Fourteenth Congress
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. _? 302

Introduced by Honorable Godofredo V. Arquiza

EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to create “Clean Public Toilets Act for 2010”.
Section 9, Article II of the 1987 Constitution states:

“The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order
that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation
and free the people from poverty through policies that provide
adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising
standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.”

The State recognizes the right of the people to a clean environment
and an improved quality of life.

Public toilets are usually found in shopping malls, department
stores, supermarkets, book stores, shops, parks, cinemas, and in all but the
most rural areas. Some older public toilets are no longer in style. Beginning
in the 1990s, there has been a movement to make public toilets cleaner and
more hospitable than they had been in the past.

However, many public toilets still do not provide any soap and water
for washing hands, or paper towels or tissue paper for drying hands. Some
public toilets are fitted with hand dryers to reduce the volume of waste
generated from paper towels. Hand dryers are sometimes installed with
motion-sensors as an additional resource saving measure. Most do not
have deodorants or air fresheners that could add a pleasant scent to the
area.

Being clean is very important, and the word “clean” can be used to
describe beauty, purity or orderly."

Foreigners are accustomed to clean public toilets where liquid soap
and tissue papers are aplenty. Public restrooms are the most important


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improvement that could promote tourism. It is the right of the people to
have accessible and clean public toilets, wherever they live, work or visit.

It is about time that Local Government Units develop a public toilet
strategy within their area, to ensure that clean toilets are available to the
public. While some business establishments provide clean, hygienic and
safe toilets many have failed to provide adequate facilities and have closed
public toilets leaving the public with ‘nowhere to go’.

The increasing numbers of visitors in this country can enjoy the
availability of public toilets when and where they areneeded. It is in
this regard that a Clean Toilet Act is necessary. This Act offers hope to all
who need to use public toilets - males and females, families with babies
and young children and those with physical or mental disabilities that need
accessible toilets with all of the facilities that they require.

In view of the foregoing considerations, approval of this bill is
earnestly sought.

GODOFREDO V. ARQUIZA


Fourteenth Congress
Third Regular Session

2302

HOUSE BILL NO. __*

Introduced by Honorable Godofredo V. Arquiza

AN ACT CREATING
CLEAN PUBLIC TOILETS FOR 2010

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 “An Act Creating
Clean Public Toilets for 2010 .”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy.- Section 9, Article II of the 1987
Constitution states:

“The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order
that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation
and free the people from poverty through policies that provide
adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising
standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.”

Consonant with these constitutional principles the following
are the declared policies of this Act:

(a) To recognize the right of the people to a clean and
complete public toilet;

(b) To recognize the vital role of the Local Government in
the welfare of the people and to actively seek their
partnership;

In accordance with these policies, this Act aims to:

(4) adopt stricter measures to keep public toilets
clean and complete with basic amenities;


(2) punish those business establishments that fail
to abide by this Act; and

(3) punish those people who steal and abuse the
basic amenities provided by business
establishments.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, these terms are
defined as follows:

(a) “Toilet” - lavatory, bathroom or restroom or a room
equipped with a wash bowl, water closet, etc;

(b) “Business establishment” - a commercial or industrial
establishment;

(c) "Local Government unit " shall mean - as defined in the
Local Government Code, as amended; and

Section 4. Duty of every Business Establishment. - Every business
establishment shall be required to provide and maintain clean public
toilets by providing efficient janitorial services, adequate tissue paper or
paper towels and sufficient liquid soap and water which would be available
for consumption to the general public at all times.

Section 5. Acts Punishable. Every business establishment who shall fail to
provide a clean public toilet and the basic amenities, such as the tissue
paper or paper towel and liquid soap and water as required under Section
4 hereof shall pay a fine of P3,000.00 for the first violation and
P6,000.00 for the second violation hereof and shall be SUSPENDED from
operating its business for a period of three (3) months on its third
violation.

On the other hand, any person who shall be found
stealing the amenities provided in public toilets shall be
penalized to pay a fine of P1,000.00 for the first violation and
P2,000.00 for the second violation.

Section 6. Government Assistance. - The Government shall provide the
following:

The Local Government Units (LGUs) shall institute a program
in pursuance of the objectives of this Act.


The Local Government Units shall have the following functions:

(a) To plan, implement and monitor yearly programs in
pursuance of the objectives of this Act;

(b) To maintain and regularly update, on a quarterly
basis, the business establishments who have violated this
Act and make a report thereon,

Section 7. Municipal/ City Responsibility. - \t shall be the responsibility of
the Municipal/City, through the Mayor to prominently display posters,
stickers, and other notices that will generate public awareness of the rights
and privileges of the citizens, to ensure that the provisions of this Act are
implemented to its fullest.

Section. 8. Partnership of the National and Local Government Units. -
The national government and local government units shall undertake to
ensure the implementation of this Act in their respective territorial
jurisdictions.

Section 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of
Interior and Local Government, within ninety (90) days from the approval
of this Act, shall promulgate the implementing, rules and regulations for
the effective implementation of the provisions of this Act.

Section. 10. Appropriation. - The necessary appropriation for the
operation of this Act shall be appropriated and approved by the local
government units concerned. The amount necessary to carry out the
provisions of this Act upon its effectivity shall be charged out of the funds of
the Office of the President. Thereafter, any such sum as shall be needed for
the regular implementation of this Act shall be included in subsequent
General Appropriations Act following its enactment into law.

Section 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) days
after publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers
of general circulation.

Approved,

60) DO V. ARQUIZA