FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
) 
9 
OCT 14 1\11: 1 0 
SENAW 
S.B. No. 
;j 4 8 6 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Fire is one of our country's major challenges. The Bureau of Fire Protection has 
recorded a total of 8,823 fire incidents nationwide in 2006 that led to 271 fatalities, 596 
injuries, and an estimated P3.2 billion worth of damage to properties.' Not only do these 
fires destroy properties, more importantly, they destroy lives. No one is more vulnerable 
to fire related injuries and deaths than people who cannot care for themselves. Under the 
principle of parens patriae, the State has the responsibility to protect the people who 
cannot protect themselves.Institutions providing long term care services such as nursing 
homes, hospice facilities, assisted living facilities, residential care program facilities, and 
board and care facilities find themselves in a constant dilemma of having to choose 
between allocating their resources on safety facilities and addressing the needs of their 
clients directly. As most of these institutions cater to our less fortunate countrymen, they 
are often forced to make the decision of having to take only one of these options. 
A state grant covering the retrofit of these establishments to provide them with the 
latest fire safety technology will go a long way towards protecting both the institutions 
and their clients. This bill seeks to mandate the Secretary of Health to extend grants to 
institutions providing long term health care in order to help them secure the necessary fire 
safety technology for their establishments, thereby affording better protection to them and 
to our loved ones in their care. 
~ 
J~ir:. . 
~IRIAM D~ANTIA(iTO 
I Fire Prevention Saves Lives and Property. Business Mirror. 22 February 2007. 
1 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Third Regular Session 
) 
9 
OCT 14 All: 1 0 
SENATE 
__________ 
S_,_B_, N_o_, __ 
3_4_8_, 6_' ---.>r:.k"".,',,:;=',TIliV't"LU[J"'l'I'r', --=,.=yL " 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
I 
AN ACT 
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TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH TO MAKE GRANTS TO 
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PROMOTE PROFESSIONAL RETROFIT INSTALLATION OF FIRE ALARM 
4 
DETECTION SYSTEMS AND OTHER FIRE DETECTION AND PREVENTION 
5 
TECHNOLOGIES IN LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION I, Short Title, - This Act shall be known as the "Long Term Care Fire 
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Safety Act", 
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SECTION 2, Dejinition. - As provided in this Act, the following shall mean: 
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a) 
"FIRE 
ALARM 
DETECTION 
SYSTEM 
OR 
OTHER 
FIRE 
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DETECTION AND PREVENTION TECHNOLOGY", means a system, a portion of a 
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system, or a combination of systems and components for fire protection, such as 
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integrated systems of manual devices and automatic sensors that, when activated, cause 
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the systems to warn building occupants and emergency forces; smoke detectors; 
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automatic fire sprinkler systems; specialized suppression systems and other active fire 
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protection systems or components installed in accordance with the National Building 
16 
Code and other applicable laws and regulations; 
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b) 
"SECRETARY", means the Secretary of Health; 
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SECTION 3, Grant Program, - Not later than 120 days after the date of 
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effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall establish a program to award grants to 
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nursing homes, hospice facilities, assisted living' 'facilities, residential care program 
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facilities, board and care facilities, and any other long term care facilities that are duly 
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licensed or certified and are determined. by the Secretary to be appropriate for a grant 
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under this Act, for the purpose of retrofitting such homes and facilities with any 
I 


- , 
, 
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professionally installed fire alarm detection system or other fire detection and prevention 
25 
technology. 
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SECTION 4. Determination of Priority. - In awarding grants under this Act, the 
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Secretary shall give priority to applicants that demonstrate a need or hardship. In 
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determining hardship, the Secretary may take into account factors such as the age and 
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condition of the facilities of the applicant, the need for facility beds in the community 
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involved, and requirements imposed on the applicant to meet applicable fire safety 
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regulations. 
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SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid 
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or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
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remain valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
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executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, 
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or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
38 
accordingly. 
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SECTION 7. EffectiVity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (I5) days 
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after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of'general circulation. 
Approved. 
lapm 10 122009 
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