Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF RHPRESENTATIVES                 /
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOusEBriLN`6.     6276
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RECEIVED
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Introduced by Representative Ivan Howard A. Guintu
EXPLANATORY NOTE
With  the  launching  of new  models  of mobile  phones,  laptops,  tablets  and  other
electronic gadgets almost occurring every year, it is expected that thousands, if not millions, of
new gadgets flood the market on an annual basis. Users then frequently discard or dispose of
their old gadgets for brand-new units, which fn turn, contributes to the escalating electronic
waste  problem  in our country.  A  study  conducted by  engineers from the  University  of the
Philippines yielded an estimate that by 2021 the number of discarded phones will hit over 24.9
Million,withrespondentssayingthattheywerereplacingphonesatar;teofonceeveryoneto
two years. 1 This means that Fihpinos are throwing out their gadgets despite not being totally
unusable and not being beyond their estimated useful life. Some of this electronic waste may
not even be "waste" at all.
This wastage ignores the fact that access to an electronic gadget is severely limited for
lower income households. A 2020 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies
(PIDS) revealed that only 69% of poor households have mobile phones, while only 1% and 6%
of poor  and  low-income  families  have  computers,  respectively.2  With the  shift to  remote
leaning modalities for 2020-2021  school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this digital
divide is rendered more evident. In the National Capital Region (NCR) alone, around 648,405
public school students lack gadgets.3 0n the side of our teachers,13% of them have no laptops
or computers at their home based on a recent Department of Education (DepEd) survey.4 This
1  Ma,too, Iimvic,. One Mews.  (9  ]uly 20\9). Phl's E-waste Problem:  Ove>r 24 M Phones Discarded Yearly  by
202/ .Retrieved from : https ://onenews.ph/ph]-s-e-waste-problem-over-24-in-phones-di scarded-yearly-by-2021
2 PTDS  (14  ALprT1 2;020D. Projected  Disease  Transmission,  Health  System  Requirements,  and Macroeconomic
Impacts     Of    the     Coronavirus     Disease     2019     (COVID-19)     in     the     Philippines.    I+ewieved    from`.
https://www.pids.gov.ph/publications/7022
3  Agoncillo,   Joddee.   Inquirer.net   (7   August   2020).   DcpEd  Jane]?1s  deczr#7   a/ dcv7-c.e.§.   Retrieved   from:
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1317951/deped-laments-dearth-of-devices
4 ABS-CHIN INows. (16 June 2;02;0). Thousands Of teachers lack gadgets, interriet to cope with pandelnic :
DepLrd. Retri eved from : https : //news. ab s{bn. com/news/06/ 16/20/thousands-of-teachers-I ack-gadgets-i nternet-
to-cope-with-pandemic-deped


lack of access to gadgets to be used for distance leaning, coupled with the problem concerning
internet connectivity, may have forced some of our youth to skip school and not enroll for the
current school year, or at least until they have procured the necessary tools and equipment.
The juxtaposition of the apparent wastage in the disposal of still-usable gadgets, on one
hand  and  the  lack  of electronic  gadgets  among  our  students  from  poor  and  low-income
households, on the other, serves as the primary motivation for this proposed measure.
Under this bill, an Electronics Donation and Recycling Program shall be established
nationwide  through  which  all  manufacturers  and  retailers  of  electronic  gadgets  will  be
mandated to establish and set up donation and recycling booths within the premises of their
sales outlets, stores, service centers and similar locations. This is for the purpose of processing
and  accepting  electronic  gadgets  intended  by  their  respective  owners  for  donation  and/or
recycling.
For  collected  gadgets  which  are  intended  for  donation,  the  recipient  shall  be  the
Department  of Education  (DepEd)  for distribution to  poor students,  subject to  appropriate
guidelines to be issued by the said agency.
For collected gadgets which are intended for recycling, the same shall be disposed of
or turned  over to  Department  of Environment  and  Natural  Resources  (DENR)-accredited
facilities capable of recycling electronic gadgets and components.
Thus, this bill will serve two purposes - protecting the environment by controlling the
unnecessary wastage of electronic devices and at the same time, bridging the digital divide that
had hampered our poor students from participating in a modem educational system.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSH 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO.
6276
Introduced by Representative I,van Howard A. Guintu
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRONICS DONATION AND RECYCLING PROGRAM
ALL OVER TIIE COUNTRY
Be  it  enacted by  the Senate and  the  House  Of Representatives  Of the Philippines  in
Congress assembled :
SECTION  1. Sfoo# rl.f/c.  - This Act shall be known as "Electronics Donation and
Recycling Act."
SEC. 2. Dec/flm#.om a/Po/I.ey. ~ It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote
andprotecttherightofthepeopletoabalancedandhealthfulecologyinaccordwiththerhythm
and harmony of nature. In consonance with this objective, the proliferation of electronic waste
shall be addressed through programs that encourage the proper recycling of electronic gadgets
that will channel electronic waste to the appropriate disposal facilities and the donation of still
fit-for-use gadgets to poor students.
SEIC.  3.  Electronics  Dountion  and  Reaycling  Progran`L  -  A;Il  rna;unfaicture;rs  aLnd
retailers of electronic gadgets shall be required to establish and set up donation and recycling
booths within the premises of their sales outlets, stores, service centers and similar locations
all over the country for the purpose of processing and accepting electronic gadgets intended by
their respective owners for donation and/or recycling. The Department of Trade and Industry
(DTI), in coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology
(DICT), shall issue the specific guidelines regarding the layout, contents, sorting and recycling
processes, simple repairs required for donated items and other relevant detalls for the operation
and maintenance of these booths.
DTI shall malntain a publicly-accessible website containing the following: ( 1 ) detailed
and updated list of sales outlets, stores, services centers, etc. which have donation and recycling
booths  within  their  premises;  (2)  contact  information  of those  listed  in  no.   I;  (3)  basic


information on electronics donation and recycling; and (4) hotline/s for inquiries, feedback and
reporting of problems and issues.
SE;C. 4. Destination Of Collected Electronic Gadgets. -For c,dr+ected gadgets which
are  intended for donation, the recipient shall be the Department of Education (DepEd)  for
distribution to poor students, subject to appropriate guidelines to be issued by the said agency.
For collected gadgets which are intended for recycling, the same shall be disposed of
or  turned  over  to  Department  of Environment  and  Natural  Resources  (DENR)-accredited
facilities capable of recycling electronic gadgets and components.
SE:C. S. Irxplementing Rules  and Regulations. - Wi+him sixty  (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in coordination with the
Department  of Infomation  and  Communications  Technology  (DICT),  and  other  relevant
government  agencies  and  stakeholders,  shall  issue  the  necessary  rules  and  regulations  to
implement the provisions of this Act.
SHC.   6.  Repefl/;."g  CJ¢irsa   -  All  laws,  presidential   decrees,  executive  orders,
proclamations,  rules  and  regulations,  or  any  part thereof,  which  are  inconsistent  with  the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SHC. 7. Sep¢m[bl./rty CJ¢#se. - If any provision or part of this Act, or the application
thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutioml or invalid, the remainder of this
Act shall not be affected thereby.
SHC.  8.  Ej7rcctr.vrty  CJ¢#sci  -This  Act  shall take  effect  fifteen  (15)  days  from  its
publication in the Offlcial Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved>