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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The ability to diagnose, service, and repair a motor vehicle in a timely, reliable, and 
affordable manner is essential to the safety and well-being of automobile vehicle owners. Such 
owners are entitled to choose among competing repair facilities for the convenient, reliable, and 
affordable repair of their motor vehicles. Increased competition among repair facilities will 
benefit motor vehicle owners. Computers of various kinds are increasingly being used in motor 
vehicle systems, such as pollution control, transmission, antilock brakes, electronic and 
mechanical systems, heating and air-conditioning, sound, and steering. 
The diagnosis, service, and repair of these vehicle systems are essential to the safety and 
proper operation of modem motor vehicles. In many instances, access codes prevent owners 
from making, or having made, the necessary diagnosis, service, and repair of their motor 
vehicles in a timely, convenient, reliable, and affordable manner. Motor Vehicle Owners have 
benefited from the availability of an aftermarket parts supply, or parts and accessories used in the 
repair, maintenance, or enhancement of a motor vehicle. 
This bill seeks to protect the public from undue delays in the repair of their motor 
vehicles.* 
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* This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, Third Regular Session. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS TO RELEASE 
VEHICLE REPAIR INFORMATION TO VEHICLE OWNERS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall he known as the “Motor Vehicle Owners’ 
Right to Repair Act of 2007.” 
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 create a law governing requiring 
automobile manufacturers to release vehicle repair information to motor vehicle owners in order 
for such motor vehicles to be repaired in the timeliest manner possible. 
SECTION 3. Definition ofTerms. -For purposes of this Act, the term: 
(A) “Motor Vehicle” means every vehicle operated or driven upon a public highway 
which is propelled by any power other than muscular power, except 
(1) Electrically-driven mobility assistance devices operated or driven by a person 
with a disability; 
(2) Vehicles which run only upon rails or tracks; 
(3) Farm type tractors and all terrain type vehicles used exclusively for 
agricultural purposes, or for snow plowing, other than for hire, farm 
equipment, including self-propelled machines used exclusively in growing, 
harvesting or handling farm produce; 
(4) Self-propelled caterpillar or crawler-type equipment while being operated on 
the contract site; and 
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(5) Fire and police vehicles other than ambulances. 
(B) “Vehicle owner” means any person who owns, leases or otherwise has the legal right 
to use and possess a motor vehicle, or the agent of such person, as shown on the records of the 
Land Transportation Office; 
(C) “Motor vehicle repair shop” means any person who, for compensation, is wholly or 
partially engaged in the business of repairing or diagnosing motor vehicle malfunctions or 
repairing motor vehicle bodies, fenders or other components damaged by 
accident 
or 
otherwise, except that such term does not include: 
(1) An employee of a motor vehicle repair shop who engages in the business of 
repairing motor vehicles solely by reason of his employment; or 
(2) Any person who is solely engaged in the business of repairing the motor 
vehicles of a single commercial or industrial establishment, or of the national 
or a local government or any agency thereof; 
(3) Any person whose activities consist solely of fueling, changing oil, water, 
batteries or tires, replacing fan belts, air filters or 
installing 
windshield wiper blades or light bulbs, or such other minor repair and 
servicing functions; or 
oil filters, 
(4) Any person solely engaged in the business ofrepairing farm or road building 
machines, or such other utility vehicles. 
The term “motor vehicle repair shop” shall also include any shop, 
drive-in station, or garage operated by any person, firm, corporation or association 
at which motor vehicles are inspected for the purposes of appraising, evaluating 
or estimating the extent or value of motor vehicle damage or the necessity or cost 
of motor vehicle repairs. 
(D) “Office” refers to the Land Transportation Office. 
SECTION, 4. Motor Vehicle Manufacturer Requirements. - The manufacturer OC a 
motor vehicle sold or introduced into commerce shall provide to the vehicle owner, to the motor 
vehicle repair shop and to the Office for use by any such vehicle owner or repair facility, the 


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information necessary to diagnose, service, or repair the vehicle. Such information shall include, 
but not be limited to, information necessary to integrate replacement equipment into the vehicle 
and other information of any kind used to diagnose, service, repair, activate, certify, or install 
any motor vehicle equipment, including replacement equipment, in a motor vehicle. 
The Office shall not require a manufacturer to publicly disclose information that, if 
made public, would divulge methods or processes entitled to protection as trade secrets of 
that manufacturer, but may require disclosure of such information to the department for the 
purpose of determining whether such information is entitled to such protection. Such 
determination shall be made on the record afrer an opportunity for a hearing. 
No such information may be withheld by a manufacturer if that information is provided, 
directly or indirectly, to franchised dealers or other repair facilities. 
SECTION 5. Unfair or Deceptive Act or Practice; Remedies. - The failure by a 
manufacturer to provide the information required under Section 4 of this act constitutes an unfair 
method of competition or an unfair or deceptive act or practice. 
Any manufacturer who violates the provisions of this Act or any rules or regulations 
promulgated pursuant to the same with actual knowledge or knowledge fairly implied on the 
basis of objective circumstances shall be liable fined an amount of not less than Ten Thousand 
Pesos (Pl0,OOO.OO) to not more than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (PlO0,OOO.OO) at the 
discretion of the court, taking into consideration all attending circumstances. 
A vehicle owner or motor vehicle repair shop may bring a civil action in a court of 
competent jurisdiction to enjoin a violation of this Act and to recover the actual costs of 
litigation including reasonable attorney’s fees. 
SECTION 6. 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 7. Repeuling 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 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
/rgs 
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