FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
'8 E N AT E 
Senate Bill No. ''71 2 
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INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Individuals involved in garbage collection, working in dumpsites or 
assigned in disaster areas face numerous and uncommon worksite and 
environmental hazards, Worse, they may be encountering hazards, with which 
they have little prior experience or training; hence, exposing them to further 
dangers that may deleteriously prejudice their safety and health, 
Unfortunately, the government has not taken any concrete plan of action 
to at least abate or minimize the risks these individuals deal with, Considering the 
sensitive and delicate nature of this concern, it makes one wonder how come no 
programs have ever been set in place to critically address the same, 
The purpose of this Act is to appropriately take action, Basically, it seeks 
to protect the health and safety of these individuals by requiring the wearing of 
gloves, masks and other proper protective gears and equipment, such as but not 
limited to respirators in pertinent cases as protection against hazardous air-born 
toxins; the periodic mandatory medical check-up and intervention, if need be of 
said individuals; and the adoption of concrete guidelines that shall be observed 
and implemented in disaster area operations and dumpsite activities, 
Considering the importance of this measure, immediate enactment of the 
same is earnestly sought. 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
7J 2 
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INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
SEEKING TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS 
INVOLVED IN GARBAGE COLLECTION, WORKING IN DUMPSITES OR 
ASSIGNED IN DISASTER AREAS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall also be known as the 
"Individuals' Health and Safety Act." 
SEC. 2. Provision of Gloves, Masks, and other Proper Protective 
Equipment.- No individuals involved in garbage collection, working in dumpsites 
or assigned in disaster areas may be allowed to continue with any of their 
respective activities, unless they are properly equipped with protective gloves 
and masks and other health and safety gears and proper protective eqUipment, 
such as but not limited to respirators to protect against airborne toxins, which 
may be required depending on the nature and extent of risks involved in clean-up 
operations, where hazardous and infectious chemicals are present. 
For purposes of this Act, the term "hazardous material" includes: 
(a) a petroleum-based product: 
(b) a metal; 
(c) a volatile or semi-volatile organic compound; 
(d) a pesticide; 
(e) an herbicide; 
(f) a polychlorinated biphenyl; and 
(g) any biological material in floodwater, surface water, sediment, or soil 
that may threaten human health or the environment. 
The term "infectious material", meanwhile, means each of the following: 
(a) Any organism that is capable of producing infection or infectious 
disease, such as a bacteria, fungus, parasite, protozoan or virus. 
(b) Any strain of a potentially virulent virus or other disease that was the 
subject of study and experimentation at one of several level 3 bioresearch labs 
located in the regions affected by recent hurricanes and flooding. 


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(c) Any carrier acting as a vector for spreading infectious organisms or 
virulent diseases, or both, such as a decaying corpse, or a living nonhuman 
agent such as an infected rodent or an escaped laboratory test animal. 
SEC. 3. Provision of Closed Containers. - Any contractor, operator, or 
entity, duly contracted to carry out garbage collection in Metro Manila and other 
parts of the country, shall place all collected garbage inside closed containers. 
Use of open garbage trucks is strictly prohibited. 
SEC. 4. Comprehensive Guidelines. - The Secretary of the Department 
of Health, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources, and other appropriate and concerned agencies shall come up with 
comprehensive guidelines, which shall be strictly observed by any responder or 
clean-up crew deployed to attend to rescue or cleanup operations in disaster 
areas, where presence of hazardous and infectious materials shall place them at 
greater risks. 
Specifically, the guidelines adopted shall ensure that-
(A) worksites and areas where responders and clean-up crews are to be 
sent are subject to a full environmental assessment and identification of hazards 
through onsite evaluation and monitoring and identification of workers likely to be 
facing high risk of hazardous exposures; 
(8) relief, reconstruction and clean-up workers of all contributing agencies, 
whether government or private -
(i) are properly informed of the environmental hazards they may 
face in their work; 
. 
(ii) are provided proper training in handling toxic materials; 
(iii) are provided with the proper protective equipment (such as 
respirators to protect against airborne toxins), and guidelines and training 
for using them; and 
(iv) 
receive 
proper 
immunizations, 
where 
necessary 
and 
appropriate; 
(C) these efforts are coordinated in close collaboration with local 
employers, unions and safety and health professionals. 
SEC. 5. Periodic Medical Check-up. - All individuals involved in garbage 
collection, working in dumpsites or assigned in disaster areas, shall be required 
to undergo period mandatory medical check-up to ensure that their health and 
safety are not prejudiced by their activities. The proper government agencies or 
private corporations or entities who employ said individuals shall provide for the 
necessary fund to finance the cost of medical attention or intervention that may 
be needed. 
SEC. 6. Penalties. - Any person who violates any proVisions of this Act 
shall be liable to payment of fines ranging from Two Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(P200,OOO.OO) to Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P500,OOO.OO), including 
revocation of necessary license to operate as regards private entities. 


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SEC. 7. 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. 
SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, 
modified or amended accordingly.: 
SEC. 9. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,