Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH (20th) CONGRESS 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
House Bill No. ______ 
___________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Rep. ROBERT NAZAL 
___________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT  
TO PROMOTE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE AND WELL-BEING FOR 
ALL FILIPINOS (GALAW PINAS ACT OF 2025) 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), primarily ischemic heart disease, stroke, 
diabetes, and hypertension, claimed more than 200,000 Filipino lives in 2023, 
accounting for over one-third of all registered deaths nationwide.1 Department of Health 
surveillance indicates that one in every four Filipino adults is physically inactive, while 
the prevalence of childhood obesity doubled between 2008 and 2021.2 These trends 
impose a heavy burden on the public health system. In 2024 alone, PhilHealth 
disbursed PhP 38.6 billion for NCD-related claims, marking a 51 percent increase from 
2018.3 
While scattered initiatives exist, including the Department of Education’s Galaw Pilipinas 
calisthenics routine, barangay-level exercise programs, and periodic workplace fitness 
challenges, wellness interventions remain fragmented, lack national standards, and are 
least accessible in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), 
Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs), and places of detention. A unified and 
statutory framework is urgently needed to ensure equitable, sustainable, and culturally 
relevant delivery of physical activity and nutrition services. 
The 1987 Constitution enshrines the duty of the State to protect and promote the right to 
health and to prioritize physical education and sports development. While numerous 
laws support these mandates, including the Philippine Sports Commission Act (RA 
6847), Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act (RA 11037), Philippine 
3  PhilHealth, Annual Report 2024 
2  Department of Health, Philippine NCD Surveillance Report, 2022 
1  Philippine Statistics Authority, Registered deaths in the Philippines in 2023 
July 1, 2025
6:05 pm
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Sports Training Center Act (RA 11214), Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act (RA 
11148), Bureau of Corrections Act (RA 10575), and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (RA 
8371), their implementation has largely remained siloed and uneven. 
The proposed “Galaw Pinas Act of 2025” addresses this fragmentation by establishing a 
Ten-Year National Physical Activity and Nutrition Plan to be overseen by a newly 
created Galaw Center, attached to the Department of Health. The measure introduces 
the following key reforms: 
1.
Mandatory daily performance of the Galaw Pilipinas routine in all K–12
classrooms, aligning with the World Health Organization’s guideline of 60 minutes
of daily physical activity for children;
2.
Thrice-weekly community exercise sessions and the installation of free outdoor
fitness stations in every barangay, with priority given to GIDA and ICC areas;
3.
Establishment of Exercise-on-Prescription clinics in all DOH hospitals and Rural
Health Units, with PhilHealth utilization tracking through dedicated coding;
4.
An Indigenous Peoples Active-Living Initiative that honors Free, Prior, and
Informed Consent (FPIC) protocols and promotes the preservation of traditional
games such as sipa, kadang-kadang, and punnuk;
5.
The Galaw sa Loob program, mandating daily physical activity and therapeutic
gardening for all inmates in Bureau of Corrections and Bureau of Jail Management
and Penology (BJMP) facilities; and
6.
Incentive mechanisms such as premium discounts for employers achieving at
least eighty percent (80%) workforce participation in wellness programs, and
recognition awards for schools, LGUs, detention facilities, and ICCs that meet
performance benchmarks.
This measure directly supports the Philippines’ commitment to the United Nations 
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—notably SDG 3 (Good Health and 
Well-Being), which targets a one-third reduction in premature mortality due to NCDs by 
2030, and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), through its specific focus on marginalized 
and vulnerable groups including ICCs, women, seniors, persons with disabilities, and 
persons deprived of liberty. 
According to the Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022 by the World Health 
Organization, every peso invested in population-level physical activity programs can 
yield up to three pesos in long-term healthcare savings. By institutionalizing daily 
movement, promoting nutrition literacy, and integrating culturally inclusive sports 
practices, the Galaw Pinas Act aims not only to save lives but also to protect cultural 
heritage and alleviate pressure on the national health budget. 


In light of the urgent need for an integrated, equity-focused response to the country’s 
lifestyle disease crisis, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought. 
Rep. ROBERT NAZAL 
    Bagong Henerasyon Party-List 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH (20th) CONGRESS 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
House Bill No. ______ 
___________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by 
Rep. ROBERT NAZAL 
___________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT  
TO PROMOTE AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE AND WELL-BEING FOR 
ALL FILIPINOS (GALAW PINAS ACT OF 2025) 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act shall be known as the Act to Promote Active Lifestyle and Well-Being for All 
Filipinos or the “Galaw Pinas Act of 2025.”  
SECTION 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY. 
A.
Right to health, movement and nutrition.
The State shall protect and promote every Filipino’s right to health, to adequate,
affordable, and nutritious food, and safe, regular physical activity, in accordance
with Article II, section 15 and Article XIV, section 19(1) of the Constitution and with
Republic Act 11037.
B.
Healthy society and lower public-health costs.
Physical inactivity and poor diet fuel non-communicable diseases. The World
Health Organization warns that continued inertia may cost the world almost
three-hundred-billion United States dollars in avoidable treatment by 2030. A
physically active, well-nourished citizenry therefore reduces long-term State
expenditure and raises productivity.
C.
Whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
All branches and levels of government, National Sports Associations, the private
sector, the mass-media industry, accredited influencers, civil society, schools,
1029


 
health facilities, places of detention, indigenous communities, and geographically 
isolated and disadvantaged areas shall be mobilised so that active living and 
healthy eating become convenient, enjoyable and culturally resonant for children, 
women, senior citizens, persons with disability, persons deprived of liberty and 
indigenous peoples. 
 
D.​
Ten-year national mobilization. 
​
A sustained ten-year public-awareness drive, branded “Galaw Pinas, Ginhawa 
Para sa Lahat!” shall be launched. Accredited influencers, actors, athletes and 
content creators shall issue at least one Galaw message every calendar quarter. A 
nationwide “National Move Day” or “Araw ng Galaw” shall be observed on the third 
Friday of February. 
 
E.​
Respect for indigenous peoples. 
​
All Galaw activities that enter ancestral domains or involve indigenous cultural 
expressions shall comply with Republic Act 8371, the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights 
Act, and the guidelines of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) 
on free and prior informed consent. 
 
 
SECTION 3. DEFINITION OF TERMS.   
 
As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean: 
 
A.​ Physical activity – refers to any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles 
that requires energy expenditure 
 
B.​ Daily Physical Activity (DPA) – refers to not less than sixty minutes each day for 
persons aged five to seventeen years and not less than one hundred fifty 
minutes each week for adults, under World Health Organization standards 
 
C.​ Galaw Center (GC) - refers to the national agency created under Section 5 
 
D.​ Galaw Pilipinas Calisthenics Routine (GP-CR) – refers to the four-minute, 
eight-sequence calisthenics program issued by the Department of Education on 
23 February 2022, adaptable in tempo, intensity, and form for persons with 
disability 
 
E.​ National Sports Association (NSA) – refers to any sport-governing body 
recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee and affiliated with the Philippine 
Sports Commission under Republic Act 6847 
 
F.​ Indigenous peoples or indigenous cultural communities have the meaning 
assigned to them in the Republic Act 8371 
 
 
 


 
G.​ Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) – refers to inmates or detainees under the 
Bureau of Corrections, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology or any 
other lawful custodial authority as defined in Republic Act 10575 
 
H.​ Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Area (GIDA) - refers to any locality 
classified by the Department of Health as hard-to-reach or underserved 
 
 
SECTION 4. GALAW PINAS PROGRAM: TEN-YEAR TARGET.   
 
During its first ten years, reckoned from the effectiveness of the implementing rules and 
regulations, the Program shall: 
 
A.​
Raise by at least ten percentage points the share of Filipinos who meet World 
Health Organization DPA guidelines; 
 
B.​
Embed continuous opportunities for physical activity, combined with food literacy 
and healthy food access, in every public school, workplace, health-care facility, 
barangay, prison, and indigenous community; 
 
C.​
Provide free, high-quality movement and nutrition resources through broadcast, 
digital and offline channels, guaranteeing reach to GIDA localities, detention 
facilities, and ancestral domains; and 
 
D.​
Sustain the national public-awareness campaign described in section 2(4), 
ensuring respectful portrayal and participation of all ethno-linguistic groups. 
 
 
SECTION 5. CREATION OF THE GALAW CENTER.  
 
1.​
There is hereby created a Galaw Center, which shall serve as the lead 
implementing and coordinating agency for the promotion of physical activity and 
nutrition literacy nationwide. The Galaw Center shall be attached to the 
Department of Health for policy coordination and shall enjoy fiscal autonomy. 
 
2.​
The Galaw Center shall be governed by a Board of Trustees, hereinafter referred 
to as the Board, composed of the following: 
 
a.​
The Secretary of Health, as Chairperson; 
b.​
The Secretary of Education, as Vice Chairperson; 
c.​
The Secretary of Agriculture; 
d.​
The Secretary of Trade and Industry; 
e.​
The Secretary of the Interior and Local Government; 
f.​
The Chairperson of the Philippine Sports Commission; 
g.​
The Chairperson of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples; 
 


 
h.​
One (1) representative from the National Sports Associations (NSAs), 
nominated by the Philippine Olympic Committee, to serve a non-renewable 
term of two (2) years; and 
i.​
Two (2) representatives from the academe or private sector, at least one (1) 
of whom shall be a registered nutritionist-dietitian. 
 
3.​
The Galaw Center shall have the following powers and functions: 
 
a.​
Formulate and periodically update a Ten-Year National Physical Activity and 
Nutrition Plan, subject to midterm review and revision every five (5) years; 
 
b.​
Promulgate and enforce national standards for movement and nutrition 
literacy materials that are age-, gender-, disability-, and culture-sensitive; 
 
c.​
Curate, translate, and disseminate Galaw Pilipinas Core Resources (GP-CR) 
in Filipino, English, major regional languages, and, where practicable, 
indigenous languages; 
 
d.​
Establish an NSA Liaison Office to map existing sports facilities and certified 
coaches, and to facilitate the conduct of introductory sport clinics, including 
indigenous games such as sipa, kadang-kadang, and punnuk, in coordination 
with local communities and subject to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent 
(FPIC); 
 
e.​
Create 
a 
Public 
Awareness 
and 
Media 
Bureau 
responsible 
for 
communications, the accreditation of celebrity and community ambassadors, 
and the enforcement of child-safe and culturally respectful messaging; 
 
f.​
Accredit Galaw Trainers who shall be authorized to deliver official Galaw 
Center programs and certify community or institutional compliance with 
physical activity standards; 
 
g.​
Conduct and commission research, maintain a centralized monitoring and 
evaluation system, and publish an annual Galaw Scorecard measuring 
progress and outcomes under this Act. 
 
 
SECTION 6. MANDATORY GALAW PILIPINAS CALISTHENICS IN SCHOOLS. 
 
All public and private K–12 schools shall require the performance of the Galaw Pilipinas 
Calisthenics Routine (GP-CR) at the beginning of each morning class session, whether 
in-person or online. The Department of Education, in coordination with the Galaw 
Center, shall issue guidelines for flexible adaptation of the GP-CR to suit different age 
groups, persons with disability, and cultural sensitivities. Performance of the GP-CR 
shall count toward the Daily Physical Activity (DPA) guideline under Section 3(B). 
 
 
 


 
SECTION 7. COMMUNITY EXERCISE SESSIONS AND BARANGAY FITNESS 
INFRASTRUCTURE. 
 
All barangays shall conduct free, thrice-weekly group exercise sessions open to the 
public. Each barangay shall install at least one (1) set of outdoor fitness stations within 
its jurisdiction, prioritizing open spaces accessible to women, seniors, children, and 
persons with disability. The Department of the Interior and Local Government shall issue 
minimum standards for the safe, inclusive, and culturally appropriate design of such 
facilities. 
Barangays in GIDA and Indigenous Cultural Community areas shall receive priority 
technical and financial assistance from the Galaw Center for the fulfillment of this 
mandate. 
 
 
SECTION 8. EXERCISE-ON-PRESCRIPTION CLINICS. 
 
All Department of Health hospitals and Rural Health Units shall establish 
Exercise-on-Prescription 
(EOP) 
clinics, 
which 
shall 
provide 
patients 
with 
non-pharmacologic movement prescriptions in accordance with WHO guidelines. The 
Galaw Center, in coordination with the DOH, shall accredit medical personnel for EOP 
delivery and issue protocols for referral, documentation, and follow-up. 
 
PhilHealth shall assign appropriate case codes for EOP consultations and services to 
track utilization, outcomes, and cost savings. 
 
 
SECTION 9. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ACTIVE-LIVING INITIATIVE.  
 
The Galaw Center shall design, in partnership with the National Commission on 
Indigenous Peoples, an Indigenous Peoples Active-Living Initiative that ensures Free, 
Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and promotes traditional forms of movement, 
including but not limited to sipa, kadang-kadang, and punnuk. The Initiative shall be 
culturally grounded and participatory, with full respect for customary law, knowledge 
systems, and self-determined development. 
 
 
SECTION 10. GALAW SA LOOB PROGRAM. 
 
All correctional and detention facilities under the Bureau of Corrections and the Bureau 
of Jail Management and Penology shall implement a daily Galaw sa Loob program that 
incorporates physical activity, movement breaks, and therapeutic gardening. These 
programs shall be age- and gender-sensitive and shall be supervised by qualified 
Galaw Trainers. The Galaw Center shall provide technical support and monitoring. 
 
 
SECTION 11. INCENTIVES AND RECOGNITION. 
 


 
 
Employers whose workplace wellness programs achieve at least eighty percent (80%) 
participation over a twelve-month period shall be eligible for premium discounts under a 
scheme to be developed by the Department of Labor and Employment, in consultation 
with the Galaw Center, PhilHealth, and the Social Security System. 
 
Schools, barangays, prisons, and ICCs that meet or exceed physical activity and 
nutrition benchmarks under the Galaw Scorecard shall be eligible for national and 
regional recognition through the annual Galaw Awards. 
 
 
SECTION 12. APPROPRIATIONS. 
 
The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act shall be charged against 
the current year’s appropriations of the concerned implementing agencies. Thereafter, 
such sums as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
 
SECTION 13. IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS.  
 
Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Galaw Center, in consultation 
with relevant government agencies and stakeholders, shall promulgate the necessary 
rules and regulations for its effective implementation. 
 
 
SECTION 14. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE.  
 
If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the provisions not 
affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
 
SECTION 15. REPEALING CLAUSE. 
 
All laws, executive orders, proclamations, rules, regulations, and other issuances or 
parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended 
accordingly. 
 
 
SECTION 16. EFFECTIVITY.  
 
This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete publication in the 
Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
 
 


 
Approved,