FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC)  
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)  
Third Regular Session 
)  
SENATE 
S. B. No. 3504 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Atiicle 2, Section 15 provides: 
The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and 
instill health consciousness among them. 
Drywall is the term used for a common method of producing interior walls and ceilings 
using panels made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, then kiln dried. 
Drywall construction is used globally for the finish construction of interior walls and ceilings. 
Drywall construction became prevalent as a speedier .~lternative to traditional plaster interior 
finish techniques, which involved hand-placing base, scratch and finish coats in successive layers 
by hand. 
Laboratory tests of samples of some drywalls for volatile chemicals have identified 
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emissions of the sulfurous gases carbon disulfide, hydrogen sulfide, and carbonyl sulfide. l The 
chemicals embedded in the toxic drywall leech out as gasses and combine with the moisture in 
air conditioning coils to create sulfuric acid. Air-conditioning companies in Florida in the United 
States found that the failure of their products was caused by high levels of airborne sulfur and 
moldy toxins. 
As homes sustain corrosion in electrical wiring, HV AC units, and even jewelry, their 
owners experience a myriad of illnesses and symptoms. The effects are particularly hazardous to 
I http://pubs.acs.orgicenlscience/87/8718sci2.html 


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children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing respiratory illness.
2 This bill 
seeks to inform consumers of the potential risk posed by drywalls that undergo toxic 
manufacturing processes and to prevent this practice in the drywall industry. 
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2 http://www.time.com/time/llation/article/0.8599.1887059.00.ht~; 
http://www.americallchrollic1e.com/altic1es/view/106449 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC)  
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
) 
) 
SEN
S. B. No. 
ATE 
3504 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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REGULATING THE RAW MATERIALS FOR 
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THE PRODUCTION OF DRYWALLS 
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 
Regulatory Act of2009." 
as the "Drywall Production 
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SECTION 2. Manufacturing Requirement. 
It shall be unlawful for a drywall 
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manufacturer to use gypsunl or any other material recycled from use as filtering materials in 
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coal-based energy facilities or those that go through other similarly toxic processes. It shall also 
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be unlawful to use toxic substances in the post production treatment of drywalls. 
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SECTION 3. Import Restrictions. - Imported drywalls must meet the same standards 
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imposed on locally produced products. 
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SECTION 4. Duty ofthe Department ofHealth. 
The Department is required to come up 
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with a list of all known and proven hazardous contaminants that may be used to manufacture 
14· drywalls and to inform the public oftheir presence in products or the environment. 
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SECTION 5. Penalties. - The Department is empowered to establish and assess penalties 
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or fines against any person for violations of this Act or regulations adopted under this Act. In no 
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case shall the fine exceed one hundred thousand pesos (PI00,000.00). 
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SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision,or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
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with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly . 
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SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause. 
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general cir.culation. 
Approved, 
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