Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE!
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH (16%) CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No. 5981

Introduced by ERIC L, OLIVAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Transactions between a person and a commercial
establishment happen on a day to day basis. Commodities
like food items, supplies, and gadgets, and services too are
being accessed by the general public through the several
commercial establishments operating in the country.

When the process involves some form of payment from
the private person’s end, it is only proper that a record
thereof is made by the establishments and a copy of the
same is furnished to him or her because this is a valid proof
of payment.

Nowadays, it has been a trend among private
businesses and commercial establishments to use thermal
paper in printing their receipts. However the use of thermal
papers in printing receipts poses a lot of disadvantages that
usually end up prejudicing the public.


One of the significant disadvantages of thermal paper
is its poor durability. It is not therefore advisable to use
thermal paper for documents that are supposed to last for a
while and this makes for bad record-keeping. Another
disadvantage of using thermal paper is that the whole
document changes color when exposed to even a low level or
amount of heat: it darkens to a point where nothing can be
seen. Moreover, thermal papers are easily damaged by mere
scratches and crumples, Any of these possibilities would
either erase or obscure the writings on the receipt which
would render the same unreadable, useless, invalid and
unacceptable.

Receipts and other papers evidencing any form of
payment made by any person to any commercial
establishment or enterprise can be considered important
documents which need to be preserved well to avoid
hampering an otherwise smooth transaction and to avoid
instances where the person will have to pay once again as a
consequence of ruining his or her copy of the receipts.
Hence there is an imperative need to make the receipts
more durable.

To significantly reduce the risk of receipt spoilage, this
bill seeks to require all commercial establishments
including but not limited to restaurants, fast food chains,
retailers, merchandisers and even service-oriented business
and/or companies to stop using thermal paper for all the
receipts they issue. Instead of using a thermal paper which
is easily obscured by mere scratches or exposure even to a
low level of heat, all commercial establishments will now
have to print the tickets on a non-thermal paper or any kind
of a more durable paper which ensures that the printings
thereon cannot be easily erased or obscured by simple
scratches and crumples, and can withstand reasonable
amount of heat as well.


It is only for this reason that the approval of this bill is
being sought.

eee

ERIC L. OLIVAREZ


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH (16th) CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

5981

House Bill No.

Introduced by ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

AN ACT REQUIRING ALL COMMERCIAL
ESTABLISHMENTS TO PRINT RECEIPTS BEING ISSUED
BY THEM ON A NON-THERMAL PAPER OR ANY KIND OF
PAPER WHICH ENSURES THAT THE PRINTINGS
THEREON CANNOT BE EASILY ERASED OR OBSCURED
BY SIMPLE SCRATCHES AND CRUMPLES, AND CAN
WITHSTAND REASONABLE HEAT, THEREBY REDUCING
THE POSSIBILITY OF RECEIPT SPOILAGE.

Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the
Durable Receipt Paper Act of 2015.


Section 2. Coverage. This Act shall cover all kinds of
receipts and/or documents evidencing payment of any kind
by the public, as issued by all commercial establishments
including but not limited to restaurants, fast food chains,
retailers, merchandisers and even service-oriented business
and/or companies.

Section 3. Definition of Terms.

Thermal paper - a special fine paper that is
coated with a chemical that changes color when
exposed to heat. It is used in thermal printers
and particularly in inexpensive or lightweight
devices such as adding machines, cash registers,
credit card terminals, and lottery tickets.

Durable and heat-resistant paper - for
purposes of this Act, the term heat-resistant
paper pertains only to kinds of paper which do
not get the printing thereon easily erasable
despite being scratched, crumpled, dampened, or
exposed to a reasonable amount of heat. This
however does not mean that the paper itself must
be totally indestructible or fire-durable.

Section 4. All receipts to be issued by commercial
establishments must be printed on a non-thermal paper
or any durable and heat-resistant paper. All commercial
establishments including but not limited to restaurants, fast
food chains, retailers, merchandisers and even service-
oriented business and/or companies shall print any and all

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receipts issued by their office on a non-thermal paper or any
kind of durable and heat-resistant paper which ensures that
the printings thereon cannot be easily erased or obscured
by simple scratches and crumples, and can withstand
reasonable heat.

Section 5. Period of Compliance. All commercial
establishments including but not limited to restaurants, fast
food chains, retailers, merchandisers and even service-
oriented business and/or companies shall comply with the
requirements and provisions of this Act within three (3)
months from the effectivity of this Act.

Section 6. Penalty and Fines for Non-Compliance.
Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this Act shall
be punishable with suspension of license to operate or
conduct business and/or a fine of not more than fifty
thousand pesos (PhpS0,000.00) but not less than ten
thousand pesos (Php 10,000.00) as may be determined by
the Department of Trade and Industry;

Section 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations.
The Department of Trade and Industry shall promulgate the
Implementing Rules and Regulations to carry out the
provisions of this Act. Such rules and regulations shall take
effect upon their publication in three (3) newspapers of
general circulation.

Section 8. Repealing Clause. — All laws, presidential
decrees, letters of instructions, executive orders, rules and
regulations insofar as they are inconsistent with this Act,
are hereby repealed or amended as the case may be.

Section 9. Separability Clause. - In the event that
any provision of this Act or any portion thereof is declared
unconstitutional by a competent court, the other provisions

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shall not be affected thereby and shall remain valid and
enforceable.

Section 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take
effect after its complete publication in at least three (3)
newspapers of general circulation.

APPROVED.