NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
of tlie &>f'tvr\.v't
*22 SEP 12 PI-24
lUXEiVtiJ BV.
S.B. No.
SENATE
1302
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
INCREASING THE PENALTIES OF DECEPTIVE, UNFAIR, AND 
UNCONSCIONABLE SALES ACTS OR PRACTICES, PARTICULARLY IN TIMES 
OF CALAMITY, EMERGENCY CONFLICT AND DISTRESS, THEREBY 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7394 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
"CONSUMER ACT OF THE PHILIPPINES"
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article XVI, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution states that "The State shall protect 
consumers from trade malpractices and from substandard or hazardous products." 
Further, Republic Act No. 7394 otherwise known as the, "Consumer Act of the 
Philippines" provides that, "The State shall promote and encourage fair, honest and 
equitable relations among parties in consumer transactions and protect the consumer 
against deceptive, unfair and unconscionable sales acts or practices."
The Consumer Protection Group (CPG) under the Department of Trade and 
Industry (DTI) is mandated to enforce laws to for the protection of consumers, provide 
consumer education, and form consumer groups. Yet, a number of sellers or retailers 
persist in selling unconscionably overpriced products.
In the aftermath of Typhoon Odette, consumers have reported incidents of 
overpricing of basic commodities, particularly food and fuel. While the Department of 
Energy (DOE) has directed that gasoline prices must be within the range Php 60 to Php 
83 per liter, there have been reports of retailers already selling gasoline at Php 90 to 
Php 100 per liter, particularly in fuel stations in the provinces. In the case of pork 
products, the average farm gate price of hogs declined recently from Php 230 per kilo 
to Php 200 per kilo but retail prices of pork reached more than Php 400 per kilogram 
last July 2022. National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. President, Chester Warren Tan,
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expressed his perplexity as to why wet market prices for pork kept going up even 
though farm gate prices for the same has declined. Moreover, during the height of the 
Taal volcano eruption and the start of the pandemic, there was a rampant selling of 
overpriced and substandard N95 masks and disposable surgical masks since an N95 
mask usually costs between P45-P105 and a disposable surgical mask should only cost 
P8 per piece. Surging demand following the catastrophe, unscrupulous sellers jacked 
up prices of N95 mask prices to a high of P200 a piece.
Thus, this bill seeks to increase the penalties of deceptive, unfair, and 
unconscionable sales acts or practices, seeking to amend R.A. No. 7394 to provide 
wider protection to consumers and deter the act of profiteering.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
i /l.
IME^R. MARCOS


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
i;v ,5 ssi'iinti:
of i!.ie ' -Clniu
72 SEP 12 PI :24
RLCEiVtOBV:
SENi
S.B. No. 1^02
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
INCREASING THE PENALTIES OF DECEPTIVE, UNFAIR, AND 
UNCONSCIONABLE SALES ACTS OR PRACTICES, PARTICULARLY IN TIMES 
OF CALAMITY, EMERGENCY CONFLICT AND DISTRESS, THEREBY 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7394 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
"CONSUMER ACT OF THE PHILIPPINES"
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
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SECTION 1. Article 60 of Republic Act No. 7394 is hereby amended to read as
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follows:
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"Article 60. Penalties. -
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a) Any person who shall violate the provisions of Title III, Chapter I shall, upon
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conviction, be subject to a fine of not less than ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS
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(P100,000.00) [Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00)] but not more than ONE MILLION
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PESOS (P1,000,000.00) [Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00)] or imprisonment of
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not less than ONE (1) YEAR [five (5) months] but not more than TWO (2) YEARS
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[one (1) year] or both, upon the discretion of the court. PROVIDED THATr ANY
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PERSON WHO SHALL VIOLATE THE PRECEDING IN TIMES OF CALAMITY,
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PANDEMIC OR EPIDEMIC, ECONOMIC RECESSION, OR ARMED CONFLICT
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SHALL, UPON CONVICTION, BE SUBJECT TO A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN
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THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P300,000.00) BUT NOT MORE THAN
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ONE MILLION PESOS (P1,000,000.00) OR IMPRISONMENT OF NOT LESS


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THAN TWO (2) YEARS AND ONE (1) DAY BUT NOT MORE THAN FOUR (4) 
YEARS OR BOTH, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COURT.
b) In addition to the penalty provided for in paragraph (1), the court may grant 
an injunction restraining the conduct constituting the contravention of the provisions 
of Articles 50 and 51 and/or actual damages and such other orders as it thinks fit to 
redress injury to the person caused by such conduct."
SEC. 2. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or 
other issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 3. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall 
remain in force and effect.
SEC. 4. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following 
the completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of 
general circulation in the Philippines.
Approved,