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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives ERIC G. YAP and PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution guarantees the protection and promotion of the physical, moral, 
spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being of the nation’s youth.   
In its Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, the World Health 
Organization (WHO) states that alcohol use is the third leading risk factor for poor 
health globally as it causes an estimated 2.5 million deaths every year, of which a 
significant proportion occur in the young. WHO further highlights that apart from the 
physical well-being, a wide variety of alcohol-related problems can have devastating 
impacts on individuals and their families and can seriously affect community life. 
WHO defines adolescence as the phase between childhood and adulthood, a very 
unique and critical stage of human development where one experiences rapid 
physical, cognitive and psychosocial growth. WHO further added that a variety of 
risk factors are associated in alcohol use in the adolescent stage such as delay in 
puberty and bone growth, psychiatric disorder, compromised brain activity, and the 
like.  
The Philippines is among the member states of the WHO Resolution WHA63.13 or the 
Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, which primarily provides for a 
global strategy towards improved health and social outcomes for individuals, families 
and communities to considerably reduce morbidity and mortality due to harmful use 
of alcohol and their ensuing social consequences. Tasked with the constitutional 
mandate to adopt generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law 
of the land, policymakers are herein prompted by the said resolution to establish an 
appropriate minimum age for purchase or consumption of alcoholic beverages and 
other policies in order to raise barriers against sales to, and consumption of alcoholic 
beverages by, adolescent. 
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11:38 am
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Hence, this bill seeks to impose a minimum legal drinking age in the country, in 
pursuit to mitigate and regulate the availability of alcohol to Unqualified Individuals. 
This proposed measure also provides for penal sanctions against any person, 
particularly private entities, that would act in contrary of this legislation.  
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
ERIC G. YAP 
PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
1st Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representatives ERIC G. YAP and PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
AN ACT 
PROHIBITING THE ACCESS OF UNQUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS TO ALCOHOL 
OR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES THEREFOR 
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 "Anti-Underage Drinking 
Act." 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes the vital role of the youth 
in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, 
intellectual, and social well-being. Towards this end, the State shall undertake efforts 
to eliminate alcohol abuse and reduce underage drinking by prohibiting Unqualified 
Individuals' access to alcohol. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act: 
a.
"Alcohol" refers to ethyl alcohol, ethanol, or spirits of wine including all
dilutions, purifications and mixtures thereof, from whatever source by
whatever process produced and shall include whisky, brandy, rum, gin,
tequila, and vodka and other similar products or mixtures. It shall also
include malt beverages, mixed or fermented liquors, including tuba, basi,
tapuy and lambanog;
b. "Alcoholic beverages" refer to liquor or brew containing alcohol as the
active agent;
c.
"Unqualified Individuals" refers to persons under age of twenty-one (21)
years of age, or those over twenty-one (21) years old but are unable to fully
take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty,
exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or
condition; and
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d. "Establishment" refers to a place used for commercial purposes, such as 
bars, restaurants, dance clubs, hotels, retail stores, supermarkets, and other 
places with common business areas. 
 
 
SEC. 4. Prohibited Acts. - The following acts are hereby prohibited and 
declared unlawful: 
 
a. The purchase of alcohol or alcoholic beverages by Unqualified Individuals 
from vendors and other sources; 
 
b. Purchasing or obtaining alcohol or alcoholic beverages for Unqualified 
Individuals; 
 
c. Misrepresentation of one's age by presenting false identification or 
otherwise represent themselves as being of legal age to purchase alcohol or 
alcoholic beverages; 
 
d. Allowing the consumption or possession of any alcohol or alcoholic 
beverages by a person under twenty-one (21) years of age on an 
establishment's premises, no matter who purchased the alcohol or alcoholic 
beverages or where they were purchased; and 
 
e. Selling, giving, or otherwise providing alcohol or alcoholic beverages to 
Unqualified Individuals by an establishment which is licensed to sell 
alcohol or alcoholic beverages, or for any employee of that licensee, to sell 
or furnish any alcohol or alcoholic beverages at any time to a person under 
21 years of age. 
 
 
SEC. 5. Interventions for Unqualified Individuals. - Any Unqualified 
Individuals who has violated any of the provisions of this Act shall be afforded the 
following interventions: 
 
For the first offense, the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children 
(BCPC) will counsel the Unqualified Individual before such one is properly handed 
over to the parent/s or guardian/s; 
 
An Unqualified Individual found violating this Act for the second time will be 
required to attend, together with the parent/s or guardian/s, two (2) consecutive 
regular sessions of counselling conducted by the BCPC, which shall include this 
matter as part of its session's agenda: Provided, That the BCPC Chairperson shall issue 
a certificate of compliance on the penalty by the concerned Unqualified Individual 
with the parent/s or guardian/s. Provided further, That the Unqualified Individual 
with the parent/s or guardian/s shall be required to submit the certification issued by 
the BCPC Chairperson to the Punong Barangay and the apprehending officer within 
two (2) months from the date of violation. Provided finally, that non-compliance with 
the counselling requirement will elevate the matter to the DSWD for proper 
disposition. 


 
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For the third and every subsequent offense the unqualified individual shall be 
handed over to the DSWD office with jurisdiction over the locality of the residence of 
the child, for appropriate counselling and proper disposition on the matter. 
 
 
SEC. 6. Penalties. - Any person of legal age or any establishment who violates 
any of the provisions of this Act shall be punished by a fine of Fifty thousand pesos 
(P50,000.00) or imprisonment of not more than three (3) months. 
 
For succeeding offenses, both penalties shall apply in addition to the revocation 
of the license to operate a business connected with the selling of alcohol or alcoholic 
beverages. If the violation of any provisions of this Act is committed by a corporation, 
partnership, association or similar entity, the president, General Manager or most 
senior officers shall be held liable for the offense. 
 
 
SEC. 7. Community Involvement. - Any person who has personal knowledge 
of the existence of any person or Unqualified Individuals violating any provisions of 
this Act must immediately call the attention of any official from the closest barangay, 
police officer, or other person in authority in order to report the incident. 
 
 
SEC. 8. Non-implementation or Violations of this Act. - Any public officer 
vested with the duty to implement the law, who shall knowingly and maliciously 
prevent, prohibit, refuse, discontinue, or violate the implementation of any provisions 
of this Act, or any of the rules and regulations promulgated in accordance thereof, 
shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than one (1) month but not more than 
six (6) months, and temporary suspension from public service. 
 
The public officer liable under this Section shall, in addition to the 
imprisonment, be held administratively liable under applicable laws. 
 
 
SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Department of Interior and Local Government, in 
consultation with the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas, Council for the Welfare of 
Unqualified Individuals, National Youth Commission, Department of Social Welfare 
and Development, and other concerned agencies of government and the private sector 
shall promulgate the rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions of 
this Act. 
 
 
SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of 
this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
 
SEC. 11. Separability Clause. - If any part of provision of this Act shall be held 
unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions hereof which are not affected hereby 
shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
 
SEC. 12. Effectivity. - This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days alter its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in newspaper of general circulation. 
 


 
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Approved,