·' 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENi~'i'9 
S.No. ___ _ 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
.J 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
, 
Health care costs in the country are rising rapidly. Chief executive officers rank health 
care costs as their number one economic pressure and by 2009, companies will be greater than 
their net profits, if current trends continue. Chronic disease accounts for approximately 75 
percent of health care costs annually. 
Currently, many governmental, scientific, and public health agencies recommend that 
school-age children and adolescents engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous 
physical activity that is developmentally appropriate and enjoyable, and which involves a variety 
of activities, on most, preferably all, days of the week. 
• 
This bill seeks to address the health problem by helping children, families and 
communities achieve the national recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity every day.l 
I This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session 
1 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENi~79 
S.No.~~~~ 
~eEM,D uv '.~L __ ·_ 
\ 
Introduced by Spnator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
. ,./ 
1 
AN ACT 
2 
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL PROGRAM PROMOTING LIFELONG ACTIVE 
3 
COMMUNITIES 
4 
5 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines zn 
6 
Congress assembled: 
7 
8 
SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Promoting Lifelong Active 
9 
Communities Every Day Act or PLAY Every Day Acl." 
10 
11 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the State to protect and promote 
12 
the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. It is also espoused 
13 
that the State shall promote and protect the physical, moral, intellectual and social well-being of 
14 
the people. 
15 
16 
SECTION 3. Establishment of a National Program Promoting Lifelong Active 
17 
Communities. ~ The Secretary of Health, acting through the Director of the National Center for 
18 
Disease Prevention and Control, shall develop a well-validated community measurement tool, 
19 
which shall be Imown as the "Community Play Index" that can measure the policy, program, or 
20 
environmental barriers in communities to participating in physical activity. 
21 
22 
The Community Play Index shall include the following: 
23 
24 
A. Cross-cutting measurements that: 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
1. examine barriers to physical activities across multiple settings, including homes, 
after school and child care sites, schools, the community at-large, and worksites; 
and 
2. focus on the--
a. availability of adequate spaces and places for physical activity; 
b. availability of, and access to, quality physical activity and physical education 
programs; and 
2 


1 
c. the availability of programs, activities, and leaders to educate about the importance 
2 
of physical activity for the community; and 
3 
4 
B. Additional measurements to assist economically and culturally diverse communities in 
5 
examining the social determinants of health. 
6 
7 
SECTION 4. Model Communities of PLAY Implementation Grants. - The Secretary of 
8 
Health, acting through the Director of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 
9 
shall award three grants to regional health departments to enable them to work in partnership 
10 
with eligible community-based coalitions to plan and implement model communities of play 
II 
that: 
12 
13 
A. Increase the physical spaces and places available for physical activity; 
14 
B. Increase the opportunities for children and families to participate in quality play, and 
15 
the number of children and families participating in quality play; and 
16 
C. Increase knowledge and awareness about the importance of individuals achieving 60 
17 
minutes of recommended physical activity every day. 
18 
19 
SECTION 5. Partnership With Community Coalitions. - A regional health department receiving 
20 
a grant under Section 4 Shall use grant funds to carry out the activities described in Section 5 in 
21 
partnership with one or more community coalitions that may be one of the following 
22 
organizations: 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
A. A community-based organization that focuses on children and youth, preventive 
health, physical activity, or physical education. 
B. A local parks and recreation department. 
C. A local health department. 
D. A local educational agency .. 
E. A local city planning agency. 
F. A local health care provider. 
G. A 4-year institution of higher 13ducation. 
H. A qualified heallh center or rural health clinic. 
1. 
A hospital. 
J. A faith-based organization. 
K. A policymaker or elected official. 
1. A community planning organization. 
3 


1 
The community coalition completed and submitted to the health department the following 
2 
documents: 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
A. Community Play Index developed under Section 3 for the community that identifies 
the gaps and barriers to physical activity in the community to children and youth; and 
B. A community action plan describing the programs, policy, and environmental change 
strategies that will be implemented with grant funds to help children and youth in the 
community reach the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day. 
11 
SECTION 6. Authorized Activities. A regional health department that receives a grant 
12 
under Section 4 shall use funds available through the grant to carry out the following activities: 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
A. Train community-based coalitions on how to utilize the Community Play Index to 
measure the program, policy, and environmental barriers to promoting lifelong physical 
activity for youth. 
B. Work in partnership with community coalitions described in Section 5 to enable the 
community coalitions to carry out the coalition's community action plan and promote a 
model community of play, which may include the following: 
1. Enabling the maximum use of, or the creation of spaces and places for, physical 
activity for children, families, and communities before, during, and after school or 
work, which may include increasing the number of--
a. programs that increase the number of safe streets and sidewalks in the 
community to walk and bike to school, work, or other community 
destinations, such as recreation sites, parks, or community centers; 
b. schools, faith-based organizations, and recreational facilities serving the 
community that provide programming on physical activity and physical 
education before, during, or after school; 
c. schools serving the community that provide recess, physical education, and 
physical activity for children and youth; 
d. day care, child care, and after school care sites in the community that provide 
physical activity for children and youth; 
e. venues in the community that provide co-curricular physical activity 
programs, including sports fields and courts, especially venues [or all-
inclusive intramural programs and physical activity clubs; 
4 


I 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
2. 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
f. 
playgrounds and activity sites in the community for young children, including 
sites that offer programs that provide physical activity instruction that meet 
the various needs ane;! interests of all students, including those with illness, 
injury, and physical and developmental disabilities, as well as those that live 
sedentary lifestyles or with a disinterest in traditional team sports; 
g. capital improvement projects that increase opportunities for physical activity 
in the community; and 
h. networks of walking' and cycling trails where trails do not exist 111 the 
community, that offer both a functional alternative to automobile travel and an 
opportunity for exercise, recreation, and community connectedness. 
Enhancing opportunities and access for children and youth in the community to 
participate in quality physical activity and physical education programs before, 
during, and after school, -which may include increasing the number of--
a. school and after school care sites in the community that implement proven 
health curricula, physical' education (including developing innovative 
approaches to teaching and staffing, physical education ), and physical activity 
programmmg; 
b. children and youth in the community that are able to participate in physical 
education or activity during and after school, by ensuring that adequate 
equipment is available to such children and youth; 
c. scholarships to low-income children and youth for physical activity programs; 
d. education and training programs for education, recreation, leisure, child care, 
and coaching professionals regarding quality physical education and physical 
activity programs and policies; 
e. training pro grams to assist physicians in--
I. 
carefully communicating the results of body mass index (BMI) tests to 
parents and, in an age-appropriate manner, to the children and youth 
themselves; 
11. providing information to families so they may make informed decisions 
abont physical activity and nutrition; and 
iii. explaining the benefits associated with physical activity and the risks 
associated with childhood overweight and obesity; 
IV. assessment tools used to measure the quality of physical activity, sports, 
and intramural sports programs; 
5 


I 
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 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
3. 
v. guidelines and infonnational materials used by teachers, parents, 
caregivers, and health-care professionals who are interested in promoting 
physical activity for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers; and 
vi. guidelines and infonnational materials used to promote physical activity 
with the intent of improving the current health, fitness, and wellness of 
preadolescent children (ages 6 through 12) as well as to promote lifelong 
physical activity. 
Identifying, engaging and mobilizing community leaders, decision-makers, 
experts, and the media to raise awareness and edncate the public about the 
importance of securing 60 minutes of physical activity every day, which may 
include increasing the number of--
a. school and after sch091 care faculty and staff, including coaches, that serve as 
positive role models for students regarding regular physical activity; 
b. businesses that serve as role models by providing physical space and 
incentives for employees to participate in physical activity; 
c. businesses that serve as role models to communities by--
I. 
providing support 'to intramural teams, clubs, sports leagues, playgrounds, 
trails, biking and walking paths, and fields and venues for sports, play, and 
physical activity; 
11. incorporating built environment strategies into new construction of 
facilities; 
iii. adopting safe routes to school programs; 
IV. providing bike racks at the office; and 
v. encouraging the use of the stairs; 
d. insurers that provide incentives for maintaining healthy body weight, 
including offering screening and obesity prevention services in rontine clinical 
practice; 
e. gronps representing low-income individuals or individuals with disabilities, 
that can promote and secure safer and more accessible sites for activity; 
f. 
consumer research-driven marketing strategies for ongoing initiatives and 
interventions that enhance physical activity for children and youth; 
g. products and opportunities provided or offered by leisure, entertainment, and 
recreation indnstries that promote regnlar physical activity and reduce 
sedentary behaviors; 
6 


• 
I 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
h. media advocacy training programs for public health and exercise scientists so 
as to empower the scientists to disseminate their knowledge to a broad 
audience; and 
1. 
campaigns to foster awareness about the health benefits of regular physical 
activity of not less than 60 minutes a day for all children and youth. 
7 
SECTION 7. Appropriation. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
8 
hereby necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury . 
• 
9 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
10 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
II 
valid and subsisting. 
12 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
13 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
14 
with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
15 
SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
16 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
17 
Approved, 
18 
7