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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, ERIC G. YAP, 
EDVIC G. YAP, JOCELYN P. TULFO, and RALPH TULFO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution recognizes the vital role of communication and information in 
nation-building. This becomes evident as their indispensable role becomes apparent 
during the proliferation of the COVID-19 most especially during hard lockdowns and 
unprecedented suspension of on-site work, businesses, and education. There is an 
immense shift of different transactions in response to the modern times which are 
geared towards digitalization, such as the prevalence of online banking, commerce, 
and learning, to name a few. Indeed, there is a need to capitalize on the country’s 
digital infrastructure as the internet becomes an indispensable tool in today’s time.  
Republic Act No. 7925 or the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines was 
enacted in pursuit of developing and administering the telecommunications industry 
in the country, with the mandate of innovating and extending their basic services, 
including internet connectivity. However, despite the internet being a staple to all 
transactions, connection and reliability becomes its most pressing problem as 
exorbitant costs are being paid by the network’s respective users. The country has the 
most expensive fixed broadband in Asia, resulting to the low Digital Quality of Life 
Index (DQLI), according to the cybersecurity firm Surfshark.  
It is in this regard that this bill intends to amend Republic Act No. 7925 in order to 
require public telecommunication entities and internet service providers to institute a 
mechanism that will enable them to automatically refund or adjust the bills of their 
postpaid and prepaid subscribers whenever there are service outages and disruptions 
for an aggregate period of at least twenty-four (24) hours in a month. Apart from 
2:45 pm
May 31, 2023
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives PAOLO Z. DUTERTE, ERIC G. YAP, 
EDVIC G. YAP, JOCELYN P. TULFO, and RALPH TULFO 
AN ACT 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7925, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "PUBLIC 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
POLICY 
ACT 
OF 
THE 
PHILIPPINES", 
BY 
REQUIRING PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTITIES AND INTERNET 
SERVICE PROVIDERS TO INSTITUTE A REFUND MECHANISM FOR 
SERVICE OUTAGES AND DISRUPTIONS 
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 "Refund for Internet and 
Telecommunications Service Outages and Disruptions Act".” 
SEC. 2. A new subsection under Section 3 of Republic Act No. 7925, otherwise 
known as the "Public Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines" to read as 
follows: 
(A) XXX
(B) XXX
 […] 
(L) INTERNET SERVICE OUTAGE IS THE COMPLETE OR PARTIAL
FAILURE OF INTERNET SERVICES 
(M) FORTUITOUS EVENT MAY EITHER BE AN “ACT OF GOD,” OR
NATURAL OCCURENCES SUCH AS FLOODS OR TYPHOONS, STORMS, 
EARTHQUAKES, OR OTHER CATACLYSMIC EVENTS; OR AN “ACT OF MAN”, 
SUCH AS RIOTS, STRIKES, WARS, GOVERNMENTAL PROHIBITIONS, 
ROBBERY, ETC.  
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SEC. 4. A new Section 20-A is hereby added to Republic Act No. 7925, 
otherwise known as the "Public Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines", to 
read as follows:  
"SEC. 
20-A. 
REFUNDS 
FOR 
INTERNET 
AND 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
SERVICE 
OUTAGES 
AND 
INTERRUPTIONS. — (A) PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
ENTITIES, INCLUDING INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS (ISPS), 
SHALL, ON A PRO-RATED BASIS, PROVIDE A REFUND CREDIT 
TO A CUSTOMER, OR ADJUST A CUSTOMER'S BILL, WHO HAS 
EXPERIENCED A SERVICE OUTAGE OR DISRUPTION FOR AN 
AGGREGATE PERIOD OF TWENTY-FOUR (24) HOURS OR MORE 
— WITHIN A MONTH.  
THE 
ISPS 
AND 
PUBLIC 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
ENTITIES CONCERNED SHALL NOT REQUIRE THE CUSTOMER 
TO TAKE ANY ACTION IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A REFUND 
CREDIT OR BILL ADJUSTMENT UNDER THIS SECTION;  
(B) THE REFUND CREDIT GRANTED UNDER THE 
CIRCUMSTANCES MENTIONED ABOVE SHALL LIKEWISE BE 
GRANTED TO CUSTOMERS SUBSCRIBING TO SERVICE ON A 
PRE-PAID BASIS 
(C) THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS MAY, 
MOTU PROPIO OR UPON COMPLAINT OF ANY INTERESTED 
PARTY, IN THE APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATIVE AND/OR 
QUASI-JUDICIAL PROCESS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH DUE 
PROCESS, SHALL: 
(1) IMPOSE FINE OF NOT LESS THAN TWO 
HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (PHP 200,000.00) BUT 
NOT MORE THAN TWO MILLION PESOS (PHP 
2,000,000.00) FOR EACH VIOLATION. PROVIDED, 
THAT IF THE SERVICE PROVIDER HAS A GROSS 
ANNUAL INCOME NOT EXCEEDING TEN MILLION 
PESOS (PHP 10,000,000.00), THE PENALTY SHALL BE 
EQUIVALENT TO ONE PERCENT (1%) TO TWO 
PERCENT (2%) OF ITS GROSS ANNUAL INCOME; 
AND  
(2) FOR REPEATED VIOLATIONS, REVOKE THE 
PTES PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY OR CERTIFICATE 
PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY, OR 
CANCEL 
THE 
REIGSTRATION 
OF 
AN 
ISP, 
WHICHEVER APPLIES, INCLUDING THE WAVING 
OF ANY PRE-TERMINATION FEES OF AFFECTED 
SUBSCRIBERS AND TIMELY DISBURSEMENT OF 


 
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ANY REMAINING CREDITS FROM EXCESSIVE 
DOWNTIME." 
SEC. 3. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of the Act is declared 
void or unconstitutional, the remaining portions or provisions hereof shall not be 
affected by such declaration. 
  
SEC. 4. Repealing Clause. - Any provision of law or regulations inconsistent 
herewith is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.  
  
SEC. 5. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,