Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________ 
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO 
Partylist Representative Alfred Delos Santos 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Supreme Court of the Philippines has continuously held that publication is 
indispensable in order that all statutes, including administrative rules that are 
intended to enforce or implement existing laws, attain binding force and 
effect.1 According to the Civil Code, laws shall be published at the Official 
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. However, given the 
revolution in digital technology and the shrinking reach of newspapers, there 
is a need to expand the ways into how laws are being published. Considering 
that most Filipinos have internet access, we must allow the publication of laws 
in the online versions of the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 
circulation. 
It is for the foregoing premises that the approval of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
ALFRED C. DELOS SANTOS 
1 Republic v. Pilipinas Shell, G.R. No. 173918, April 08, 2008 
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2:37 pm


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________ 
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO 
Partylist Representative Alfred Delos Santos 
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF LAWS IN THE PRINT 
OR ONLINE VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND OF A 
NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Republic of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Article 2 of Republic Act No. 386, otherwise known as the Civil 
Code of the Philippines, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
Article 2. Laws shall take effect [after] fifteen days 
[following 
the 
completion 
of] 
AFTER 
their 
publication IN FULL in the PRINT OR ONLINE 
VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE OR IN A 
NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE 
PHILIPPINES, unless [it] A DIFFERENT PERIOD is 
otherwise 
[provided] 
PRESCRIBED; 
PROVIDED 
THAT PUBLICATION IN THE ONLINE VERSION OF 
THE OFFICIAL GAZATTE SHALL BE MADE WITH THE 
APPROPRIATE 
TIMESTAMP 
ON 
THE 
LAW 
PUBLISHED. This Code shall take effect one year 
after such publication.  
FOR PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, THE TERM 
“LAWS” SHALL REFER TO (1) ALL STATUTES, 
INCLUDING KOINE RESOLUTIONS, ENACTED BY 
THE CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES (2) ALL 
ORDERS, 
PROCLAMATIONS, 
CIRCULARS, 
AND 
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OTHER 
ISSUANCES 
PROMULGATED 
BY 
THE 
PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES PURSUANT TO HIS 
OR HER ORDINANCE POWER, AS PROVIDED FOR BY 
EXECUTIVE ORDERNO. 292, DATED JULY 25, 1987, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE 
CODE OF 1987, AND (3) ALL RULES AND 
REGULATIONS PROMULGATED TO IMPLEMENT OR 
ENFORCE STATUTES PURSUANT TO A VALID 
DELEGATION OF LEGISLATIVE POWER BY THE 
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES. 
SECTION 2. Section 18 of Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as 
the Administrative Code of 1987, is hereby amended to read, as follows: 
Section 18. When Laws Take Effect. - Laws shall 
take effect after fifteen (15) days following the 
completion of their publication in the PRINT OR 
ONLINE VERSION OF THE Official Gazette [or] AND 
IN THE PRINT OR ONLINE VERSION OF [in] a 
newspaper of general circulation, unless [it] A 
DIFFERENT 
PERIOD 
is 
otherwise 
[provided] 
PRESCRIBED 
TO 
RESPOND 
TO 
A 
NATIONAL 
EMERGENCY. 
 
 
SECTION 3. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act, or part hereof, 
is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or provision not 
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. — All other laws, presidential decrees, orders, 
and issuances or portions thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions 
of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 5. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,