FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PH!LIPPINES 
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Second Regular Session 
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SENATE 
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Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippines has been ravaged by numerous disasters ranging from floods and 
thunderstorms to typhoons, landslides, earthquakes and voicanic eruptions. These 
natural disasters harm the safety and lives of our citizens and cause considerable 
damage to property. Although we wish to avoid these disasters, their recurrence remains 
highly probable considering the geographical and climatic conditions of our country. 
As a disaster-prone country, the Phiiippines needs to strengthen mechanisms for 
effectively communicating and disseminating disaster risk information and early warnings 
to all sectors of the population. Effective communication of disaster risk information, 
including early warning, enables people to act to reduce their risk and safeguard their 
lives and livelihoods. Effective risk reduction communication and dissemination strategies 
ensure that information is understandable and reaches all those people who need it in 
time to make appropriate decisions. 
Currently, various emergency hotlines exist all over the country, as established 
and administered by respective local government units. To achieve a concerted effort to 
efficiently manage hazards and emergencies, however, it is imperative that a national 
emergency alert system be established under the supervision of the Secretary of the 
Department of Transportation and Communications, with the participation of various 
government agencies and the private sector. 
The process of communicating risk and preparing communities to respond to 
warnings is an opportunity to raise awareness and build ownership of risk reduction, thus 
empowering communities and the whole population of all ages. Usually in early warning 
systems it is communication, dissemination and preparedness to respond to warnings 
that are the weakest links. 
For these reasons, the passage of this bill is urgently sought. 
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D
 
J. GORDON 
Senator 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM FOR DISASTER AND 
HAZARDS MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES, 
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be if enacted by the Senate and the House of Represenfafives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Emergency Alert 
. System Act of 2008." 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to carry out its 
responsibilities to alleviate the suffering of its people caused by natural and man-made 
hazards. Towards this end, the State shall promote the people's general welfare through 
comprehensive plans and practicable programs for hazard management, including the 
establishment of a communication network to expedite the exchange of vital information. 
Sec. 3. Establishment of Nafional Emergency Alert System. - There is hereby 
established a National Emergency Alert System that will: 
(1) Enable appropriate government agencies or instrumentalities, including 
local government units, with credentials issued by the Department of 
Transportation and Communications to alert the public to any imminent threat 
from natural phenomena, accidents, natural disasters, terrorist activity, and other 
emergency situations that present a significant risk of injury or death to the public; 
(2) Be coordinated with and supplement existing local emergency warning 
and alert systems; 
(3) Be flexible enough in its application to permit narrowly targeted alerts in 
circumstances in which only a small geographic area is exposed or potentially 
exposed to the threat; and 
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(4) Transmit alerts across the greatest possible variety of media, including 
broadcast, cable, and satellite television and radio, wireless telecommunications, 
and hardwire telecommunications, and the Internet, to reach the largest portion of 
the affected population. 
Sec. 4. Capabilities. - The National Emergency Alert System shall incorporate 
multiple technologies for effecting mass communications and be designed to adapt to 
future technologies for communicating directly with the public, especially traditionally 
underserved communities. The System may not interfere with existing alert, warning or 
emergency communications systems employed by national or local emergency response 
personnel and shall be designed to provide alerts over as diverse a group of media as 
possible, to include digital and analog broadcast, cable, and satellite television and radio, 
wireless telecommunications, and landline communications and technologies for 
communicating within rural communities. 
Sec. 5. Official Access and Activation. - The Secretary of Transportation and 
Communication shall implement procedures to ensure that: 
(1) the System is available to, and enables, credentialed agencies under 
Section 7 of this Act and their personnel to access and utilize the System and to 
provide geographically targeted alerts where such alerts are appropriate; and 
(2) the System is available to, and enables, national and local public safety 
officials to provide alerts for hazards within their respective jurisdictions, verify the 
legitimacy and authenticity of a proffered System alert, ensure the proffered alert's 
compliance with regulations established by the Department, and guarantee the 
integrity of a System alert from the point of origination to delivery. 
Sec. 6. Public Reception ofAlerts. - The System shall: 
(1) utilize multiple technologies for providing alerts to the public, including 
technologies that do not require members of the public to activate a particular 
device or use a particular technology to receive an alert provided via the System; 
(2) provide redundant alert mechanisms where practicable so as to reach 
the greatest number of people regardless of whether they have access to, or 
utilize, any specific medium of communication or any particular device; and 
(3) incorporate means by which an individual may remove a passive alert 
device from the System or otherwise block alerts transmitted through the device to 
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the individual on a device owned or controlled by that individual. 
Sec. 7. System lmplemenfafion and Use. 
(1) lssuance and Review of Credential Requests. - The Secretary shall establish a 
process and specific eligibility criteria for issuing, renewing, and revoking access 
credentials to public officials with responsibility for issuing safety warnings to the public. 
The Secretary shall further ensure that the credentials permit use of the System only for 
alerts that are consistent with the jurisdiction, authority and basis for eligibility of the 
individual credentialed to use the System. 
(2) Periodic Training. - The Secretary shall establish a periodic training program 
for individuals credentialed to use the System and require credentialed individuals to 
undergo periodic training under the program as a prerequisite for retaining their 
credentials to use the System. 
(3) Access Points. - The System shall provide widely dispersed multiple access 
points to credentialed individuals to input appropriate alerts into the System for 
retransmission to citizens. It shall provide system redundancies to ensure functionality in 
the event of partial system failures, power failures, or other interruptive events. 
(4) Nection to Carry Service, Withdrawal from or Later Entry into the System. - 
The Secretary shall provide for the manner of election by any licensee providing 
commercial communication or mobile services to participate in the transmission of 
System alerts in a manner consistent with the standards and protocols implemented by 
the Department. The Secretary shall require any such licensee who elects not to 
participate in the transmission of System alerts to disclose to potential subscribers to its 
service, at the point of sale of any devices with which its service is included, that it will 
not transmit System alerts via its service. The Secretary shall further establish a 
procedure for participating licensees to withdraw from the System. 
(5) Limitation of Liability. - A licensee described in paragraph (4) shall not be liable 
to any subscriber to, or user of, such licensee's mobile service for: 
(A) Any act or omission related to or any harm resulting from the 
(B) The failure, deficiency or malfunction of any network, equipment, or 
facility of the provider or any other person, or the lack of coverage or network 
capacity; 
transmission of, or failure to transmit, a System alert to such subscriber or user; 
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(C) The discontinlfation of service or the unavailability of any networks, 
equipment or facility of the provider or any other person; or 
(D) The release to a government agency or entity, public safety, fire service 
or law enforcement official or emergency facility of subscriber information related 
to emergency alert messages. 
Sec. 8. Working Group on the National Emergency Alert System. - Not later 
than 60 days after the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a working group, 
which he or she shall chair, to be known as the Working Group on the National 
' 
Emergency Alert System. The membership of the Working Group shall include 
appropriate personnel from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), 
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical 
and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology 
and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) of the Armed Forces of 
the Philippines. The chair may also include in the Working Group representatives of other 
government agencies as appropriate: 
The Working Group shall include representatives from local government units and 
representatives of emergency services personnel, selected by national organizations 
representing such governments and personnel. 
Membership in the Working Group shall be open to representatives of 
communications service providers; and vendors, developers, and manufacturers of 
facilities, equipment, and capabilities for the provision of communications services; who 
have the requisite technical knowledge and expertise to assist the Working Group in the 
fulfillment of its duties. 
Sec. 9. Acceptance of Gifts and Grants. - The Working Group may accept, use 
and dispose of gifts or grants of services or property, both real and personal, for 
purposes of aiding or facilitating its work. Gifts or grants not used upon the expiration of 
the Working Group shall be returned to the donor or grantor. 
Sec. I O .  lmplementing Rules and Regulations. - Within 120 days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Working Group shall transmit to the Secretary for approval such 
rules and regulations for the proper implementation of the National Emergency Alert 
System, pertaining to the following: 
. 
(1) A description of the emergency alert service to be provided by the System: 
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(2j’Guideiiries f& the technical capabilities of the System; 
(3) Guidelines for technica! capability that provides for the priority transmission of 
System alerts; 
(4) Guidelines for the other capabiliiies of the System as specified in this Act; and 
(5) Standards to which the equipment and technologies in the System must 
conform. 
The Secretary shall cause to be published once a week for two consecutive 
weeks in two newspapers of general circulation the rules and regulation promulgated 
pursuant to this section. 
Sec. 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act or any part hereof be 
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder of this Act or any provision not 
affected thereby shall remain in force and effect. 
Sec. 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, proclamations, rules and 
regulations, or part thereof which are inconsistent with any provision of this Act are 
hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
Sec. 13. €ffecfbify - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following the 
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two newspapers of 
general circulation. 
Approved, 
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