SIXTf<:ENTII CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
, 
OF TIm PI-IILIPI'INES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
"13 
AUG -8 P 2 :56 
SENATE 
S.B.NO. 
1256 
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RECEI\TD BY: 
~. 
-rr ,I, 
Introduced by Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The proposed bill seeks to protect and minimize death and mJury of children through 
vehicular accidents by imposing safety standards in the transportation of children in motor 
vehicles, particularly with the lise of child restraint devices. 
Senator 


:Stmdl' 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
(tfl", ~f Ul.jt.rr.l .. , 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'13 
AUG-8 P 2 :56 
SENATE 
S. B. NO. 
1256 
Introduced by Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay 
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AN ACT ENSURING THE SAFETY MEASURES FOR CHILDREN 
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RIDING IN MOTOR VEHICLES 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House 0/ Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
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assemhled: 
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SECTION 1. Shorl Title. This Act shall be known as the "Children in Motor Vehicle Safety 
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Act of 20 13 ". 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in 
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nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and 
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social well-being. Towards this end, the State shall pursue a proactive and preventive 
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approach in order to secure the safety of children riding in motor vehicles at all times with the 
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enforcement of safety measures. 
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SECTION 3. D~ftnition a/Terms. As used in this Act, the term: 
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(a) "Children" refers to any person fifteen (15) years old and below; 
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(b) 
"Motor vehicle" refers to private vehicles and school buses for pre-school and primary 
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school operated or driven upon a public highway which are propelled by any power 
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other than muscular power and is being used in any way to carry any person ii'om one 
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place to another. It shall likewise include public motor vehicle as defined in Republ ic 
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Act No. 4136, otherwise known as the "Land Transportation and Traffic Code"; 
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Republic Act No. 8750, otherwise known as the "Seat Belt Use Act of 1999"; and LTO 
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Administrative Order No. BGC-AO-99004, Implementing Rules and Regulations 
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Governing the Installation and Use of Seat Belt Devices and Seat BeltAnchorage; 
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(c) 
"Seat belt device" refers to any strap, webbing or similar device in the form of pelvic 
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restraint or lap belt, upper torso restraint or shoulder strap or a combination thereof 
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designed to secure a person in a 1110tor vehicle in order to mitigate the results of any 
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accident 
including 
all 
necessary 
buckles 
and 
other 
fasteners, 
and 
all 
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hardware/anchorage designed for installing such seat belt in a motor vehicle; and 
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(d) 
"Child restraint system" refers to beds for babies, seats for infants and seats [or school 
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children that are manufactured and crafted in accordance with the internationally 
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accepted standards pending adoption of a national standard by the Bureau of Product 
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Standards (BPS) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Provided, however, 


that pending the adoption of a national standard by the BPS, the same agency shall issue 
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a list of acceptable child restraint systems which are readily available in the Philippines. 
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SECTION 4. Coverage. This Act shall apply to drivers and children passengers of private 
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1110tor vehicles and school buses for preschool and primary school. 
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SI~CTlON 5. Prohibited Acts. It shall be unlawful for any driver of a motor vehicle to travel 
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with children on board without ensuring or exercising the following safety measures: 
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(a) 
Infants and/or children ages fifteen (15) years old and below shall be prohibited 
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to si t in the front seat of any running motor vehicle; 
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(b) 
Children shall not be allowed to travel on board any motor vehicle without seat 
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belt devices and/or child restraint systems at the back row seats; and 
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(c) 
Children shall not be allowed to ride motorcycles, scooters, motorized bicycles, 
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tricycles, pedicabs or other 1110tor vehicles which are not enclosed and which 
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would expose a child to significant risk of serious injury in the in the event of a 
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vehicular accident; and 
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(d) 
Children shall not be left unattended inside the motor vehicle without 
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supervision by a person who is eighteen (18) years of age or older under one or 
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1110re of the following circumstances: 
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(I) 
Under conditions presenting a significant risk to the child's health 
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or safety; 
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(2) 
The engine of the 111010r vehicle is running; or 
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(3) 
The keys to the motor vehicle are within the motor vehicle. 
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SECTION 6. Exceptions. The provisions o[this Act shall not apply to public utility vehicles 
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which are not school buses for preschool and primary school. As such, jeepneys and buses, as 
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well as emergency vehicles, shall be exempt from the provisions of this Act. It shall likewise 
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not apply to medical emergencies or when, because of the circumstances of the situation, 
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riding in a motor vehicle without a safety device removes such child from an even greater or 
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more imminent danger. 
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SECTION 7. Penalties and Fines. Any person found guilty of violating the provisions of this 
Act shall be punished with a fine of not less than Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) or 
imprisonment of not more than thirty (30) days, or both, at the discretion of the court, taking 
into consideration all attending circumstances. Subsequent violations shall be punishable by a 
fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (1'10,000.00) or a penalty of imprisonment of 
orreslo 111avor or both at the discretion of the court. The driver's license shall be revoked 
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upon conviction of three (3) violations of this provision. Such revocation shall prohibit the 
grant of a new driver's license for twelve (12) months from the date o[the conviction. 
SECTION 8. Implementing Agency. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the 
Philippine National Police (PNp) shall be the primary implementing agencies in enforcing the 
provisions of this Act. Within sixty (60) days ti'om the effectivity of this Act, the L TO. the 


PNP and the BPS of the OTl shall formulate and issue the necessary implemcnting rules. 
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regulations and guidelines and shall mobilize available resources to assure the elTective 
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implementation of this Act. 
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The BPS, in coordination with the L TO, shall likewise formulate the procedure and standards 
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lor the approval of safety devices for use by children in motor vehicles and to publ ish the 
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same with a list of such approved devices not more than ninety (90) days after the approval of 
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the Act. 
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SECTION 9, Separability Clause. If any prOVISion or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconsti tutional, the remainder of this Act or the provisions not otherwise aflected thereby 
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shall remain valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 10, Repealing Clause. Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, 
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letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with 
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the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SF:CTION 1 L Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its full and 
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complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved,