HOUSE 9F REPRESENTATIVES
RECEIVED
| bare:_15,JUL 2016,

Republic of the Philippines Tite 23 pa
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES By:
Quezon City i

REGISTRATION UNIT |
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session BILLS AND INDEX SERVICE

House ewtno. 1101

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The country is home to disasters, calamities, or emergencies that threaten limbs and lives.
When such phenomenon, man-made or natural, strikes, not few individuals or families are
affected, become victims, get injured, and/or suffer socio-economic dislocation which may be
temporary or even permanent.

Volunteer responders in the face of these occurrences are a great help to government and its
efforts to respond to the needs of those affected. Thus, their services become a third way for
government. And they sometimes become unwitting victims as they undertake to perform rather
selfiess if not heroic tasks and the daunting challenge of saving other people's lives at the risk of
their own.

This bill urgently contemplates to incentivize volunteer responders by way of financial as well as
non-financial incentives or benefits such as medical or hospital attention or treatment especially
for those who themselves become victims of disasters, calamities, or emergencies because
they undertake the challenge to save or bring the lives of people to safety and away from harm.
Either they become injured in the process or at times, they also become casualties leaving
behind their families unable to carry on their daily lives,

In truth, what could have been costs supposedly borne out by government are actually provided
for by volunteer responders who not only have such commendable social conscience but
likewise skill and training to successfully manage and surmount the tasks of a volunteer
responder,

It is therefore contemplated in this urgent measure to reward in modest extent the continuing
contribution to society, to people, and to government from volunteer responders. For this
purpose, they shall be granted financial, medical, and other non-pecuniary benefits to
incentivize them and acknowledge their unique role in providing timely and actual services of
saving people from harm or possible threat of death from disasters, calamities, or other such
emergencies.

The government just cannot turn deaf and blind to the now commonplace fact that this area of
volunteer emergency services must be aggressively tapped given that the growing challenge
that is facing it today is recruitment and retention. If they stop rendering their selfless dedication


to serve, the government might find itself having to spend more in terms of a variety of related
costs,

Hence, volunteer responders deserve to be rewarded by financial, medical, and/or other non-
pecuniary benefits as a way to retain them for such emergency, disaster, or gala °

natural or man-made. This as a fitting tribute in exchange for the value ofime donated by.ou
seffiess but heroic volunteer responders who are the first line of defpfise in all the variety f
disasters, calamities, or emergencies.

The immediate passage of this bill is therefore most earnestly sought.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House sit no.L101

Introduced by Rep. Winston "Winnie" Castelo

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE VOLUNTEER RESPONDERS INCENTIVES PROTECTION PROGRAM
THEREBY PROVIDING FINANCIAL AND/OR NON-PECUNIARY BENEFITS ESPECIALLY
FOR THOSE WHO BECOME VICTIMS THEMSELVES OF SUCH DISASTERS, CALAMITIES
OR EMERGENCIES IN THE COURSE OF DUTY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted in the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the ‘Volunteer Responders Incentives
Protection Act of 2016.’

SEC. 2, There shall be established a Volunteer Responders Incentives Protection
Program with the Office of Civil Defense of the Department of National Defense as the Office of
Primary Responsibility.

SEC. 3, Under this Act, volunteer responders shall be provided financial, medical and/or
other non-pecuniary benefits or incentives in exchange of the value of time they donate to
perform with skill volunteer emergency, calamity, or disaster services.

Provided Further That, similar or related entitlements as may later be granted shall
accrue to the benefit of volunteer responders especially for those who become victims and
suffer injury or even death

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect immediately upon its approval and publication in at
least three (3) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,