FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Using cell phones near hospital beds or important equipment is dangerous 
and could switch off ventilators or disrupt pacemakers, Dutch researchers said on 
Thursday. 
The University of Amsterdam researchers recorded nearly 50 incidents of 
electromagnetic interference from cell phone use in hospitals and classified 75 
percent of them as significant or hazardous. 
Because of this cell phones should come no closer than one meter to 
hospital beds and equipment, said the researchers who published their study in 
BioMed Central's online open access journal Critical Care. 
"Critical care equipment is vulnerable to electromagnetic interference by 
new-generation wireless telecommunication technologies with median distances 
of about 3 centimeters," they wrote. 
The study contradicts a study earlier this year from researchers at the 
Mayo Clinic who found that 300 tests over a five-month period turned up no 
noticeable interference with important hospital equipment due to regular cell 
phone use. 
The Dutch team -- which tested 61 different medical devices -- found that 
most of the incidents stemmed from the latest General Packet Radio Service 
(GPRS) signal, a new-generation technology that allows things such as wireless 
Internet access. 
Other malfunctions they attributed to electromagnetic interference 
included complete stops with no alarms in syringe pumps and incorrect pulsing by 
an external pacemaker.' 
Cellphones cause radio frequency interference not only with pacemakers but also other 
medical devices such as ventilators, patient monitors, neonatal infant warmers, motorized 
wheelchairs, and anesthesia delivery equipment: Because of the possible RF interference of 
cellphones with the proper operation of medical devices and the consequent injury to the patients 
who rely on these, this bill seelts to prohibit the use of cellular or mobile telephones in certain 
public areas of hospitals, medical centers, or any other treatment center, 
' Reuters: Cell Phone Use In Hosoitals Poses Danger: Studv: 7 Sevtember 2007, 
' http:llwww,cellbusters.comiemit_emi.html 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S.NO. 2276 
\ 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
PROHIBITING THE USE OF CELLULAR OR MOBILE TELEPHONES 
IN CERTAIN PUBLIC AREAS OF HOSPITALS, MEDICAL CENTERS, 
OR ANY OTHER TREATMENT CENTER 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Anti-Disruptive Cellphone Use 
Act of 2008." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the general 
welfare of the people. Pursuant to this policy, this Act seeks to ensure that the use of cellular or 
mobile phones is prohibited in certain public places such as hospitals and residential health care 
facilities where, for health reasons or as required by certain circumstances, such use would be 
detrimental to the patients or the health care workers therein. 
SECTION 3. DeJinition of Terms. -For the purposes of this Act, the term: 
(A)"Hospital" means a facility or institution engaged principally in providing services 
by or under the supervision of a physician or, in the case of a dental clinic or dental 
dispensary, of a dentist, for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of human disease, pain, 
injury, deformity or physical condition, including, but not limited to, a general hospital, 
public health center, diagnostic center, treatment center, dental clinic, dental dispensary, 
rehabilitation center other than a facility used solely for vocational rehabilitation, nursing home, 
tuberculosis hospital, chronic disease hospital, maternity hospital, lying-in-asylum, out- 
patient department, out-patient lodge, dispensary and a laboratory or central service facility 
serving one or more such institutions, but the tern? hospital shall not include an institution, 
sanitarium or other facility engaged principally in providing services for the prevention, 
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diagnosis or treatment of mental disability and which is subject to the powers of visitation, 
examination, inspection and investigation of the department of mental hygiene except for those 
distinct parts of such a facility which provide hospital service. 
The term shall not apply to a facility or institution engaged principally in providing 
services by or under the supervision of the bona fide members and adherents of a 
recognized religious organization whose teachings include reliance on spiritual means through 
prayer alone for healing in the practice of the religion of such organization and where 
services are provided in accordance with those teachings. 
(B) “Residential health care facility” means a facility providing therein nursing care to 
sick, invalid, infirm, disabled or convalescent persons in addition to lodging and board or 
health-related service, or any combination of the foregoing, and in addition thereto, providing 
nursing 
care 
and health-related service, or either, of them, to, persons who are.not 
occupants of the facility. 
The term likewise means a facility providing health-related service. 
(C) “Mobile telephone” means a cellular, analog, wireless, digital or other similar 
telephone or communications device, which can be used to access two-way real time voice 
telecommunications service that is interconnected to a public switched telephone network and is 
provided by a commercial mobile radio service; 
(D)“Use” shall mean to receive a mobile telephone call signaled by an audible sound, 
dial a mobile telephone, talk or listen on a mobile telephone; and 
(E) “Public indoor areas” shall include, but not be limited to, waiting areas, hallways, and 
treatment rooms. 
SECTION 4. Mobile Telephone Use Restrictions. - Mobile telephone use shall be 
prohibited in certain designated public indoor areas of the following: 
(A)Hospitals as defined in this Act; 
(B) Residential health care facilities as defined in this Act, and other licensed health 
care facilities in which persons reside; Provided, however, that the provisions of this section 
shall not prohibit cellular or mobile telephone use by patients in separate enclosed rooms of 


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hospitals, residential health care facilities, adult care facilities, .community mental health 
residences, or facilities where day treatment programs are provided, which are not designated as 
cellular and mobile telephone free zones for patients of such facilities or programs. 
SECTION 5. Posting of Signs. - “No mobile telephone use” or signs with the 
international “no mobile telephone use” symbol, which consists of a pictorial representation of a 
telephone enclosed in a circle with a bar across it, shall be prominently posted and properly 
maintained, where the public use of mobile telephones is prohibited by this Act, by the person 
or persons having control over such public indoor area. 
SECTION 6. General Provisions. - (A) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to deny 
the facility covered by this Act the right to further regulate the use of such mobile telephones by 
its employees. 
(B) Nothing herein shall be construed to restrict the power of any municipality, 
city, or province to adopt and enforce additional local law, ordinances, or regulations which 
comply with at least the minimum applicable standards set forth in this Act. 
SECTION 1. Disruptive Use ofa Mobile Telephone. - A person is guilty of disruptive 
use of a mobile telephone, when he or she knowingly uses a mobile telephone in a public place 
where such telephone usage is prohibited and such prohibition is clearly posted. 
SECTION 8. Violations and Penalties. -Every person convicted for disruptive use of a 
mobile phone under the preceding section shall, for a first conviction thereof, be punished by a 
fine of not less than Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00) nor more than One Thousand Pesos 
(P 1,000.00); and for a conviction of a second violation, both of which were committed within 
the same calendar year, such person shall be punished by a fine of not less than One 
Thousand Pesos (PI ,000.00) nor more than Two Thousand Pesos (P2,OOO.OO). 
SECTION 9. 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. 
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SECTION 10. 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. 
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SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifleen (1 5) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
/rgs 
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