SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.B.No. 2387 
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Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. lLapid 
AN ACT 
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SEP -3 P 3 :38 
RECOGNIZING AND PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH 
DISABILITIES ACCOMPANIED BY SERVICE ANIMALS 
In 1992, the Philippine Legislature passed the Magna Carta for Disabled 
Persons. 
In 2013, the Philippines became a signatory to the United Nations 
Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 
These two actions show the 
country's commitment to achieve the full realization of rights of persons with 
disabilities. 
Nevertheless, there are no existing laws recognizing; and providing for the 
rights of persons with disabilities accompanied by service animals. Without such a 
law, persons with disabilities accompanied by service arllinals do not have full access 
to employment, transportation, and public accommodation and services by virtue of 
company or even government policies against animals inside establishments. This in 
turn prejudices persons with disabilities accompanied by service animals from fully 
enjoying their rights under the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. 
This bill aims to address the lack in legislation recognizing and protecting the 
rights of persons with disabilities accompanied by service animals. As such, the 
immediate passage of this bill is therefore requested. 
NUEL "UTO" M. LAPID 
Senator 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Sessio1l 
SENATE 
) 
) 
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S.B. No. 2387 
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. lLapid 
AN ACT 
'14 SEP-3 P3:38 
RECOGNIZING AND PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH 
DISABILITIES ACCOMPANIED BY SERVICE ANIMALS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be knows and cited as the "Service Animals 
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Act of 2014" 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The grant of the rights and privileges for 
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persons with disabilities accompanied by service animals shall be guided by the 
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following principles: 
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(a) 
(b) 
(c) 
Persons with disabilities accompanied by service animals are part of the 
Philippine society, and thus the State shall give full support to the 
improvement of their wellbeing and their integration into the 
mainstream of society. Toward this end, the State shall adopt policies 
ensuring the self-development and 
self-n~liance of persons with 
disabilities accompanied by service animals. 
Persons with disabilities accompanied by service animals shall have the 
same rights as other people to take their proper place in society. They 
should be able to live freely and as independently as possible. 
The State shall exert all efforts to remove all social, cultural, economic, and 
environmental, and attitudinal barriers that are prejudicial to persons 
with disabilities accompanied by service animals. 
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SECTION 3. Coverage. - This Act shall cover all persons with disabilities 
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accompanied by service animals, and to the extent herein provided, departments, offices, 
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and agencies of the government, non-government organizations, and private 
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corporations necessary for the attainment of the objectives of this Act. 
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SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, these terms are 
defined as follows: 
(a) 
Persons with disabilities are those suffering form restriction or different 
(b) 
(c) 
(d) 
(e) 
abilities, as a result of a mental, physical or sensory impairment, to 
perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal 
for a human being; 
Impairment is any loss, diminution, or abenation of psychological, 
physiological, or anatomical structure or function; 
Disability shall mean 1) physical or mental impairment that substantially 
limits one or more psychological, physiological or anatomical function of 
an individual or activities o( such an individual; 2) a record of such an 
impairment; or 3) being regarded as having such an impairment; 
Service animals refer to animals that are individually trained to do work or 
perform tasks for people with disabilities. The work or task a service 
animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the 
person's disability certified as such by the National Council on Disability 
Affairs; 
Discrimination refers to 1) any act defined as discrimination under the 
Magna Carta for Disabled Persons performed against a person with 
disability accompanied by a service animal, by virtue of the presence of 
the service animal; or 2) any act isolating or treating less favorably any 
person with disability accompanied by a service animal, by virtue of the 
presence of the service animal 
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SECTION 5. Use of Service Animals. - All departments, offices, and agencies of 
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the government, non-government organizations, and private corporations, businesses 
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and establishments are required to allow service animals to accompany persons with 
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disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is normally allowed to go; provided 
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that the service animals must be harnessed leashed, or tethered, unless these devices 
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interfere with the service animal's work or the individual's disability prevents using these 
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devices. In the latter case, the individual must maintain control of the service animal 
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through voice, signal, or other effective tools. 
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SECTION 6. Prohibited Acts. - All departments, ofJices, and agencies of the 
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government, non-government organizations! and private corporations, businesses and 
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establishments, and any person, directly or indirectly, alone or with another, by himself 
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or herself or by the interposition of another, are prohibited from the following: 
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(a) 
(b) 
(c) 
(d) 
(e) 
(f) 
Denying access or refusing 'service to any person with disability 
accompanied by a service animal the accommodation, serVIces, or 
facilities available in any place to which the public is customarily 
admitted; 
Discriminate against any person with disability accompanied by a service 
animal, with respect to the accommodation, services, or facilities 
available in any place to which the public is customarily admitted, or the 
charges for the use of them; 
Deny to any person with disability accompanied by a service animal the 
occupancy of any dwelling unit; 
Discriminate against any person with disability accompanied by a service 
animal, with respect to any term or condition of occupancy of any 
dwelling unit; 
Discriminate against any person with disability accompanied by a service 
animal with respect to employment, transportation, and use of other 
public accommodations and services; 
Asking any person with disability to remove the service animal from the 
premises unless 
(i) The service animal is out of control and the handler does not take 
effective action to control it; or 
(ii) The dog is not housebroken. 
When any of the aforementioned legitimate reasons are present, the staff 
must offer the person with disability the opportunity to obtain goods or 
services without the animal's presence; 
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SECTION 7. Responsibilities of the Person with Disability Accompanied by a 
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Service Animal. -
A person with disability accompanied by a service animal is 
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responsible for the following: 
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(a) Paying for any damage caused by the service animal in an establishment; 
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(b) Providing care and/ or food for the service animal while in an establishment. 
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SECTION 8. Certification of Service Animals. - The National Council on Disability 
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Affairs shall formulate a speedy and convenient process for the certification of service 
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animals all over the country at the least cost, provided that certification of service animals 
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for indigent persons with disabilities shall be free upon a showing of such indigence. 
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SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The National Council' on 
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Disability Affairs in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment, the 
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Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Transportation and 
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Communications and the Department of Public Works and Highways shall formulate the 
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rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this Act. 
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SECTION 10. Suppletory Application. - This Act shall suppletorily apply to the 
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Magna Carta for Disabled Persons; 
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SECTION 11. Penal Clause. - Any violation of the provisions set out in this Act 
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shall be considered a form of discrimination under the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons 
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and those found who are guilty thereof will suffer the same penalty. 
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SECTION 12. Appropriations. - The amount necessary 1:0 carry out the provisions 
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of this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its 
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enactment into law and thereafter. 
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SECTION 13. Separability Clause. - Should any provisions of this Act be found 
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unconstitutional by a court of law, such provisions shall be severed from the remainder of 
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this Act, and such action shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining provisions of 
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this Act. 
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SECTION 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders 
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and rules and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed 
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or modified accordingly. 
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SECTION 15. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in any two (2) newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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