THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF TI33 PHILIPPINES 
1 
5 ocr 13 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 13 provides that: 
The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall 
promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well- 
being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage 
their involvement in public and civic affairs, 
Young people begin to take risks and experiment as they undergo a transition period from 
childhood to adulthood. Without support and guidance, some young people may engage in 
behaviors that place them and others at risk - including using alcohol. 
Experts continuously issue their warnings about the risks of underage drinking. During 
adolescence, the brain goes through dynamic changes; thus, alcohol can seriously result in 
irreversible damages to long-term and short-term growth processes. Even short-term drinking 
impairs learning and memory far more in youth than adults, and adolescents need only to drink 
half as much to suffer the same negative effects. Moreover, long years of alcohol abuse can 
seriously affect the functioning of the liver. In the long run, the heart muscle is also weakened, 
leaving it unable to pump blood efficiently, which may affect the lungs, liver and brain. 
Adolescents should be properly informed regarding the risks involved in underage 
drinking. For that reason, there is a need to create a body to oversee a coordinated approach to 
prevention, intervention, treatment, and research on the problem of underage drinking. 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF ‘rm EPUBLIC) 
OF THE? PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
, I  , 
5 
OCT 13 
I 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO ESTABLISH AN INTER-AGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE THAT WILL 
ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF UNDERAGE DlUNKING 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Inter-Agency Coordinating 
Committee to Prevent Underage Drinking Act of 2005” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to recognize the vital 
role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, 
intellectual, and social well-being. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
(A) “Minor” shall refer to any person under the age of I8 
(B) “Alcohol” shall refer to ethyl alcohol, ethanol, or spirits of wine including all 
dilutions, purifications and mixtures thereof, from whatever source by whatever process 
produced and shall include whisky, brandy, rum, gin, tequila, vodka, and other similar 
products or mixtures. ’ It shall also include malt beverages, mixed or fermented liquors, 
including tuba, basi, tapzry, and lambanog; 
(C) “Heavy drinking” shall refer to five or more drinks on the same occasion in 
the past 30 days 
(D) “Frequent heavy drinking” shall refer to five or more drinks on at least five 
occasions in the last 30 days 


(E) “Alcoholic beverage industry” shall refer to the brewers, vintners, distillers, 
importers, distributors, and retail outlets that sell and serve, beer, wine, and distilled 
spirits. 
(F) “School-based prevention” shall refer to programs which are institutionalized, 
and run by staff members or school-designated persons or organizations in every grade of 
school, kindergarten through high school. 
(G) “Secretary” shall refer to the Secretary of the Department of Health. 
(H) “Committee” shall refer to the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee to 
prevent underage drinking. 
SECTION 4. Establishment of the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee to Pievent 
Undemge Drinking, - There shall be established an inter-agency coordinating committee, which 
shall focus on drafting measures to prevent underage drinking. 
(A) Chair - The Secretary of the Department of Health shall serve as the chair of 
the Committee. 
(B) Other Agencies - The Committee shall be composed of the following 
government agencies: 
(1) Department of Health 
(2) Department of Social Welfare and Development 
(3) Department of Education 
(4) National Youth Commission 
( 5 )  Sangguniang Kabataan, and 
(6) Other agencies as the Chair determines to be appropriate. 
SECTION 5 .  Duties nndFuncfions. - The Committee shall have the following hnctions: 
(A) Guide policy and program development across the national government and 
local government units with respect to underage drinking; 
(B) Actively seek the input of and shall consult with all appropriate and interested 
parties, including public health research and interest groups, foundations, and alcohol 
beverage industry trade associations and companies; 


(C) Subrnit an annual report to the Congress that summarizes the following: 
(1) all programs and policies of government agencies designed to prevent 
underage drinking; 
(2) the extent of progress in reducing underage drinking nationally; 
(3) data that the Chair shall collect with respect to the following 
information: 
(a) patterns and consequences of underage drinking; 
(b) measures of the availability of alcohol to underage population and the 
exposure of this population to messages regarding alcohol in advertising and 
the entertainment media; 
(c) surveillance data, including information on the onset and prevalence 
of underage drinking; 
(d) any additional finding resulting from research conducted or 
supported under Section 5(D) ; 
(e) evidence-based best practices to both prevent underage drinking and 
provide treatment services to those youth who need them. 
(D) Collect data and conduct or support research on underage drinking with 
respect to the following: 
(1) the short and long range impact of alcohol use and abuse upon adolescent 
brain development and other organ systems 
(2) comprehensive community-based programs or strategies and statewide 
systems to prevent underage drinking, across the underage years from early 
childhood to yoiing adulthood, including programs funded and implemented by 
government entities, public health interest groups and foundations, and alcohol 
beverage companies and trade associations 
(3) improved knowledge of the scope of the underage drinking problem and 
progress in preventing and treating underage drinking 
(4) annually obtain more precise information than is currently collected on 
the type and quantity of alcoholic beverages consumed by underage drinkers, as 


well as information on brand preferences of these drinkers and their exposure to 
alcohol advertising 
SECTION 6. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
may be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous operation of the Inter-Agency Coordinating 
Committee to prevent underage drinking shall be included in the annual operations of the 
Department of Health. 
SECTION 7. SeparabilzQ Clnzcse. - If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule and regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,