Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE MUSIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF THE 
PHILIPPINES, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Enshrined in the Constitution is the State’s role to support and develop 
the music industry and to safeguard the rights and welfare of artists and other 
stakeholders as well as guarantee the country’s artistic and cultural wealth. To 
this effect, several laws have been enacted such as Republic Act No. 11915 or 
National Music Competition for Young Artists Act, RA 10372 to include music 
copyright in the “Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines”, and RA 1370 
Creating Public Corporation for the Promotion of Music. 
Although these laws have long been in place promoting and protecting 
the music industry as well as the artists, the music industry, was especially 
hit during the pandemic. The cancellation of gatherings and performances 
has led to a decline in the revenues of the business, impacting not only artists 
but other stakeholders as well. Despite this, Filipino music and musical 
artists, have been rather instrumental in the survival of the country through 
various fundraising projects for the benefit of medical front-liners, urban poor 
communities, as well as many displaced workers.  
This measure proposes the creation of the Music Development Council 
of the Philippines to capitalize on the contributions of Filipino musical artists 
to our cultural landscape, nation-building, and to our economy. 
By ensuring that the Filipino Music Industry is taken care of by the 
Council, artists, and other music stakeholders will have leverage over the 
March 15, 2023
9:51 am
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competitive demands of the industry as well as guarantee a plan for the 
sustainability of the development process.  
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is urgently sought. 
REP. PM VARGAS  
Fifth District, Quezon City 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE MUSIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF THE 
PHILIPPINES, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
CHAPTER I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Music 
Industry Act”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – Pursuant to the constitutional 
guarantee of freedom of expression and protection and promotion of the 
Philippine musical heritage under the 1987 Constitution, it is hereby declared 
the policy of the State to recognize, protect and promote the country’s artistic 
and cultural heritage as expressed in all forms/types of music and protect the 
rights of the artists in the Philippine music industry. 
CHAPTER II 
CREATION AND ORGANIZATION 
SECTION 3. Creation of the Music Development Council of the 
Philippines. – To carry out the provisions of this Act, there is hereby created 
a Music Development Council of the Philippines, hereinafter referred to as 
Council, which will be lodged under the Ofﬁce of the President. 
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SECTION 4. Powers and Functions of the Council. – The Council shall have 
the following powers and functions: 
 
1. To craft and spearhead the implementation of a National Music 
Industry 
Development 
Plan 
and 
work 
for 
its 
adoption 
and 
implementation by the Council as well as appropriate government 
agencies; 
 
2. To encourage and undertake activities that actively promote the 
development of the Philippine music industry as a whole and promote 
its participation in both local and international markets; 
 
3. To develop and promote programs to enhance the talents and skills of 
artists and various stakeholders such as but not limited to music 
theory, composition, sound production, and engineering, as well as 
ﬁnancial literacy and business and marketing capability of Filipino 
artists; 
 
4. To work alongside the Department of Education in improving the State 
and quality of music education in the Philippines as part of MAPEH 
(Music, Art, Physical Education, and Health) in the K-12 system 
 
5. To establish and maintain a registry of music schools or similar 
institutions that provide musical instruction in the country; 
 
6. To establish, organize, operate, and maintain local and international 
music festivals, exhibitions, and other similar activities that will 
Showcase and promote Filipino music; 
 
7. To link up with UNESCO’S Creative Cities Network and help usher 
UNESCO Creative Cities of Music in the Philippines; 
 
8. To enhance the monitoring and implementation of the Intellectual 
Property Code with regard to the protection of the works of Filipino 
artists; 
 
9. To establish and maintain baseline data with regards to the various 
segments of the music industry, such as but not limited to, job 
generation, and revenue generation from sources including but not 
limited to domestic and export licensing, in partnership with the DOE, 
DTI, and NEDA; 
 
 


 
10. To work with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)  
on establishing and maintaining a national indigenous peoples’ music 
database; 
 
11. To work with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) 
and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NClP) on the 
preservation of musical traditions in the Philippines; 
 
12. To work alongside the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 
and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as well as other pertinent 
agencies in generating employment for artists both locally and abroad; 
 
13. To promote and industrialize the local production of musical 
instruments; 
 
14. To work alongside the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 
and the NCIP to preserve, promote and industrialize the creation of 
indigenous musical instruments such as but not limited to the kudyapi, 
kubing, kulintang, gabbang, gangsa; 
 
15. To provide technical assistance to local government units in organizing 
their own music festivals or activities that hinge upon Filipino music; 
 
16. To prescribe the procedures for the exercise of its powers and functions 
as well as the performance of the Council’s duties and responsibilities; 
 
17.To determine the Council’s organizational structure and stafﬁng 
pattern; 
 
18. To select and appoint officers and employees of the Council in 
accordance with Civil Service laws, rules, and regulations; 
 
19. To acquire, manage and hold such real and personal property as may 
be necessary to carry out the purposes and objectives of this Act; 
 
20. To invest funds and other assets in such activities or undertakings that 
shall, directly and indirectly, promote the development of the Philippine 
music industry, including the recognition and protection of rights of 
industry workers and other stakeholders, including the intellectual 
property rights to all creations, and other rights and conditions as may 
be covered by this Act; and 
 


21. To perform such other functions as may be necessary to carry out the 
provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 5. The Organizational Structure of the Council. – The Council 
shall be composed of the following members: 
 
A.   The Chairperson of the Council. — The Chairperson shall be the head 
of the Council and its Chief Executive Officer, who shall ensure overall 
administrative 
supervision 
to 
ensure 
the 
effective 
and 
efﬁcient 
implementation of the policies laid down by the Council. The Chairperson, 
who shall have the rank and salary of an Undersecretary of a Department as 
provided for in the Salary Standardization Law, must possess the following 
qualiﬁcations: 
 
i. 
The Chairperson shall have worked in the music industry for at least 
ten (10) years and be a person who possesses sound technical and 
administrative proﬁciency; 
 
ii. 
The Chairperson Should be knowledgeable of the technical and artistic 
aspects of any one or more forms of music as a formal discipline, or of 
the business aspects of music as an industry; 
 
iii. 
The Chairperson shall demonstrate integrity, independence, and have 
good moral character; and 
 
iv. 
The Chairperson should be fully committed to the growth and 
development of Philippine music as an art and of Philippine music as 
an industry, as well as advancing the objectives and goals of this 
Council. 
 
   B. Role and Functions of the Chairperson. - The Chairperson shall have the 
following functions: 
 
i. 
Execute and administer the policies, plans and programs approved by 
the Council; 
 
ii. 
Direct and supervise the operations and internal affairs of the Council; 
iii. 
Establish the internal organization and administrative procedures of 
the Council; 
 
iv. 
Recommend to the Council the appointment, transfer or detail, 
suspension, dismissal for cause of its Ofﬁcials and employees; and 
 


v. 
Perform such other functions which the Council may assign. 
 
   C. The Council. - The Council shall have eleven (1 1) members, ﬁve of whom 
shall be appointed regular members, while the other six shall be appointed in 
an ex—officio capacity; 
 
i. 
Regular Members of the Council. - The ﬁve (5) regular members of 
this Council shall be as follows: 
 
1) A duly authorized representative from a legally constituted musical 
artists‘ association; 
 
2) A duly authorized representative from a legally constituted music 
producers’ association; 
 
3) A duly authorized representative from a legally constituted musical 
performers’ association; 
 
4) A duly authorized representative from a legally constituted music 
composers’ association 
 
5) A duly authorized representative from the academe. 
 
ii. 
Ex—Officio Members of the Council. - The six (6) members who shall 
be ex-ofﬁcio members of the Council are the following: 
 
1) The Secretary of the National Economic Development Authority or 
his/her duly designed representative; 
 
2) The Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry or his/her 
duly designated representative; 
 
3) The Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment or 
his/her duly designated representative; 
 
4) The Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs or his/her duly 
designated representative; 
 
5) The Secretary of the Department of Education or his/her duly 
designated representative; 
 
6) The Chairperson of the National Commission for Culture and Arts, 
or the Head of the National Subcommittee on Music under the 


Subcommission on the Arts. 
 
D. Selection and Appointment of Chairperson and Regular Members. The 
Chairperson and the regular members of the Council shall be selected and 
appointed by the President from a Shortlist submitted by an ad hoc selection 
committee formed by the President for the purpose of selecting the 
Chairperson and the regular members of the council. 
 
The ad hoc committee shall be composed of select members and duly 
authorized representatives of the musical artists’ association, the musical 
producers’ association and representatives from the academe, preferably from 
conservatories of music in the Philippines. 
 
SECTION 6. Term of Office. – The Chairperson and the three (3) regular 
members shall hold ofﬁce for a term of three (3) years unless sooner removed 
by the President; Provided, That they shall be eligible for reappointment after 
the expiration of their respective terms: Provided, further, that no Chairperson 
or member shall serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms. If the 
Chairperson or any of the members fail to complete his/her term, the person 
appointed to fill the Vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired portion of the 
vacated term whom s/he succeeded; Provided, ﬁnally, That such service of 
the unexpired portion shall not be counted as a term. 
 
SECTION 7. Schedule of Regular Council Meetings. – Schedule of Regular 
Council Meetings. - The Council shall meet at least once a month or as often 
as necessary at the call of the Chairperson or a majority of the members of 
the Council. A majority of the members of the Council shall constitute a 
quorum to do business. The members of the Council shall be entitled to 
honoraria based on existing government accounting and auditing rules and 
regulations. 
 
CHAPTER III 
OPM BROADCASTING REQUIREMENT 
 
SECTION 8. Obligations of Radio Stations. – All radio stations that have 
programs with a musical format shall broadcast a minimum of four (4) original 
Pilipino musical compositions in every clock hour of a program with a musical 
format or shall cumulatively broadcast original Pilipino musical compositions 
for at least twenty percent (20%) of the total number of minutes dedicated to 
programs with a musical format per day, whichever is applicable. For 
purposes of this section, “original Pilipino musical composition” shall refer to 
any musical composition created by a Filipino, whether the lyrics be in 
Filipino, English, or in any other language or dialect. 


 
SECTION 9. Obligations of Television Stations. – All television stations 
that have programs with a musical format shall broadcast a minimum of four 
(4) original Pilipino musical compositions in every clock hour of a program 
with a musical format or shall cumulatively broadcast original Pilipino 
musical compositions for at least twenty percent (20%) of the total number of 
minutes dedicated to programs with a musical format per day, whichever is 
applicable. For purposes of this section, “original Pilipino musical 
composition” shall refer to any musical composition created by a Filipino, 
whether the lyrics be in Filipino, English, or in any other language or dialect. 
 
SECTION 10. Exception. – Sections 8 and 9 of this Act shall not apply when 
the radio station or TV station program substantially devotes its broadcast 
within the clock hour to a live event that is of national or local signiﬁcance or 
is sanctioned by the Philippine government. 
 
SECTION 11. Penalty. – Any franchise holder or operator of a radio station 
or television station which fails to broadcast the minimum number of original 
Pilipino musical compositions in every clock hour of a program with a musical 
format shall be ﬁned in the amount of P5,000.00 per violation. The National 
Telecommunications Commission may, after due hearing, suspend or cancel 
the Certiﬁcate of Registration and Authority to operate any radio station in 
the event of repeated violations of this Executive Order or its implementing 
rules and regulations. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
 
SECTION 12. Authority to Accept Donations. – The Council may accept 
donations, contributions, grants, bequests, or gifts, in cash or in kind, from 
various sources, domestic or foreign, except from producers and distributors 
for purposes relevant to the functions of the Council. Said donations shall be 
deemed automatically appropriated for purposes speciﬁed by the donor or in 
the absence thereof, for the programs and projects as may be approved by the 
Council subject to the usual auditing rules and regulations: Provided, That 
cash donations shall not be used to fund the personal services requirements 
of the Council. Any donation, contribution, subsidy, or ﬁnancial aid which 
may be made to the Council shall be exempt from taxes of any kind and shall 
constitute allowable deductions in full from the income of the donors or 
contributors for income tax purposes. 
 
SECTION 13. Relationship with Other Government Agencies. – The 
Council 
may 
request 
any 
department, 
bureau, 
ofﬁce, 
agency, 
or 


instrumentality of the government for such assistance as may be needed in 
the performance of its functions. 
 
SECTION 14. Data Privacy Protection – No provisions of this Act shall be 
in violation of the provisions of Republic Act No. 10173 or the “Data Privacy 
Act of 2012.” 
 
SECTION 15. Appropriations. – The amount of One Hundred Fifty Million 
Pesos (Php150,000,000.00) is appropriated to ﬁnance the operations of the 
Council for the ﬁrst year out of the funds of the National Treasury not 
otherwise appropriated. Thereafter, such amounts as may be necessary and 
sufﬁcient to ﬁnance its operations and activities shall be included in the 
General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 16. Annual Report – The Council shall, within ninety (90) days 
after the end of every ﬁscal year, submit to the President and to Congress, an 
annual report on its compliance with, or accomplishments under this Act, 
together with its plans and recommendations to improve and develop its 
capability to enforce the provisions of this Act, and a complete accounting of 
transactions with respect to any funds received under this Act. 
 
CHAPTER V 
FINAL PROVISIONS 
 
SECTION 17. Implementing Rules and Regulation. – The Council shall 
issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the provisions hereof. 
 
SECTION 18. Repealing Clause – All laws decrees, orders, issuances, rules, 
and regulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed, amended, or modiﬁed accordingly. 
 
SECTION 19. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder of the provisions thereof not 
affected shall remain in force and effect. 
 
SECTION 20. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect ﬁfteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Ofﬁcial Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of 
general circulation. 
 
Approved,