THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PI-IILIPPINES 
1 
(5 &[jG 2.? i) f: "., 
Third Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The ability to diagnose, service, aiid repair a motor vehicle in a timely, reliable, and 
affordable maimer is essential to the safety and well-being of automobile vehicle owners. Such 
owners are entitled to choose among competing repair facilities for the convenient, reliable, aiid 
affordable repair of their motor vehicles. Increased competition among repair facilities will 
benefit motor vehicle owners. Computers of various lcinds are increasingly being used in motor 
vehicle systems, such as pollution control, transmission, antiloclc braltes, electronic and 
mechanical systems, heating and air-conditiormg, sound, and steering. 
The diagnosis, service, and repair of these vehicle systems are essential to the safety 
and proper operation of modern motor vehicles. In many instances, access codes prevent 
ow~iers fiom maliing, or having made, the necessary diagnosis, service, and repair of their 
motor vehicles in a timely, convenient, reliable, and affordable manner. Motor Vehicle 
Owners have benefited lrom the availability of an aftermarket parts supply, or parts and 
accessories used in the repair, maintenance, or enhancement of a motor vehicle. 
?his bill seeks to protect the public from undue delays in the repair of their motor 
vehicles. 
D 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF IliE REPUBLIC ) 
r 
n fig& 22 p I ,’’ , 
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OF ‘lXE PI-1ILIPPINES 
1 
Third Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S.B.No. 2445 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
REQUIKlNG AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS TO RELEASE 
VEHICLE REPAIR INFORMATION TO VEHICLE OWNERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House qf Representutives of lhe Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Motor Vehicle Owners’ 
Right to Repair Act of 2006”. 
SECTION 2. Declaralion qf Policy, - It is the policy of the State to promote the general 
welfare of the people. Pursuant to this policy, this Act seeks to create a law governing requiring 
automobile inanufacturers to release vehicle ripair information to motor vehicle owners in order 
for such motor vehicles to be repaired in the timeliest manner possible. 
SECTION 3. Ilejzition offemw. -For purposes oftlijs Act, the term: 
(A) “Motor Vehicle” means every vehicle operated or driven upon a public highway 
which is propelled by any power other than inuscular power, except 
(1) Electrically-driven mobility assistance devices operated or driven by a person 
with a disability; 
(2) Vehicles which run only upon rails or tracks; 
(3) Farm type tractors and all terrain type vehicles used exclusively for 
agricultural purposes, or for snow plowing, other than for hire, farm 
ecyuipment, including self-propelled machines used exclusively in growing, 
harvesting or handling farm produce, and 


(4) Self-propelled caterpillar or crawler-type equipment while bcing operated on 
the contract site. 
For the purposes of this Act, the term motor vehicle shall exclude fire and 
police vehicles other than ambulances. It shall also exclude 
(B) "Vehicle owner" means any person who owns, leases or otherwise has the legal right 
to we and possess a motor vehicle, or the agent of such person, as shown on the records of the 
Land Trailsportation Office; 
(C) "Motor vehicle repair shop" means any person who, for compensation, is wholly or 
partially engaged in the business of repairing or diagnosing motor vehicle malfunctions or 
repairing motor vehicle bodies, fenders or other components dainaged by 
accident 
or 
otherwise, except that such term does not include: 
(1) An employee of a motor vehicle repair shop who engages in the business of 
repairing motor vehicles solely by reason of his employment; or 
(2) Any person who is solely engaged in the business of repairing the motor 
vehicles of a single commercial or industrial establishment, or of the national 
or a local government or any agency thereoc 
(3) Any person whose activities consist solely of fueling, changing oil, water, 
batteries or tires, replacing fan belts, air filters or 
installing 
windshield wiper blades or light bulbs, or such other minor repair and 
servicing functions; or 
oil filters, 
(4) Any person solely engaged in the business of repairing farm or road building 
machines, or such other utility vehicles. 
The term "motor vehicle repair shop" shall also include any shop, 
drive-in station, or garage operated by any person, firm, corporation or association 
at which motor vehicles a e  inspected for the purposes of appraising, evaluating 
or estimating the extent or value of motor vehicle damage or the necessity or cost 
ofmator vehicle repairs. 
(D) "Office" refers to the Lmd Transpprtation Office. 


SECTION 4. Motor Vehicle Mcnzlfucturer Requirements. - The manufacturer of 
a 
motor vehicle sold or introduced into commerce shall provide to the vehicle owner, to the motor 
vehicle repair shop and to the Office for use by any such vehicle owner or repair facility, the 
information necessary to diagnose, service, or repair the vehicle. Such inforniation shall include, 
but not be limited to, illformation necessary to integrate replacement equipment into the vehicle 
and other inrorniation of any kind used to diagnose, service, repair, activate, certify, or install 
any motor veliicle equipment, including replacement equipment, in a motor vehicle. 
The Office shall not require a manufacturer to publicly disclose inforination that, if 
made public, would divulge methods or processes entitled to protection as trade secrets of 
that in'amfacturer, but may require disclosure of such information to the department for the 
purpose of determining whether such information is entitled to such protection. Such 
determination shall be made on the record after an opportunity for a hearing. 
No such information may be withheld by a manufacturer if that inforniation is provided, 
directly or indirectly, to franchised dealers or other repair facilities. 
SECTlON 5. Unfair or Deceptive Act or Practice; Remedies. -The failure by a 
manufacturer to provide the information required under Section 4 of this act coustitutes an unfair 
method of conipetition or an unfair or deceptive act or practice. 
Any nianufilcturer who violates the provisions of this Act or any rules or regulations 
promulgated pursuant to the same with actual lcnowledge or lcnowledge fairly implied on the 
basis of objective circumstances shall be liable fined an amount of not less than Ten 'lliousand 
Pesos (Pl0,OOO.OO) to not more than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (PlO0,OOO.OO) at the 
discretion of the court, taking into consideration all attending circumstances. 
A vehicle owner or motor vehicle repair shop may bring a civil action in a court of 
competent jurisdiction to enjoin a violation of this Act and to recover the actual costs of 
litigation including reasonable attorney's fees. 


SECTION 6. 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 7. Repeuling Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rnIe or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with the provisioiis of this act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 8. ESfectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication ill ~t least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,