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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

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House Bill No.__ 1950 Wo INDERS

Introduced by

HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF INFANT-FRIENDLY FACILITIES IN
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to provide infant-friendly facilities in government agencies
and all other major establishments to enable the parents and guardians to
properly undertake their childcare responsibilities.

Section 3, Article XV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that:
“The State shall defend the right of children to assistance, including proper care
and nutrition.”

In line with this policy, the proposed legislative measure seeks to require
food service establishments to provide child-friendly seating equipment for
patrons and for major establishments and government offices to have at least
‘one (1) safe, sanitary, and convenient baby diaper-changing station that is
accessible to restrooms used exclusively by women and restrooms used

exclusively by men or is accessible to both men and women.

RECEIVED
DATE _July 13,2022

* TIME __ 4:57 pm
e Revi J


The provision of child-friendly facilities in establishments shall ensure the
safety and well-being of children as well as assist the parents and guardians in
caring for and attending to the needs of their children.

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

Rep. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative,“Tingog Sinirangan

Rep. JUDE/A. ACIDRE
Representative, Tingog Sinirangan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 1950

Introduced by

HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

AN ACT
REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF INFANT-FRIENDLY FACILITIES IN
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of the Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “/nfant-Friendly
Facilities Act.”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes that all
Filipinos are entitled to access to convenient facilities that will enable them to
properly undertake their childcare responsibilities. Towards this end, the State
‘shall ensure that these facilities are sanitary, safe, and readily available and
accessible for all persons, and shall provide specialized seating for infants and
children.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. — The following terms shall be used in
this Act:

a) Common Seating shall refer to the actual number of seats available
for customers of a particular food service establishment;


b)

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d)

e)

9)

Child-Friendly Seating shall refer to highchairs or any seating
apparatus that will allow infants or children to be seated at tables or
counters at an elevated distance from the ground;

Early-stage child shall mean any child of any age whose size and
developmental stage allows placement in child-friendly seating
equipment;

Diaper-changing station shall mean an area where a person can
change the diapers of a child. The station shall accommodate at
least a 20-pound child and shall have a trash bin for the disposal of
diapers. It shall also have hand washing facilities in good working
condition;

Food Service Establishment shall mean any privately owned facility
business, firm, or enterprise that is primarily oriented towards the
provision of food and related services. These include restaurants,
eateries, or other facilities that are contained within malls or other
larger structures, as well as establishments that have their own
independent infrastructure. This does not apply to food service
establishments that do not allow persons under 18 years of age to
enter the premises;

Major establishments shall include malls, shopping centers,
theaters, movie houses, convention centers, sports arenas,
auditoriums, cultural complexes, exhibition halls, permanent
amusement parks, health facilities, restaurants that can seat 50
people or more, gasoline stations that have restrooms that are open
to the public, and establishments measuring 25,000 feet or more,
excluding industrial buildings and nightclubs or bars that do not
permit anyone who is under 18 years of age to enter the premises,
among others;

Government offices shall mean all local and national government
offices, agencies, and government owned and controlled
corporations; and


h) Patrons refer to any individual or group that avails of any of the
offered food, as well as the services of the food service
establishment.

1. ACCESS TO CHILD-FRIENDLY SEATING

Section 4. Provision of Child-Friendly Seating. — Food service
establishments are required to have child-friendly seating equipment for
patrons that have at least one (1) early-stage child present with them at the
time that they procure the food or the services of the establishment.

Section 5. Proportion of Child-Friendly Seating to Common
Seating. — Food service establishments shall have at least one (1) child-friendly
seat for every ten (10) common seats available.

Il. ACCESS TO DIAPER-CHANGING STATIONS FOR MEN'S AND
WOMEN’S RESTROOM

Section 6. General. - All major establishments and government offices
shall have at least one (1) safe, sanitary, and convenient baby diaper-changing
station that is accessible to restrooms used exclusively by women and
restrooms used exclusively by men, or at least one safe, sanitary, and
convenient baby diaper-changing station that is accessible to both men and
women; Provided, That a diaper-changing station shall be available in each
floor occupied by the major establishment and the government office.

Section 7. Exceptions. - Section 6 of this Act shall not apply to a
restaurant with a seating capacity of at least 50 people, if there is a centrally
located facility with a baby diaper-changing station located within 300 feet of
the entrance to the restaurant.


Section 8. /mplementing Rules and Regulations. — \Nithin sixty (60)
days from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Health (DOH) and other
relevant stakeholders shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations
for the proper implementation of this Act.

Section 9. Transition Period. — All covered establishments existing at
the time of the approval of this Act and government offices shall have a period
of one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act to comply with the provisions
hereof.

Section 10. Penalties. — A major establishment or food service
establishment that fails to comply with any provisions of this Act shall be liable
for a fine of Two Thousand Pesos (Php 2,000.00) for every day of violation.

Section 11. Separability Clause. — \f any provision of this Act is
declared invalid or unconstitutional, the provisions not affected thereby shall
remain in full force and effect.

Section 12. Repealing Clause. — A\l laws, presidential decrees,
executive orders, presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or parts
thereof contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

Section 13. Effectivity.— This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general

circulation.

Approved,