Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by  
REPRESENTATIVE FRANZ S. PUMAREN 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This measure was approved on the third and final reading of the House of Representatives 
during the 18th Congress. 
As enshrined in the Constitution, the State encourages people’s involvement and 
participation in public and civic affairs. Culturally, volunteerism, specifically the unique trait 
malasakit, is ingrained in the values and virtues of Filipinos. The concept of malasakit in our 
culture is similar to the nature of individuals, called “good samaritans”, who offer themselves to 
help others in times of emergency. 
A good samaritan is a person who voluntarily gives help to those in distress. This is in 
reference to the “Parable of the Good Samaritan,” who willingly and unselfishly helps a wounded 
stranger in dire need, as told in the Bible in Luke 10:30-37. 
This measure aims to protect and exempt from any subsequent liability any Good 
Samaritan acting in good faith to provide reasonable assistance to anyone who is in danger, is 
wounded, or requires immediate medical attention, in so far as the good samaritan is acting in 
an emergency, and that no harm is caused by willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, 
reckless misconduct, or a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of another. 
Given the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought. 
FRANZ S. PUMAREN 
  3rd District, Quezon City 
September 26, 2022
8:35 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by  
REPRESENTATIVE FRANZ S. PUMAREN 
AN ACT 
TO ENCOURAGE GOOD SAMARITANS WHO PROVIDE REASONABLE ASSISTANCE IN 
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS BY PROTECTING THEM FROM LIABILITY 
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 “Good Samaritan Act of 2022.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to provide 
priority measures that can help ensure that good samaritans, who act in aid or assistance of 
others, shall be protected from civil or criminal liability as the result of their actions in rescuing or 
otherwise providing medical or non-medical assistance to those who are ill, or otherwise 
unconscious and in dire need of assistance. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. For the purposes of this Act, the following terms are defined 
as follows: 
a.
“Good Samaritan” – refers to an individual performing volunteer services who does not
receive compensation to reasonably assist a person in an emergency.
b. “Emergency” – refers to a situation requiring immediate attention and remedial action
involving a sudden, unexpected, and impending threat to life, health, or safety of a person.
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c. “Volunteer Sectors” – refers to those sectors that organize themselves into volunteers, to 
take advocacy and action primarily for local and national development as well as 
international cooperation and understanding; 
d. “Spontaneous Volunteer” – refers to an individual who may either be a trained volunteer 
whose trainings may be from a volunteer service organization (VS), or volunteer or 
volunteer sector, or an untrained volunteer who performs volunteering as necessitated by 
an emergency situation and without the supervision or management of the VSO or the 
volunteer sector; 
 
SECTION 4. Liability Protection for Good Samaritans. – No good samaritan shall be liable for 
harm caused by an act or omission if: 
 
a. The good Samaritan was acting in an emergency at the time of the act or omission; 
b. If appropriate or required, the good Samaritan was properly licensed, certified, or 
authorized by the appropriate authorities for the activities undertaken in an emergency at 
the time of the act or omission; and 
c. The harm was not caused by willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless 
misconduct, or conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual 
harmed by the good Samaritan. 
 
SECTION 5. Exceptions. – The liability protection for good samaritans under this Act shall not 
apply to the following conditions: 
a. If the misconduct constitutes a crime under the Revised Penal Code or an offense in any 
special penal law; 
b. If the misconduct was performed by the volunteer under the influence of intoxicating 
liquor or any dangerous drug at the time of the act or omission; 
c. If the volunteers are from business organizations that employ volunteers for pecuniary 
purposes; and 
d. If volunteers receive compensation for volunteering at a nonprofit organization. However, 
the nonprofit organization shall not be liable if it exercised due diligence in the selection 
and supervision of the volunteer. 
 


SECTION 6. Accreditation of Volunteers. – Unless properly licensed, certified, or authorized by 
the appropriate government authorities, other government entities, and nongovernment 
organizations, volunteers must be accredited by and registered with the Philippine National 
Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) prior to deployment to be exempted from 
liability. 
 
SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The ONVSCA, in consultation with relevant 
government entities and nonprofit organizations, shall promulgate rules and regulations to 
implement to provisions of this Act within ninety (90) days from its effectivity. 
 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or 
unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. – All other laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, other 
issuances, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 10. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,