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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S. B. NO. 28 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "SQ~UZ~~" 
F. Triifanes N 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The collapse of the three-storey The Evangelical Promise school building in Petion Wle, 
a suburb of the Hatian capital of Port-au-Prince, last Friday, November 7, 2008 left at 
least 50 dead and hundreds injured with many still trapped in the rubbles'. 
The tragedy is reminiscent of the similar collapse of the Central Colleges of the 
Philippines school building in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ejica during the July 1990 earthquake 
as well as the more recent collapse of numerous school buildings in the wake of 7.9- 
magnitude earthquake in China's southwestern province of Sichuan last May 12,20082. 
As a preemptive and preventive measure and to minimize if not totally avoid the 
occurrence of similar tragedies in the Philippines in the future, the proponent believes 
that it would be prudent to institute the annual mandatory inspection of all school 
bddings in the country. This could be done economically, using existing local 
government resources and/or personnel, and would go along way in ensuring the 
suitability, safety and structural of the buildings being used by school children and young 
students all over the country. 
The passage of this legislative measure is respectfully enjoined. 
SE *-+ 
. A TONI0 "SONNY" F. TRILLANES IV 
1 CNN International; Rescue continues into the night after Haiti school collapses; 
bttu:/ 
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Retrieved on 08 November 2008 
The Christian Science Monitor; China's auake: Whv did do manv schools cotiapse? 
http: //www.csrnonitor.corn /2008/0514/pb6s05-woap. html ;Retrieved on 08 November 
2008. 
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.“. 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S. B. NO. 
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Introduce by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes Tv 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY ANNUAL INSPECTION OF ALL PUBLIC 
AND PRIVATE SCHOOL BUILDINGS BY THE CITY OR MUNICIPAL 
ENGINEER OR BUILDING OFFICIAL AND FOR OTHER RELATED 
PURPOSES. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This law shall be known as the ‘Sc~iool 
Building Safetv Act 
of 2009”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Police. - It is hereby declared that it is the policy of the 
State to ensure the safety, security, suitability and structural integrity of each and every 
school building in the country at the beginning of each school year to ensure that the 
same are safe, secure, appropriate and suitably for use by the school children and students 
intended to use the same. 
SEC. 3. Mandatory Annual Insaection. - It shall be the principal duty of the 
City Engineer or the Municipal Engineer and/or the Building Official of each and every 
the City or Municipality in the country to conduct an annual inspection of all school 
buildings, whether private or public, within their territorial jurisdiction at least forty-five 
(45) days prior to the start of each and every school year. The purpose of such inspection 
shall be to ensure the safety, security, suitability and structural integrity all school 
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buildings for use by school children andor students for the purpose or purposes for which 
the same are intended. 
SEC. 4. 
R B .  - Within three (3) days after the inspection, the City or 
Municipal Engineer or Building Official shall render a comprehensive report disclosing 
his findings and recommendations for each and every school building inspected which 
should cover the following matters, to wit: 
(a) The structural integrity of the building.and its fitness to be used for the 
purpose/s it is intended, including its capacity to accommodate the number of 
students or persons intended use the same, including the capacity of the 
building to wiithstand earthquakes and typhoons and similar natural 
occurrences, and - 
(b) The level of suitability andor safety ofthe building for use by school children 
and/or students taking into account the availability of sufficient comfort 
rooms, proper ventilation and lighting, garbage disposal facilities, fire safety 
equipment, etc.; 
(c) The repairs, improvements, renovations andor changes recommended by the 
City or Municipal Engineer or Building Official to address noted defects 
andor deficiencies to ensure the safety, suitability andor structural integrity 
of the building for the use of school children andor students; 
The report shall also make a determination of whether or not the building is suitable for 
use by school children or students for the purpose it is intended during the upcoming 
school year. 
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The report shall be addressed to the City or Municipal Mayor, copy furnished the local 
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Superintendent of Schools, the Principal of the school concerned, the local Department of 
Education (DepEd) or Commission on Higher Education (CHED) offices as well as the 
Sangguniang Panlungsod or Sangguniang Bayan and Sangguniang Panlalawigan. 
SEC. 5. Defects And Deficiencies. - In case defects and/or deficiencies are noted 
or reported by the City or Municipal Engineer or the Building Official, it shall be the duty 
of the Principal of the school as well as the local DepEd and/or CHED officials 
concerned to take the appropriate action to ensure that the defects and/or deficiencies 
noted and/or reported are properly addressed, corrected, repaired and/or rectified at the 
soonest time possible and before the beginning of the school year. On the other hand, it 
shall be the duty of the City or Municipal Mayor to oversee that the said defects and/or 
deficiencies are corrected, repaired and/or rectified before the beginning of the school 
year. 
SEC. 6. Unsuitable. Unfit Or Unsnfe Buildings. - In case the City or Municipal 
Engineer or the Building Officials has made a determination that a school building is 
unsuitable, unfit or unsafe for use by school children or students, the same shall not be 
used until after the necessary repair work has been undertaken and completed and until 
the same has received the approval of the City or Municipal Engineer after re-inspection. 
In such a case, it shall be the duty of the Principal concerned, together with the City or 
Municipal Mayor, the local DepEd and/or CHED officials and/or the owners of the 
school in case of private schools to look for another suitable for the temporary use of the 
affected school children and/or students. 
SEC. 7. Hiphest Priori&. - Considering the public interest involved, the annual 
inspection of all school buildings located within their territorial jurisdiction shall be the 
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highest priority of City or Municipal Engineers and/or Building Officials except in case 
of calamities andor local or national emergencies and disasters. Failure of a City or 
Municipal Engineer or Building Official to undertake the annual inspection mandated by 
this Act shall constitute dereliction of duty and may be a basis for removal from office of 
the City or Municipal Engineer or Building Official concerned. 
The DepEd, CHED and Concerned local government unit/s and/or private 
institutions and individuals concerned are required to give the highest budgetary priority 
to the repairs and/or rectification of defects and deficiencies noted and reported in the 
Report issued pursuant to Section 4 hereof. 
SEC. 8. Penal Provisions. - Any person who refuses to act on the report and/or 
recommendations of the City or Municipal Engineer or Building Official rendered 
pursuant to Section 4 of this Act shall suffer a penalty of Six (6) months to Two (2) Years 
of imprisonment and/or a fine from Ten Thousand Pesos (PlO,OOO.OO) to One Hundred 
Thousand Pesos (P 100,000.00) or both, at the discretion of the Court plus perpetual 
disqualification from holding public office. 
SEC. 9. Sewr&ilitv. - If any provision of this Act or the appIicabi1ity of such 
provision to any person or circumstance shall be held invalid, the validity of the other 
provisions of this Act and the applicability of such provisions to other persons or 
circumstances shall not be affected thereby. 
SEC. 10. B e a l l w  Clause. - All laws, executive issuances, orders and rules and 
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with this Act, or any part thereof, are hereby 
repealed, amended and/or modified accordingly. 
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circulation. 
SEC. 7. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in the QBciak Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
Approved, 
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