FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
' 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Our country has suffered numerous disasters throughout our history. Though our 
government has increased its efforts to attend to our countrymen who are affected by these 
emergencies and major disasters, it is still necessary to secure the assistance of the volunteer 
sector. 
In order to encourage individual to volunteer for these emergencies and major disasters, 
we should allow them relief from being dismissed due to their absences while serving as 
volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service personnel. This would allow them to 
maintain their regular job while standing by to serve when needed. 
This bill seeks to prohibit terminating, demoting or otherwise discriminating against 
volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service personnel. 
IAMDEF 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
6 !tI‘ I 1 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO PROHIBIT TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT OF VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS 
AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Volunteer Firefighter and 
EMS Personnel Job Protection Act.” 
SECTION 2. Dejnitions. -In this Act, the term-- 
A. VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES- means emergency medical 
services performed on a voluntary basis for a fire department or other emergency 
organization. 
B. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER- means an individual who is a member in good 
standing of a qualified volunteer fire department. 
SECTION 3. Termination Prohibited. - No employee may be terminated, demoted, or in 
any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment because such 
eniployee is absent from or late to the employee’s employment for the purpose of serving as a 
volunteer firefighter or providing volunteer emergency medical services as part of a response to 
an emergency or major disaster. 
SECTION 4. Deployment. - The prohibition in Section 3 shall apply to an employee 
serving as a volunteer firefighter or providing volunteer emergency medical services if such 
employee 
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A. is specifically deployed to respond to the emergency or major disaster in accordance 
with a coordinated national deployment system or a pre-existing mutual aid 
agreement; or 
B. is a volunteer firefighter who- 
1. is a member of a qualified volunteer fire department that is located in the State 
in which the emergency or major disaster occurred; 
2. is a member of a qualified fire department that has a mutual aid agreement 
with a community affected by such emergency or major disaster; and 
3. has been deployed by the emergency management agency of such State to 
respond to such emergency or major disaster. 
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who- 
SECTION 5. Limitations. - The prohibition in Section 3 shall not apply to an employee 
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A. is absent from the employee's employment for the purpose described in Section 3 for 
more than 14 working days per calendar year, unless the area suffering such 
emergency or major disaster is declared as under the State of Calamity as provided by 
law; 
B. responds on the emergency or major disaster without being officially deployed as 
described in Section 4; or 
C. fails to provide the written verification described in Section 6 within a reasonable 
period of time. 
SECTION 6. Verzjkation. - An employer may require an employee to provide a written 
verification from the official of the government agency supervising the response to the 
emergency or major disaster that states- 
A. the employee responded to the emergency or major disaster in an official capacity; 
and 
B. the schedule and dates of the employee's participation in such response, 
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SECTION 7. Reasonable Notice Required. - An employee who may be absent from or 
late to the employee's employment for the purpose described in Section 3 shall- 
A. make a reasonable effort to notify the employee's employer of such absence; and 
B. continue to provide reasonable notifications over the course of such absence. 
SECTION 8. Right ofAction. -. An individual who has been terminated, demoted, or in 
any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment in violation 
of the prohibition described in Section 3 has the right to action for illegal termination, as defined 
by law, against individual's employer. 
SECTION 9. Study. - The Secretary of Labor shall conduct a study on the impact that 
this Act could have on the employers of volunteer firefighters or individuals who provide 
volunteer emergency medical services and who may be called on to respond to an emergency or 
major disaster. 
SECTION 10. Report. -Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on 
the study conducted under Section 9 
SECTION 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
laom091208 
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