EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session
]
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2396
HE
_____________
[5o E-FILED
I Lii date: 
lC° TU.IE,* 4:10
GY
GlLt
IlsfOEX
Introduced by SEN. WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
REGULATING THE USE AND OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO 
VINTAGE AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER HISTORICAL, CLASSIC, OR 
COLLECTOR MOTOR VEHICLES, AND PROVIDING FOR THEIR 
EXEMPTION FROM THE STANDARDS AND RESTRICTIONS SET BY 
LAWS ENACTED AND REGULATIONS ADOPTED AFTER THE DATE 
OF THEIR MANUFACTURE
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Motor vehicles, including “vintage vehicles”, have been components of 
the Philippine culture, embedded in our history and chronicles of government, 
transportation, industry, social life, and popular culture.
While we have commonly put in place programs and policies for 
preservation of historical assets such as buildings and structures, we may 
have overlooked what are known as “vintage vehicles”—many of which are 
considered valuable primarily due to their age, longevity, and historical 
significance.
Vintage vehicles, which are also considered as economic assets, should 
be considered as part and parcel of our history and heritage. These vehicles 
have not only passed the test of time but also serve as testimonial to the 
ingenuity, artistry, and skills of their mechanics and engineers as well as 
dedication and passion of their owners.


Moreover, the restoration of vintage vehicles and the production of their 
spare parts constitute a major international industry, for which the country’s 
unique conditions make it competitive. In the United Kingdom alone, the 
industry is valued at £5.5.
Also, as the world is beset by the pandemic and threatened by 
recession, it is the right time for us to explore the economic opportunity of 
growing this industry, to create jobs for our skilled Filipino mechanics, 
tinsmiths, craftsmen, painters, laborers, shop owners, and to support small 
and medium-sized businesses, while at the same time preserving the 
country’s heritage in its motoring history. It is perhaps also important, in 
these challenging times, to permit our people the joy of maintaining, 
resurrecting, and seeing vintage cars as they were when they were new.
Accordingly, the proposed bill seeks not only to promote heritage 
conservation through vintage car restoration but also to provide an 
environment that will spur economic activity in the micro and small enterprise 
category with the end goal of developing skills for Filipinos to serve a niche 
market here and abroad.
The immediate enactment of this proposed legislation is then earnestly 
sought.
CHALIAN


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
O' 0^'
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session
]
c/X
E-FILED 55 
Sept 13 2021rr
•</i
SENATE 
S.B. No. 2396
5°
LU date:
4:10 p.m.
NOt
Introduced by SEN. WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
REGULATING THE USE AND OTHER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO VINTAGE 
AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER HISTORICAL, CLASSIC, OR COLLECTOR 
MOTOR VEHICLES, AND PROVIDING FOR THEIR EXEMPTION FROM 
THE STANDARDS AND RESTRICTIONS SET BY LAWS ENACTED AND 
REGULATIONS ADOPTED AFTER THE DATE OF THEIR MANUFACTURE
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 “Vintage 
Vehicle Regulation Act.”
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - Section 14 Article XIV of the 
Constitution declares that the State shall foster the preservation, enrichment, 
and dynamic evolution of a Filipino culture based on the principle of unity in 
diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression. Section 16 of 
the same article declares that the country’s artistic and historic wealth 
constitutes the cultural treasure of the nation and shall be under the 
protection of the State which may regulate its disposition.


1 
The State recognizes that motor vehicles are components of Philippine
2 
culture, embedded in its history and its chronicles of government,
3 
transportation, industry, social life, and popular culture. The State
4 
acknowledges that surviving vintage vehicles, as well as their related tools,
5 
equipment, accessories, buildings, literature, and collectible ephemera,
6 
deserwe and require sustainable conservation, and that motoring heritage aids
7 
contextualization, documentation, interpretation, and understanding of the
8 
development of the nation’s way of life and how it continues to transition.
9 
Within this context, the preservation of vintage vehicles is in accord with
10 
policy of the State to preserve its heritage and patrimony.
11 
Executive Order No. 156 (2002), titled “Providing for a Comprehensive
12 
Industrial Policy and Directions for the Motor Vehicle Development Program
13 
and its Implementing Guidelines,” states that “the motor vehicle industry is a
14 
significant contributor to the country’s economic output, employment,
15 
investments, exports, and the development of small and medium scale parts
16 
and component manufacturing establishments.” In this regard, encouraging
17 
vintage car restoration shall not only promote heritage conservation but shall
18 
likewise spur economic activity in the micro and small enterprise category,
19 
and the development of skills to serve a niche rharket here and abroad.
20 
The State recognizes the large and expanding international markets for
21 
the restoration of these vintage vehicles, an industry that in the United
22 
Kingdom alone is valued at £5.5 billion and the worldwide demand for
23 
replacement parts for the repair and restoration of these vehicles. The State
24 
is keenly aware that the country’s unique conditions, the capability of its
25 
small and medium industries, and the quality of its human resource make it
26 
competitive in those markets. It is therefore the declared policy of the State to
27 
provide an environment that will encourage its entrepreneurs and industries
28 
to participate in those markets and permit its businessmen, technicians, and
29 
workforce to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for the purpose.
30 
In furtherance of such policies, the State shall pursue the following
31 
objectives;


1 
(i) protect, preserve, enhance, and promote the nation's heritage by
2 
preserving vintage vehicles and in furtherance thereof permit the importation
3 
of such vehicles in historically correct condition;
4 
(ii) establish and strengthen regulatory policies that encourage their
5 
preservation, maintenance, occasional use, and registration;
6 
(iii) increase economic opportunities by creating conditions favorable to
7 
small and medium industries that may participate in the international
8 
markets for the restoration and repair of vintage vehicles and the manufacture
9 
of their spare and replacement parts; and
10 
(iv) encourage tourism through the promotion of automobile tours,
11 
shows, vintage motorsports, and similar events.
12
13 
Section 3. Coverage. - This Act shall apply to all aspects of the
14 
regulation of the importation and exportation, registration, and use of vintage
15 
vehicles.
16
17 
Section 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
18 
a) Authentic component refers to a replacement part, whether old or
19 
newly produced, that is identical in appearance and function to an original
20 
component installed in the vehicle or in vehicles belonging to the same model
21 
line as the vehicle at the time of manufacture, but not necessarily made of the
22 
same material, including chassis and monocoque shell and subframe
23 
replacements of the same pattern as the original. This will include spare parts
24 
from the manufacturer’s stock intended for the later servicing or repair of
25 
vehicles of the same model line as the vehicle.
26 
b) Motor vehicle refers to any self-propelled vehicle designed to carry
27 
passengers or goods, including automobiles, pick-up trucks, vans, sports
28 
utility vehicles, Asian utility vehicles, and motorcycles. A trailer, caravan, or
29 
other vehicle intended to be towed by attachment to a motor vehicle shall be
30 
deemed a motor vehicle for purposes of this Act.


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
c) Original spare parts refer to parts of the vehicle, including the motor 
and gearbox, that were originally installed by its manufacturer at the time of 
manufacture.
d) Vintage vehicle refers to a motor vehicle that is at least thirty (30) 
years old reckoned from the date of manufacture, whose chassis, engine, 
steering assembly, and suspension assembly are either original or authentic 
and whose body has not been altered in general appearance, subject only to 
the exceptions in Section ■ 10 hereof. It shall exclude replicas and 
reproductions of vintage vehicles.
Section 5. Exemption. - In recognition of their small number, their 
expected limited use, and the historical fact that the technology available at 
the time of their manufacture will not permit them to meet modern standards, 
vintage vehicles registered under this Act shall not be required to meet clean- 
air, anti-pollution, safety, road-use, and other standards that were not in 
force at the time of their manufacture, either as a condition for their 
registration and use on public roads or otherwise, the provisions of the Clean 
Air Act (RA 8749) and any other law or regulation notwithstanding. However, 
vintage vehicles manufactured after December 31, 1967 must be fitted with 
safety belts as mandated by Republic Act No. 8750 or the Seat Belts Use Act 
of 1999.
Section 6. Importation. - Vintage vehicles may be imported into the 
Philippines by any person or entity.
Section 7. Exportation. - A vintage vehicle may be exported without 
restriction: Provided, That in the interest of preserving the cultural and 
historical heritage associated with vintage vehicles, the exportation of vintage 
vehicles that have historical significance to the country, such as vehicles of 
Presidents of the Philippines, as certified by the National Historical


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28 
29
Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) in accordance with rules and 
guidelines, shall be prohibited.
Section 8. Right-hand Drive Vehicles. — The prohibition on the 
importation, registration, and use of right-hand-drive vehicles shall not apply 
to vintage vehicles manufactured on or before December 31, 1970 or to 
vintage vehicles intended principally for racing or other motorsport.
Section 9. Period Specification. - A vintage vehicle registered or 
otherwise benefltting under this Act shall be preserved and maintained in a 
historically correct condition, which, for purposes of this Act and subject to 
Section 10 hereof, shall mean that (i) its chassis, engine, steering, and 
suspension shall not have been replaced or modified except with original or 
authentic components, and (ii) its body has not been changed in general 
appearance.
Section 10, Permitted Modifications. - The following modifications 
shall be permitted on vintage vehicles:
(i) modifications of a type that can be demonstrated to have been made 
when the vintage vehicle was in production or within ten (10) years of the end 
of production;
(ii) modifications to brakes, suspension, axles and running gear to 
improve efficiency or safety;
(iii) use of carburetors or fuel injection systems not original to the 
vintage vehicle to improve efficiency, economy or environmental performance;
(iv) installation of a new, modem engine of the same brand or 
manufacture and of the same general specification as the engine original to 
the vintage vehicle or vehicles belonging to the same model line as the vintage 
vehicle; and


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
(v) installation of after-market accessories and equipment, such as 
radios, air-conditioning, and directional lights, to permit the convenient or 
safe use of the vehicle.
Section 11. Limited Use. - A vintage vehicle that (i) is imported after 
the effectivity of this Act, or (ii) is registered under this Act, or (hi) otherwise 
benefits from any exemption or privilege under this Act shall be used only on 
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, except for the purpose of registration or 
inspections by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) under this Act. A vintage 
vehicle shall in no event be used for commercial purposes, except only for 
motion pictures, advertisements, pictorials, weddings, and motorcades. In no 
event shall a vintage vehicle be used as a public utility vehicle or for the 
commercial transport of persons or goods.
Section 12. Registration. - All vintage vehicles (i) imported after the 
effectivity of this Act or (ii) benefiting from any exemption or privilege under 
this Act shall be registered as a vintage vehicle with the LTO in order to benefit 
from the provisions of this Act. Such registration shall be valid for five (5) 
years.
Section 13. License Plate. - The LTO shall issue to each registered 
vintage vehicle license plates that contain the words “vintage vehicle” in 
addition to the usual letters and numerals appearing in license plates. The 
model year or year of manufacture shall be indicated on any appropriate part 
of the plate.
Section 14. Applicability of Prohibitions. - The prohibitions set out 
in this Act, including against daily use, shall not apply to motor vehicles that 
are not registered under this Act or which do not seek to benefit from any 
exemption or privilege under this Act. Such motor vehicles shall be subject 
to all laws and regulations governing the registration and use of motor


1 
vehicles in general, including all air emission, safety, roadworthiness and
2 
other standards.
3
4 
Section 15. Inspection. - A vintage vehicle applying for registration or
5 
the renewal of its registration under this Act shall be subject to inspection in
6 
compliance with Sections 9 and 10 hereof and, if manufactured after
7 
December 31, 1975, in compliance with the minimum safety and
8 
roadworthiness guidelines established by the LTO in consultation with
9 
stakeholders. In no event shall the standards for safety inspection for vintage
10 
vehicles registered under this Act exceed or be more stringent than those that
11 
were in force at the year the vehicle was manufactured.
12 
As in the case of any motor vehicle and in the interest of public safety
13 
and responsible ownership, the LTO shall conduct random inspection of
14 
registered vintage vehicles on public roads and highways.
15
16 
Section 16. Lost Papers. - (a) A vintage vehicle that has no certificate
17 
of registration, official receipt of registration payment, or other evidence of
18 
ownership or registration may be registered as a vintage vehicle under this
19 
Act, subject to the submission by the applicant of (i) a notarized affidavit that
20 
states that the applicant is the owner, is in possession of the vehicle, knows
21 
of no claim on the vehicle, and which describes the circumstances by which
22 
the applicant came to acquire the vehicle, (ii) clearance from the relevant
23 
police agency that there is no record of the vehicle having been stolen, and
24 
(iii) payment to the LTO of a one-time reconstitution fee of Ten thousand pesos
25 
(PhP 10,000.00) in addition to the regular fees and charges for the registration
26 
of vintage vehicles.
27 
(b) Publication of Notice of Application for Registration. The LTO shall
28 
publish a notice of the application in a newspaper of general circulation once
29 
a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at the expense of the applicant and on
30 
its website within three (3) days from receipt of each complete application,
31 
describing the vehicle and stating that the applicant has applied for


1 
registration. If the LTO receives no objection to the application or claim by
2 
third parties on the vehicle within three (3) months from the date of
3 
publication, it shall register the vehicle as a vintage vehicle under this Act.
4 
The registration of a vintage vehicle shall be without prejudice to rights of
5 
persons who may claim ownership of the vintage vehicle under applicable
6 
laws.
7 
(c) Date of manufacture. The date of manufacture of a vintage vehicle
8 
with lost, incomplete, or inconsistent papers may be ascertained through the
9 
car manufacturer or the assistance of vintage car associations or interest
10 
groups. If details such as the exact date of manufacture cannot be
11 
ascertained, the registration paper and entry in the database of the LTO shall
12 
indicate this fact and an annotation that the “date of manufacture is not
13 
available but has been estimated by [name of authority/association].”
14
15 
Section 17. Vintage Vehicle Restoration Database; Education. - (a)
16 
Recognizing the historical and cultural value and contribution of vintage
17 
vehicles to employment and the industry in general, the LTO shall establish
18 
and maintain a national database that lists and describes vintage vehicles in
19 
the country, which it shall share with the NHCP for purposes of Section 7
20 
hereof.
21 
(b) To support the local restoration industry, the LTO shall include in
22 
its database authorized and licensed companies and shops engaged in the
23 
repair or restoration of vintage vehicles or in the manufacture of spare and
24 
replacement parts for vintage vehicles, private sector associations and interest
25 
groups, and relevant government agencies, such as the Technical Education
26 
and Skills Development Authority, and actively engage them, in strengthening
27 
opportunities and programs for skills and technological development in these
28 
and related industries.
29 
(c) The LTO shall promote and encourage the conscientious, correct and
30 
safe maintenance of vintage vehicles through consistent information and
31 
education campaigns and other means.


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 
21 
22
23
24
25
Section 18. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The LTO shall, 
after public hearings and consultation with concerned sectors of society, 
including at least five (5) vintage vehicle owners or representatives from 
owners’ groups or associations, formulate and issue the necessary rules and 
regulations for the effective and speedy implementation of this Act within sixty 
(60) days of its effectivity.
Likewise, the LTO shall consult with vintage vehicle owners or 
representatives from owners’ groups or associations in the development of 
other relevant policies and issuances. Any draft issuance or policy shall also 
be circulated electronically via email and other social media channels for 
meaningful engagement of stakeholders especially owners, collectors, 
restorers, mechanics, and enthusiasts.
Section 19. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is 
declared invalid or unconstitutional, such parts not affected by such 
declaration shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 20. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, rules and 
regulations and other issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with 
this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
Section 21. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 
circulation.
Approved,