FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 3340 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
While sports-related injuries do not always cause death, the leading cause of death from 
these injuries is traumatic brain injury. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be defined as a blow 
or jolt to the head, or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal functions of the brain. 
TBI may result when the head violently and suddenly hits an object, or when something pierces 
the skull and enters brain tissue. Symptoms of TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending 
on the extent of the brain damage. Mild cases may result in a brief change in a person's mental 
state or consciousness, while severe cases may lead to extended periods of unconsciousness, 
coma, or eved death. 
Boxink is an example of a very popular local sport where the participants are at risk of 
suffering from brain damage. Professional and amateur boxers can suffer permanent brain 
damage over time. The strength of a professional boxer's fist approximates the force of being hit 
with a 13-pound bowling ball traveling at 20 miles per hour, or about 52 times as strong as 
gravity. Based on a study by the Journal of Combative Sport, from the period January of 1960 to 
August of 20 II, 488 boxing-related deaths have been recorded. The study attributes 66 percent 
of these deaths to head, brain, or neck injuries, while one was attributed to a skull fracture. While 
some boxers are just slightly affected, there are those that are so severely affected that they 
require institutional care. Some boxers exhibit varying degrees of speech difficulty, stiffness, 
unsteadiness, memory loss, and inappropriate behavior. In some studies, IS to 40 percent of 
former boxers have shown symptoms of chronic brain injury. A majority of these boxers have 
mild symptoms. Recent studies have shown that most professional boxers (even those without 
symptoms) have some degree of brain damage. 
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This bill aims to educate the public, especially student and amateur athletes, about the 
dangers of sports-related brain injuries. 
Law\. 4¥.v<,~ ~y~~ 
. MIRIAM DEFtrSOR Sj\NTI~O 
oJ1I 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
) 
SENAW 
S. No. 
;J340 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT SPORTS-RELATED 
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES 
I) 
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 "Traumatic Brain Injury 
Prevention and Information Act of 20 12." 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policies and Objectives. - Pursuant to Article 2, Sec. 17 of 
the Constitution, the State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture 
and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total 
human liberation and development. This Act is aimed at improving awareness, prevention, and 
treatment of Jports-related concussions and brain iqjuries through the Department of Education, 
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the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Health, and the Philippine Sports 
Commission. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, these terms are defined as 
follows: 
(a) 
"Traumatic Brain Injury" is a blow or jolt to the head, or a penetrating head injury 
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that dislUpts the normal function of the brain. 
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(b) 
"Athlete" is any student who participates in an athletic program of an educational 
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institution or an amateur athlete as defined by law. 
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SECTION 4. Requirement for Prevention and Treatment Programs in Organized Sports. 
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- All educational institutions and amateur sports programs shall have a program for the 
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prevention and treatment of sports-related concussions and brain injuries. 
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SECTION 5. Program to Address Sports-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries. - The 
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DepaTtment of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Health, and 
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the Philippine Sports Commission shall create a program addressing the improvement of 
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awareness, prevention, and treatment of sports-related concussions and brain injuries within two 
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(2) years from the effectivity of this Act. 
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SECTION 6. Programs in Educational Institutions. - The first part of the program shaJl 
lObe the education of pm'ents and student athletes about the prevention, symptoms, and dangers of 
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sports-related brain injuries. This shall be accomplished by a brain injury fact sheet that will be 
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provided yearly to parents, students, coaches, and athletic trainers. The fact sheet shall also 
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include recommended time periods to keep students who have experienced a brain injury out of 
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further athletic competition. Educational institutions shall formulate their own written policies 
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and procedures about how to prevent and treat these injuries when a student is suspected of 
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having a concussion or other brain injury. 
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SECTION 7. Requirement for Student and Amateur Athletes. - Any student or amateur 
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athlete who sustains or is suspected of sustaining a brain injury shall be immediately removed 
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from competition or practice and not allowed to return until medical clearance is obtained. The 
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student or amateur athlete must be cleared by a doctor trained in the evaluation and management 
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of concussions who must state, in writing, that the athlete is cleaTed to resume physical activity. 
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SECTION 8. General Guidelines for All Sports. - The following guidelines shall be 
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observed for all sports activities: 
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(a) 
Supervise younger children at aJl times, and do not let them use sporting 
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equipment or'play sports unsuitable for their age. 
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(b) 
I Do not dive in water less than 12 feet deep or in above-ground pools. 
i Follow all rules at water parks and swimming pools. 
(c) 
(d) 
Wear appropriate clothing for the sport. 
(e) 
Do not wear any clothing that can interfere with your vision. 
(f) 
Do not participate in sports when you are ill or very tired. 
(g) 
Obey all traffic signals, and be aware of drivers when cycling, skateboarding or 
rollerblading. 
(h) 
Avoid uneven or unpaved surfaces when cycling, skateboarding or rollerblading. 
(i) 
Perform regular safety checks of spolis fields, playgrounds and equipment. 
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Discard and replace sporting equipment or protective gear that is damaged. 
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SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders and 
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rules and regulations or part thereof, contrary to, or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, 
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are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SECTION 10. Separability Clause. -
Should any provision of this Act be found 
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unconstitutional by a court of law, such provision shall be severed from the remainder of this 
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Act, and sud, action shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Act. 
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SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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complete publication in any two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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