FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENf{fs 
S.B. ____ =='--" 
Introduced by Senator Villar 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
1 0 J!.l 12 f.\8:2-' 
The 1887 fable, "The Monkey and the Tortoise" written by our national hero, Dr. 
Jose Rizal, 
is considered as the first komiks in the Philippines. 
Historical records 
indicate that it signalled the commencement of the mainstream Philippine komiks 
industry. 
Komiks, 
a form of graphic arts is actually patterned after the English lexicon 
"comics" 
and adapted to fit the orthography of native Filipino language such as 
Tagalog. 
Its popularity soared in 1947 when Tony Velasquez introduced the Pilipino 
Komiks, a cornucopia of panelled stories and illustrations. 
It opened the doors for 
other publications such as Tagalog Klasiks in 1949, Hiwaga in 1950 and Espesyal 
Komiks in 1952. 
By mid-50s, the Philippines had one of the largest comics industry in the world. 
It served as the medium of other forms of Filipino literature such as the komedya, 
a/amat, folklore, and mythology. 
The komiks gained prominence as the "unofficial 
national book" of the citizens. 
But the wide utilization of komiks was seriously threatened by other forms of 
entertainment such as videogames, text jokes in cellular phones, the internet, pocket 
novellas, karaoke and others. 
By the year 2005, there were no longer any major 
publication of komiks in the Philippines. 
Against these backdrop, this legislation is submitted. Its highlights: 
1. 
It seeks to revive the Philippine Komiks through its promotion as an 
instructional material and a tool of popular art; 
2. 
It mandates that ten percent (10 %) of the printable instructional materials 
being used by Filipino children in elementary and secondary education be 
in the form of komiks. 
It is believed that visually-attractive reading 
literature like komiks is more stimulating and promotes in-depth acquisition 
of knowledge. 
3. 
It mandates that as far as practicable, 
all departments, agencies, 
instrumentalities of the national government should incorporate the use of 
komiks in all its printing and information campaign dissemination for the 
general public. 
In a globalized world where everything seems to be the same, it is desired to 
have particular things, distinctly Filipino, rooted in its milieu. 
Certainly, the Filipino 
komiks is one of them. Immediate enactment of the legislation is earnestly sought. 
MA 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENflfs 
s. B .--=:..=:..==-
-
Introduced by Senator Villar 
AN ACT 
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. 
SE1Il ATE 
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'. 
OFfICE OF T HE SECRETARY' 
10 Jll 12 
A8:l~ 
TO ENHANCE GENUINE FILIPINO CULTURE AND TO ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH 
OF PHILIPPINE ARTISTIC TRADITION THROUGH THE RE-INTRODUCTION AND 
REVIVAL OF THE PHILIPPINE KOMIKS AS INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN 
PHILIPPINE EDUCATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Komiks 
Revival Act of 2010." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is a declared policy of the State that it 
shall preserve, enrich and evolve a Filipino national culture based on the prinCiple of 
unity in diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression. It likewise 
declared that arts and letters enjoy the patronage of the State and that the nation's 
historical and cultural heritage and resources as well as artistic creations must be 
conserved, promoted and popularized. 
To this end, the use, utilization, and the reading of komiks (comics) as a tool of 
instruction and information shall be promoted. 
SECTION 3. The Department of Education is hereby mandated that ten percent 
(10 %) of all instructional materials being printed and utilized in all academic institutions. 
both public and private, shall be in komiks form. 
SECTION 
4. 
As 
far 
as 
practicable, 
all 
departments, 
agencies 
and 
instrumentalities of the Philippine g6vernment shall take immediate steps to implement 
this Act and shall incorporate the use of komiks in all its printing and information 
dissemination campaign for the general public. 
SECTION 5. All equipment and materials that am reasonably necessary and are 
not manufactured or produced locally for the propagation and renewed popularisation of 
komiks shall be tax or duty-free. 
SECTION 6. Five percent (5 %) of the total travel tax collection for five (5) 
consecutive years beginning the year of effectivity of this Act shall be constituted as a 
fund to conduct valuable research on the re-introduction and revival of the komiks as a 
popular art. Substantial portions of it shall be constituted as a revolving fund for the 
printing of such komiks publications. 
SECTION7. Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Cultural 
Center of the Philippines, the National Commission on Culture and Arts, the Department 
of Education and the Philippine Information Agency shall jointly come up and 
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this 
Act. 
1 


SECTION 8. 
In the event that any provIsion of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the validity of the other provisions not affected shall remain. 
SECTION 9. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and Regulations or portions thereof 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of national 
circulation. 
Approved, 
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