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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
House Bill No. 6733

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES DIVINA GRACE C. YU, GLONA G.
LABADLABAD, and MA. LUCILLE L. NAVA

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING AN INSTALLMENT PAYMENT SCHEME ON BASIC
UTILITY BILLS DURING CALAMITIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, TO
BE KNOWN AS THE “THREE-GIVES LAW”

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 5, Article II of the 1987 Constitution provides that “.the promotion of the
general welfare are [is] essential for the enjoyment by all people of the blessings of
democracy.” Furthermore, Section 1, Article XIII of the 1987 Constitution provides that
“Congress shall give highest priority to the enactment of measures that protect and
enhance the right of the people to human dignity, reduce social, economic and
inequalities...”

In times of natural or man-made calamities, the most heavily affected are those who
belong to the poorest of the poor, who depend on their daily wages to survive.

In order to promote social justice and ensure the economic security of the people during
calamities, this measure seeks to institutionalize a mandatory moratorium on all
electric, water and telephone bills during the entire duration of a state of calamity. This
‘measure also provides for an installment scheme on all amounts which fell due during
the moratorium period.

In the light of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

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DI GRACE C. YU 6 [A G. LABADLABAD
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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
House Bill No.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES DIVINA GRACE C. YU, GLONA G.
LABADLABAD, and MA. LUCILLE L. NAVA

AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING AN INSTALLMENT PAYMENT SCHEME ON BASIC
UTILITY BILLS DURING CALAMITIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, TO
BE KNOWN AS THE “THREE-GIVES LAW”

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

Sec. 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Three-Gives Law”.

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
promote the general welfare, public safety, health and economic security of the Filipino
people in times of calamity, natural or man-made.

Sec. 3. Coverage. - The law shall cover all residential electric, water and telephone
bills, and shall apply when a state of calamity is declared.

Sec. 4. Declaration of State of Calamity. - The declaration by the President of the
Philippines or the local sanggunian, as the case may be, of a state of calamity, and the
lifting thereof, shall be the basis for the effectivity of the socio economic amelioration
‘measures provided under Sections 5 and 6 of this Act.

Sec. 5. Moratorium. - There shall be a moratorium on all residential utility bills
uring the entire duration of a state of calamity. Holders of public utility franchises and
all service providers are prohibited from exacting payment or from disconnecting the
service due to non-payment during the entire duration of the moratorium. Provided,
That, nothing in this law shall prevent voluntary payment by customers.

Sec. 6. Installment Payment for the Deferred Liability. - Any amount due and
demandable during the moratorium period shall be payable in three (3) equal monthly
installments, without interest, which shall accrue a month after the cessation of a state
of calamity.


See. 7. Penalty. - Public utility franchise holders and service providers found in
violation of this law shall be punishable with a fine of not less than Five Hundred
‘Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00) and not more than One Million Pesos (P1,000,000.00)
per infraction.

Sec. 8, Implementation. - This law shall be implemented by the public utility
regulatory agencies concerned, such as the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage
System, Local Water Utilities Administration, National Telecommunications
Commission, Energy Regulatory Commission and the National Electrification
Administration.

Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations,
rules and regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby amended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any provision of this Act is
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions not affected thereby shall
continue to be in full force and effect.

Sec. 10. Effectivity Clause. - This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
complete publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,