Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No. _______ 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Introduced by HONORABLE ERNESTO “ERNIX” M. DIONISIO, JR. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE MODES OF VOTING FOR HIGHLY VULNERABLE 
SECTORS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10366, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFORE, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
 The right to suffrage is one of the most important rights that citizens enjoy. However, 
not everyone is able to exercise this right due to circumstances limiting them from doing so. 
Article V, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution states: “Suffrage may be exercised by all 
citizens of the Philippines not otherwise disqualified by law, who are at least eighteen years 
of age, and who shall have resided in the Philippines for at least one year and in the place 
wherein they propose to vote for at least six months immediately preceding the election. No 
literacy, property, or other substantive requirements shall be imposed on the exercise of 
suffrage.” 
Likewise, Article V, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution states: “The Congress shall 
provide a system for securing the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a system for 
absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad. Congress shall also design a procedure for the 
disabled and illiterates to vote without the assistance of other persons. Until then, they shall 
be allowed to vote under existing laws and such rules as the Commission on Elections may 
promulgate to protect the secrecy of the ballot”. 
In line with these Constitutional provisions, this bill seeks to make voting accessible to 
the highly vulnerable sectors, as defined herein. It is only befitting that every person not 
otherwise disqualified by law is able to vote for their representatives in government who may 
sufficiently address their pressing needs.   
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is highly sought. 
October 6, 2022
1:14 pm
5426




Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL No. _______ 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Introduced by HONORABLE ERNESTO “ERNIX” M. DIONISIO, JR. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE MODE OF VOTING FOR HIGHLY VULNERABLE 
SECTORS TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE, PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREFORE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall ensure that senior 
citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, indigenous peoples (IPs), 
internally displaced persons (IDPs), persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), and in special 
circumstances, health workers, quarantined and hospitalized persons, and repatriated 
overseas voters are able to exercise their right to political participation without 
restrictions The State shall devise systems and procedures that will enhance 
accessibility in their voting process. 
SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the term: 
(a) "Commission" refers to the Commission on Elections.
(b) "Senior citizens" refer to qualified voters who are sixty (60) years or older.
(c) "Persons with disabilities" or "PWDs” refer to qualified voters who have
long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in
interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective
participation in society on an equal basis with others.
(d) "Pregnant women" refer to qualified voters who are pregnant during
election day regardless of the number of trimesters. For purposes of local
absentee voting, the term shall refer to qualified voters who are pregnant at
the time of registration to avail of absentee voting and who, in the natural
5426


course of events, are expected to remain pregnant during the period of 
absentee voting.  
 
(e) "Indigenous peoples" refer to qualified voters who belong to a group of 
people or homogenous societies identified by self-ascription and ascription 
by others, who have continuously lived as an organized community on 
communally bounded and defined territory, and who have, under claims of 
ownership since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such 
territories, sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions, and other 
distinctive cultural traits, or who have, through resistance to political, social 
and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, 
became historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos. IPs shall 
likewise include peoples who are regarded as indigenous on account of their 
descent from the populations which inhabited the country, at the time of 
conquest or colonization, or at the time of inroads of non-indigenous religions 
and cultures, or the establishment of present state boundaries, who retain 
some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions, but 
who may have been displaced from their traditional domains or who may have 
resettled outside their ancestral domains.  
 
(f) "Internally Displaced Person" refers to a person who has been forced or 
obliged to flee or to leave home or place of habitual residence within the 
national borders as a result of, or in order to avoid or minimize, the effects of 
armed conflict, situations of generalized and/or organized violence, violations 
of human rights, implementation of development projects, or natural and 
human-induced or human-made hazards or disasters.  
 
(g) "Person Deprived of Liberty" refers to a detainee, inmate, or prisoner, or 
other person under confinement or custody in any other manner.  
 
(h) "Repatriated Overseas Voter" refers to a citizen of the Philippines 
registered and allowed to vote under Republic Act No. 9189, as amended, 
but was repatriated due to special circumstances such as armed conflict, 
issues in international relations, state of emergency or calamity, or any other 
analogous circumstances beyond the control or fault of the voter.  
 
SECTION 3. Local Absentee Voting. – The Commission shall extend the right 
to vote under the Local Absentee Voting System provided under existing laws and 
executive orders to senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, and IDPs qualified to 
vote. They may cast their ballot for a period of not less than two (2) days within seven 
(7) calendar days before the election at accessible establishments designated by the 
Commission.  
 
In the event of a national emergency, responders and persons affected by such 
emergency and are qualified to vote may avail of the right to Local Absentee Voting: 
Provided, that duty on the day of election is an additional qualification for a health 
worker to avail of this right. A repatriated overseas voter may avail of the right to Local 
Absentee Voting only if such voter's repatriation was due to special circumstances 
such as armed conflict, issues in international relations, state of emergency or 


calamity, or any other analogous circumstances beyond the control or fault of the 
voter.  
 
SECTION 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days 
from the approval of this Act, the Commission shall, in consultation with other relevant 
government 
agencies, 
non-governmental 
organizations, 
and 
civil 
society 
organizations, promulgate the rules and regulations necessary to implement this Act.  
 
SECTION 5. Appropriations. - The initial appropriation to carry out the 
provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current appropriations of the 
Commission. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continued implementation of 
this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
 
SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act or part 
hereof be declared unconstitutional, the other provisions or parts not affected thereby 
shall remain valid and effective. 
 
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances, or 
portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.  
 
SECTION 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.  
 
 
 
Approved,