of Religious Worship and Ceremonies. – The 
29 
State shall protect and promote the right to religious worship and 
30 
ceremonies, including that of indigenous cultural communities and 
31 
indigenous peoples, free from interruption, disturbance, violence, and 
32 
threats thereto, subject to the exceptions provided under this Act. 
33 
 
34 
Section 13. Right to Organizational Independence. – The State 
35 
shall protect and promote the right of a religious group to manage its own 
36 
affairs independent from political influence or control, subject to existing 
37 
laws, rules and regulations, and the exceptions provided under this Act. 
38 


 
 
1 
Section 14. Right to Freedom against Discrimination in 
2 
Employment. – The State shall protect and promote the right of a person 
3 
to equal opportunity and treatment, and non-discrimination in 
4 
employment, by virtue of one’s religious affiliation or belief. 
5 
 
6 
Section 15. Right to Freedom against Discrimination in 
7 
Educational Institutions. – The State shall protect and promote the right 
8 
of a person to be free from discrimination on the basis of one’s religion, 
9 
religious belief, religious group or moral sense or conviction in any 
10 
educational institution: Provided, That educational institutions that are 
11 
founded on religious beliefs or tenets shall be entitled to standards or 
12 
codes of behavior pursuant to their religious beliefs and disciplines. 
13 
 
14 
Section 16. Right of Companies or Businesses to be founded 
15 
on religious belief. – It shall be the right of business people and founders 
16 
or operators of business outfits to establish the companies, offices, or 
17 
operations, according to certain tenets of religious beliefs: Provided, That 
18 
the same are contained in writing and form part of the company’s vision 
19 
and mission statements, in which case, such company or outfit shall be 
20 
accorded the guarantees provided for under this Act. 
21 
 
22 
Section 17. Right of Parents or Legal Guardians to Rear 
23 
Children. – The State shall protect and promote the right of parents or 
24 
guardians to be at liberty in rearing their children according to their 
25 
religion, belief, or conscience: Provided, That a child who comes to the 
26 
age of majority shall be respected in his or her choice of religious belief: 
27 
Provided, further, That in such a case, parental authority under the Civil 
28 
Code, the Family Code, or The Child And Youth Welfare Code as may be 
29 
applicable, shall not be deemed diminished in any way. 
30 
 
31 
Section 18. Right to Tax Exemption – The State shall protect the 
32 
right of churches or religious organizations formed and operating 
33 
exclusively for religious purposes to be exempted from the payment of 
34 
taxes on all its real properties that are actually, directly, and exclusively 
35 
used for religious purposes, pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution, 
36 
and as provided by law. 
37 
 
38 


 
SECTION 19. Prohibited Acts. – It shall be unlawful for any person, 
1 
natural and or juridical, to: 
2 
 
3 
(a) 
Compel a person, by means of force, threat, intimidation or 
4 
undue influence, to choose or not to choose a particular 
5 
religious group, or to subscribe to a particular religious belief: 
6 
Provided, That the practice of certain religious groups or faiths 
7 
of requiring either or both couples to be a member thereof 
8 
before marriage may be officiated shall not be prohibited; 
9 
 
10 
(b) 
Threaten a person with harm or exert undue influence or 
11 
pressure in order to prevent such person from changing one’s 
12 
religion or belief or from transferring from one religious group to 
13 
another; 
14 
 
15 
(c) 
Compel a person, by means of force, threat, intimidation or 
16 
undue influence, to commit an act which is in violation of one’s 
17 
religious belief or conscience; 
18 
 
19 
(d) 
Defame, harass, humiliate or offend a person by reason of 
20 
one’s religious belief or the practice of such belief; 
21 
 
22 
(e) 
Obstruct, hinder or prevent the flow of and access to religious 
23 
information; 
24 
 
25 
(f) 
Hinder or prevent a person from exercising any act that is an 
26 
expression of one’s religious belief; 
27 
 
28 
(g) 
Perform or threaten to perform any act that constitutes or 
29 
promotes stigma, hate or persecution of a particular religious 
30 
belief, religious practice, or religious community; 
31 
 
32 
(h) 
Perform or threaten to perform any act that effectively impedes, 
33 
obstructs, prohibits, prevents or inflicts any harm or threatens 
34 
to cause harm, or in any manner, prevents any person from 
35 
freely and lawfully expressing and exercising one’s religious 
36 
beliefs; 
37 
 
38 


 
(i) 
Compel a person, by means of force, threat, intimidation or 
1 
undue influence to lawfully express and exercise religious 
2 
beliefs against one’s will; 
3 
 
4 
(j) 
Obstruct, hinder, cause undue delay or unjustifiably refuse the 
5 
production, or the valid and free distribution of religious 
6 
publications: Provided, That such publications do not contradict 
7 
the religious beliefs of the publishing company, and such 
8 
publication does not violate any existing law; 
9 
 
10 
(k) 
Exert undue influence over the decisions made by any leader 
11 
or leaders of a religious community through monetary, political, 
12 
social and personal gains as well as parochial interest; 
13 
 
14 
(l) 
Deny employment to qualified applicants solely on the basis of 
15 
religion; 
16 
 
17 
(m) Sever or terminate employment of a person solely on the basis 
18 
of one’s adherence to religious belief; 
19 
 
20 
(n) 
Deny maliciously and deliberately a religious institution or a 
21 
person employed by a religious entity the tax exemptions they 
22 
are entitled to; and 
23 
 
24 
(o) 
Commit any other act that curtails or violates the rights of a 
25 
person to religious freedom as provided for under this Act; 
26 
 
27 
SECTION 20. Penalties. – Any person, natural or juridical, who 
28 
violates Section 19 of this Act shall suffer the following penalties: 
29 
 
30 
(a) 
For the first violation: 
31 
 
32 
(1) For a private individual – a fine of not less than One hundred 
33 
thousand pesos (P100,000.00) but not exceeding Five 
34 
hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), or imprisonment of 
35 
not less than six (6) years and one (1) day but not more than 
36 
eight (8) years, or both, at the discretion of the court 
37 
 
38 


 
(2) For a juridical person – a fine of not less than One hundred 
1 
thousand pesos (P100,000.00) but not exceeding Five 
2 
hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), or imprisonment of 
3 
not less than six (6) years and one (1) day but not more than 
4 
eight (8) years, or both, at the discretion of the court, on the 
5 
official or employee directly liable and responsible for the 
6 
prohibited act. 
7 
 
8 
Provided, That for the juridical entity, a fine of Fifty thousand 
9 
pesos (P50,000.00) to Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) 
10 
shall be imposed on officers directly running the operations of the 
11 
juridical entity.  
12 
 
13 
(b) 
For any subsequent violation: 
14 
 
15 
(1) For a private individual – a fine of not less than Five hundred 
16 
thousand pesos (P500,000.00) but not exceeding Two million 
17 
pesos (P2,000,000.00), or imprisonment of not less than 
18 
eight (8) years but not more than ten (10) years, or both, at 
19 
the discretion of the court; 
20 
 
21 
(2) For a juridical person – a fine of not less than Five hundred 
22 
thousand pesos (P500,000.00) but not exceeding Two million 
23 
pesos (P2,000,000.00), or imprisonment of not less than eight 
24 
(8) years but not more than ten (10) years, or both, at the 
25 
discretion of the court, on the official or employee directly 
26 
liable and responsible for the prohibited act. 
27 
 
28 
Provided, That for the juridical entity, a fine of Two hundred 
29 
thousand pesos (200,000.00) to Five hundred thousand pesos 
30 
(P500,000.00) shall be imposed on officers directly running the 
31 
operations of the juridical entity: Provided, further, That if the violation 
32 
is committed by a corporation or other juridical entity, the penalty 
33 
provided in this Act shall be imposed upon the directors, officers, 
34 
employees or other officials or persons therein responsible for the 
35 
offense without prejudice to civil liabilities arising from the criminal 
36 
offense. 
37 
 
38 


 
If the offender is a government employee or official, the 
1 
accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from public office or 
2 
employment shall also be imposed. 
3 
 
4 
If a violation of any of the acts prohibited herein is also an act 
5 
prohibited under the Revised Penal Code, the imposition of the higher 
6 
penalty shall apply. 
7 
 
8 
SECTION 21. Establishment of Religious Freedom Hotline. – 
9 
The Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) shall establish, maintain 
10 
and publicize a toll-free number to provide timely and accurate information 
11 
and respond to queries regarding the rights protected under this Act. 
12 
 
13 
SECTION 22. Prohibition Against the Establishment of a 
14 
Religion by the State. – Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect 
15 
or diminish, in any way, the meaning and intent of Section 5, Article 3 of 
16 
the Constitution, which prohibits the State from establishing any religion. 
17 
 
18 
SECTION 23. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within 
19 
ninety (90) days from after the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the 
20 
Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Labor and Employment 
21 
(DOLE), Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher 
22 
Education (CHED), Legal Education Board (LEB), Chairperson of the 
23 
Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Commissioner of the Bureau of 
24 
Internal Revenue (BIR), Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), National 
25 
Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and the National Commission 
26 
on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) shall, in coordination with other concerned 
27 
government agencies and in consultation with the stakeholders, jointly 
28 
formulate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act. The 
29 
Chairperson of the CHR and the Secretary of the DOJ shall act as the co-
30 
Chairpersons of the body that shall formulate the IRR. 
31 
 
32 
SECTION 24. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof 
33 
is declared unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not 
34 
affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
35 
 
36 
SECTION 25. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive 
37 
orders, memorandum orders, memorandum circulars, administrative 
38 


 
orders, ordinances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the right 
1 
to freedom of religion and liberty of conscience and the provisions of this 
2 
Act, are hereby deemed repealed or modified accordingly. 
3 
 
4 
SECTION 26. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
5 
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of 
6 
general circulation. 
7 
 
8 
Approved,  
9