EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
S. No.
SENATE 
1525
E-FIlF'D *.z. 
nArr May 12 2020m
01:00 pm
f
iMOt*
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A MORATORIUM ON RENTAL PAYMENT AND EVICTION 
DURING DISASTERS AND OTHER EMERGENCIES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Disasters and calamities usually cause disruptions to the economic life of our 
people-temporary closure of businesses, suspension of work, interruption of banking 
transactions and financial services, among others. These disruptions may cause 
temporary cash-flow difficulties, especially for minimum wage earners, small 
business owners, and blue-collar workers, which in turn may lead to delays or 
temporary inability to meet daily and monthly expenses. During the existence of a 
disaster or emergency, some may have no capacity to timely meet their obligations 
on utilities, medical expenses, rental payments, etc. For these times of hardship and 
difficulty, the government must ensure that adequate protection and assistance are 
afforded to the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors of our society. This bill 
seeks to institutionalize one such form of assistance.
This proposed measure will provide for a moratorium on the enforcement of 
payment of all fees, charges, and costs relating to rental of residential units, 
whether covered by a lease or sublease contract, for the entire duration of a 
national or local state of calamity or emergency and for thirty (30) days from the 
termination of said State of Calamity of Emergency. There shall also be a 
moratorium on evictions for the same period regardless of cause, except when a 
lessee/sublessee perpetrates a criminal act that threatens the life, limb and property 
of the lessor, sublessor or owner, or his/her immediate family, other tenants or staff


of the property in which the residential unit is located. At the discretion of the 
Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), taking into consideration 
the fact of closure/shutting down of businesses, community quarantine orders, or 
any other circumstance that may hamper their operations during calamities or 
emergencies, the benefit of the moratorium on rental payment and eviction may also 
be applied to commercial or office space rental of Micro, Small and Medium 
Enterprises (MSMEs).
In view of this, early passage of this bill is sought.
L "LITOrt^. LAP


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
tilt
SENATE
S. No. 1525
E-FIl FO
I ^
2020
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A MORATORIUM ON RENTAL PAYMENT AND EVICTION 
DURING DISASTERS AND OTHER EMERGENCIES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as "Rental Payment and 
Eviction Moratorium during Disasters and Emergencies Act."
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - In the interest of promoting the common 
good and the general welfare, itis hereby declared the policy of the State to provide 
adequate relief and protection to those suffering from the ravages of calamities and 
other emergency situations
Section 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, these terms are 
defined as follows:
a. "Disaster" - a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a 
society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental 
losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or 
society to cope using its own resources. Disasters are often described as a


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result of the combination of: the exposure to a hazard; the conditions of 
vulnerability that are present; and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce 
or cope with the potential negative consequences, Disaster impacts may 
include loss of life, injury, disease and other negative effects on human, 
physical, mental and social well-being, together with damage to property, 
destruction of assets, loss of services. Social and economic disruption and 
environmental degradation;
b. "Emergency" - unforeseen or sudden occurrence, especially danger, 
demanding immediate action;
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"State of Calamity" - a condition involving mass casualty and/or major 
damages to property, disruption of means of livelihoods, roads and normal 
way of life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of 
natural or human-induced hazard.
d. "Rent" shaW mean the amount paid for the use or occupancy of a residential 
unit whether payment is made on a monthly or other basis.
"Residential unit" shall refer to an apartment, house and/or land on which 
another's dwelling is located and used for residential purposes and shall 
include not only building houses, dormitories, rooms and bedspaces offered 
for rent by their owners, except motels, motel rooms, hotels, hotel rooms, but 
also those used for home industries, retail stores or other business purposes 
if the owner thereof and his or her family actually live therein and use it 
principally for dwelling purposes.
"Z.e55ee"shall mean the person renting a residential unit.
"Owner/Lessor" shall include the owner or administrator or agent of the 
owner of the residential unit.
h. "Sublessor" shaW mean the person who leases or rents out a residential unit 
leased to him by an owner.
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"Sublessee" is the person who holds a lease which was given to another 
person for all or part of a property.
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Section 4. Scope of Application. - This Act shall cover disasters and other
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kinds of emergencies which are (1) national in scope, as declared through a State of


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Calamity or State of National Emergency by the President of the Philippines, and (2)
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provincial, city or municipal in scope, as declared through a State of Calamity or
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Emergency by the appropriate local government unit.
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Section 5. Moratorium on Rental Payments. -There shall be a moratorium on
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the enforcement of payment of all fees, charges, and costs relating to the rental of
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residential units, whether in a lease or sublease arrangement and whether reduced
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in a written form or not, for the duration of the State of Calamity or Emergency
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mentioned in Section 4 of this Act and for thirty (30) days from the termination of
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said State of Calamity of Emergency; Provided, that if the covered period exceeds a
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total of sixty (60) days, the payment of the deferred fees, charges and costs shall be
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spread out for a six-month period of equal installments; Provided further, That no
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penalties or interests shall be collected on the payments by virtue of this Act.
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The benefit of this moratorium on rental payment may be applied to
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commercial or office space rental of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs),
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at the discretion of the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),
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taking into consideration the fact of closure/shutting down of businesses, community
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quarantine orders, or any other circumstance that may hamper their operations.
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Nothing in this Act shall prevent the contractual parties from mutually
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agreeing on other forms of payment relief or assistance, or from voluntarily waiving
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the benefit of the moratorium on rental payments.
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Section 6. Moratorium on Eviction. - During the same period stated in Section
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5 of this Act, the lessor, sublessor or owner of a residential unit may not make, or
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cause to be made, any eviction or similar legal proceeding to recover possession of
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the residential unit from the lessee/sublessee regardless of cause, except when a
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lessee/sublessee perpetrates a criminal act that threatens the life, limb and property
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of the lessor, sublessor or owner, or his/her immediate family, other tenants or staff
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of the property in which the residential unit is located.
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The benefit of this moratorium on eviction may be applied to commercial or
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office space rental of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), at the
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discretion of the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), taking


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into consideration the fact of closure/shutting down of businesses, community
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quarantine orders, or any other circumstance that may hamper their operations.
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Section 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from 
the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the 
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, in consultation with 
other relevant government agencies and stakeholders, shall issue the necessary 
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.
Section ^.Repealing Clause. —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.
Section 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act, or the 
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutional or invalid, 
the remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.
Section IQ. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
from its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of 
general circulation.
Approved,