FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENi1h5 
S.No. ___ _ 
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A£.C!'IVI"A flY 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Sections 27 and 28 provide: 
SEC. 27. The State shall maintain honesty and integrity in the 
public service and take positive and effective measures against 
graft and corruption. 
SEC. 28. Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the 
State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of 
all its transactions involving public interest. 
FUliher, the Constitution, Article 3, Section 7 states: 
The right of the people to information on matters of public 
concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to 
documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or 
decisions, as well as to government research data used as'basis for 
policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such 
limitations as may be provided by law. 
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The grant of Government Funding to entities or organizations should be a transparent 
process so that, taxpayers will have the ability to know exactly how their money is being spent 
and, with that greater transparency, will come greater accountability. 
This bill seeks to statutorily establish and maintain a websites that contains information 
on all Government financial assistance and expenditures that include grants, contracts, sub-
grants, subcontracts, loans, awards, cooperative agreements, purchase orders, task orders, 
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delivery orders, and other forms of financial assistance accessible to our constituents. 
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This bill expands upon E-Government management tools by making all Government 
funding awards, grants, contracts and loans, easily searchable on a public Web site. 
This new tool will be a valuable asset in the continuing effort to spend the taxpayers' 
dollars wisely, without waste and without misuse. 1 
J This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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REQUIRING FULL DISCLOSURE OF ALL ENTITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS 
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RECEIVING GOVERNMENT FUNDS. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act may be known as the "Government Funding, 
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Accountability and Transparency Act". 
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SECTION. 2. Definitions. 
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( a) ENTITY- Includes, whether for profit or nonprofit the following: 
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(1) a corporation; 
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(2) an association; 
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(3) a partnership; 
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(4) a limited liability company; 
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(5) a limited liability partnership; 
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(6) a sole proprietorship; 
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(7) any other legal business entity; 
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(8) any other grantee or contractor that is not excluded by Subparagraph 
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(B) or(C); and 
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(9) any Local Government Unit; 
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But does not include-
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(1) an individual recipient of Government assistance; or 
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(2) a Government employee. 
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(3) a Government agency or instrumentality 
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(b) GOVERNMENT A W ARD.-
means Government financial assistance and 
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expenditures that include grants, contracts, sub-grants, subcontracts, loans, awards, 
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cooperative agreements, purchase orders, task orders, delivery orders, and other forms 
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of financial assistance; 
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(c) SEARCHABLE WEBSITE.-The term "searchable website" means a website that 
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allows the public to-
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(1) search Government funding by any element 
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(2) ascertain through a single search the total amount of Government funding 
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awarded to an entity, by fiscal year; and 
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(3) download data required by this Act in the outcome from searches. 
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SECTION 3. Full Disclosure of Entities Receiving Government Funding. Not later than 
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January 1, 20~2, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall, in accordance with 
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Executive Order No. 21 dated April 25, 1936, shall ensure the existence and operation of a single 
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searchable website, accessible by the public at no cost to access, that includes for each 
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Government award-
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(a) the name of the entity receiving the award; 
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(b) the amount of the award; 
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(c) information on the award including 
transaction type, funding agency, 
program source, and an award title descriptive of the purpose of each funding 
action; 
(d) the location of the entity receiving the award and the primary location of 
performance under the award, including the city, province, congressional 
district, and country; 
(e) a unique identifier of the entity receiving the award and of the parent entity of 
the recipient, should the entity be owned by another entity; and 
(1) any other relevant information specified by the Department of Budget and 
Management. 
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SECTION 4. Scope of Data. The website shall include data for fiscal year 2008, and each 
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fiscal year thereafter. 
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SECTION 5. Designation of Agencies. The President may designate one or more 
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Government agencies to participate in the development, establishment, operation, and support of 
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the single website. In the initial designation, or in subsequent instructions and guidance, the 
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Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (the Secretary) may specify the scope 
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of the responsibilities of each such agency. 
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SECTION 6. Agency Responsibilities. The Government agencIes concerned shall 
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comply with the instructions and guidance issued by the Secretary as provided in Section 5 of 
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this Act, and shall provide appropriate assistance to the Department of Budget and Management 
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upon request, so as to assist it in ensuring the existence and operation of the single website. 
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SECTION 7. Use of eGA Data. The website established under this section may use as 
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additional source of its data the Official website of the Commission on Audit, if all of these data 
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sources are searchable through the website and can be accessed in a single search. 
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The website shall not be considered in compliance if it'merely hyperlinks to the official 
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website of the Commission on Audit, or other existing websites, but the information elements 
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required in Section 3 cannot be searched electronically by field in a single search. 
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The website shall provide an opportunity for the public to provide input about the utility 
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of the site and recommendations for improvements. It shall be updated not later than 30 days 
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after the grant of any Government award requiring a posting. 
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SECTION 8. Pilot Program. Not later than July 1, 2011, the Secretary shall commence a 
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pilot program to test the collection and accession of data about sub-grants and subcontracts; and 
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determine how to implement a sub-award reporting program, which includes the following: 
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(a) a reporting system under which the entity issuing a sub-grant or subcontract is 
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responsible for fulfilling the sub-award reporting requirement; and 
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(b) a mechanism for collecting and incorporating agency and public feedback on the 
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design and utility of the website. 
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The pilot program under this section shall terminate not later than January 1, 2012. 
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SECTION 9. Reporting of Sub-awards. Except as provided in Section 8 of this Act, but 
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not later than January I, 2012, the Department of Budget and Management shall ensure the 
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following: 
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(a) that data regarding sub-awards are disclosed in the same manner as data 
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regarding other Government awards, as required by this Act; and 
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, (b) that the method for collecting and distributing data about sub-awards: 
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(I) minimizes burdens imposed on Government award recipients and sub-
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award recipients; 
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(2) allows Government award recipients and sub-award recipients to 
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allocate reasonable costs for the collection and reporting of sub-award data as in 
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direct costs; and 
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(3) establishes cost-effective requirements for collecting sub-award data 
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under block grants, formula grants, and other types of assistance from 
the 
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National Government and local Government Units. 
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SECTION 10. Construction. Nothing in this Act shall prohibit the Department of Budget 
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and Management from including in the website access to data that is publicly available in any 
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other Government data base. 
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SECTION 11. Reporting. The Department of Budget and Management shall submit to the 
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Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO) of the Senate an annual report 
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regarding the implementation of the website established under this Act which shall contain the 
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following: 
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(a) data regarding the usage and public feedback on the utility of the site 
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including recommendations for improving data quality and collection; 
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(b) an assessment of the reporting burden placed on Govermnent award and sub-
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award recipients; and 
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(c) an explanation of any extension of the sub-award reporting deadline, if 
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applicable. 
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SECTION 12. Publication. The Department of Budget and Management shall make each 
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report submitted under the preceding paragraph publicly available on the website established 
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under this Act. 
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SECTION 13. Classified Information. Nothing in this Act shall require the disclosure of 
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classified information as may be defined by law. 
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SECTION 14. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
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hereby necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
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SECTION 15. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
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with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 17. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved. 
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