Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Department of Health estimated that over 300,000 people in the country are 
bilaterally blind while over 2 million have bilateral low vision. Blindness or severe visual 
impairment results in reduced functional ability and quality of life for the person. In the 
digital age especially where screens are operated with the help of sight and touch, 
persons with disabilities are handicapped to perform even the simplest of routines in 
the modern era, such as banking using Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).  
The State’s promotion of the welfare and development of the PWDs in the country is 
itself constitutional, and was the wisdom that inspired the enactment of Republic Act 
No. 72771, or the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons”, as amended. However, there 
remains a lack in foresight for the digital age for visually-impaired persons. Nowadays, 
ATMs are touch-screened enabled and buttons with Braille labels are sparse. There 
lacks a non-visual method for these types of machines. 
This bill intends to address this by providing standards for our ATMs to make them 
accessible to those who are visually-impaired. It requires any machine to have both a 
visual transmission system and an audio transmission system. Any ATMs installed 
prior to the passage of this bill shall be upgraded or replaced that follows the standard 
provided herein. 
The approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE  
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA  
 
 
NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
1 http://www.ncda.gov.ph/disability-laws/republic-acts/republic-act-7277/ 
July 11, 2022
5:21 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
AN ACT  
MAKING AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINES ACCESSIBLE TO THE VISUALLY-
IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. – This Act shall be known as the “ATM Visually-Impaired Friendly 
Act”. 
SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. – The following terms shall have the following 
meaning/interpretations: 
a) Banking Institution – shall mean a network of commercial, savings, and
specialized banks that provide financial services, including accepting deposits
and providing loans and credit, money transmission and investment facilities;
b) Visual Transmission System – shall mean the graphic display of information
by an automated teller machine;
c) Audio Transmission System – shall mean a system that recites with sonic
clarity through a personal listening device substantially the same information
that is conveyed by a visual transmission system;
d) Personal Listening Device – shall mean earphones or other similar receiver
designed to transmit audio information to an individual, which receiver is
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placed in the individual’s ear or held up to the ear such that only that individual 
can hear such audio information. 
 
SECTION 3. Automated Teller Machine Requirements. – Every banking institution 
shall maintain the following requirements with respect to each of the automated teller 
machines within its dominion and control to provide equal access for all individuals: 
 
a) Any automated teller machine installed on or after the effectivity date of this 
Act shall transmit any message through both (i) a visual transmission system, 
and (ii) an audio transmission system; 
b) Any automated teller machine installed prior to the effective date of this Act 
shall, whenever an upgrade or replacement of such automated teller machine 
becomes necessary, be upgraded or replaced in such a manner so that such 
automated teller machine shall transmit any message through both (i) a visual 
transmission system, and (ii) an audio transmission system. 
 
SECTION 4. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part thereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 
 
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
 
SECTION 6. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,