Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 8699

Introduced by Representative Edgar Mary 8. Sarmiento

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In the recent weeks, there was public clamor over the implementation of the Republic Act No.
11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act. Particularly, motorists are opposing the sudden
implementation of the law without information dissemination especially at the time of the COVID-
19 pandemic. The country’s economy has contracted by 9.5% in 2020. This left 3.8 Million
Filipinos unemployed (October 2020). To make matters worse, numerous Overseas Filipino
Workers were forced to return to the country as pandemic brought a global recession. Most.
families are now concerned with only fulfilling their most basic and immediate needs. Any other
expense would be an unnecessary burden.

While the law is clearly important as transportation and road safety is always a priority, we
must remain responsive to the needs of the people and sensitive to the difficulties they are currently
facing. A few years back, we could not have foreseen that a pandemic would happen around the
time of the effectivity of the law. Aside from conducting a better public information campaign and
improving the current Implementing Rules and Regulations of the law, a suspension of its
implementation was also insisted on.

Asa remedy to the unique situation the country finds itself in, this law would grant the President
the power to temporarily suspend the implementation of the mandatory use of child restraint
system in motor vehicles temporarily during national emergencies. This would cover other
situations and national emergencies when the exigency of the circumstances warrant the
suspension of the law’s implementation. It must be noted that other provisions of the bill are not
being postponed. We do not want other protections afforded to children to be deferred. Neither do
we intend to postpone other activities which are vital to the implementation of the bill.

As such, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Eighteenth Congress
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. _ 8699

Introduced by Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento

AN ACT GRANTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES THE POWER TO
SUSPEND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MANDATORY USE OF CHILD
RESTRAINT SYSTEM IN MOTOR VEHICLES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11229, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE CHILD SAFETY IN
MOTOR VEHICLES ACT

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

SEC. 1. Power to Suspend the Implementation of Mandatory Use of Child Restraint System
in Motor Vehicles. — Section 4 of Republic Act No. 11229 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 4. Mandatory Use of Child Restraint System in Motor Vehicles. It shall be
unlawful for the driver of a vehicle not to properly secure at all times a child, in a child
restraint system while the engine is running or transporting such child on any road, street
or highway unless the child is at least one hundred fifty (150) centimeters or fifty-nine (59)
inches in height and is properly secured using the regular seat belt. PROVIDED, THAT
THE PRESIDENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION, MAY SUSPEND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
MANDATORY USE OF CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM IN MOTOR VEHICLES
TEMPORARILY IN TIMES OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES, SUCH AS WHEN
A STATE OF CALAMITY OR STATE OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IS
DECLARED. SUCH SUSPENSION MAY BE LIFTED BY THE PRESIDENT
WHEN THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY CEASES TO EXIST. PROVIDED
FURTHER, THAT the child restraint system shall be appropriate to the child’s age, height
and weight, and approved in accordance with Section 6 of this Act. The requirements of
this section shall not apply to circumstances where the child restraint system would put the
child in such greater danger, such as:

XXX


SEC. 2. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Department of Transportation, in consultation
with the Land Transportation Office, and all other agencies and stakeholders concerned, shall
promulgate the Implementing Rules and Regulations immediately upon the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 3. Separability Clause. If, for any reason, any part or provision of this Act is declared invalid
such declaration shall not affect other provisions of this Act.

SEC. 4. Repealing Clause. Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order,
administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SEC. 5. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,