NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
s. No. 1 R4R
S^ok>'/(©fficp of t!)c S>i i"'(’farp
23 JAM-9 P4 ^3
RFCEIVFBW;
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF LAWS IN THE PRINT OR ONLINE 
VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND OF A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL 
CIRCULATION
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Republic Act No. 386, otherwise known as the Civil Code of the Philippines 
was approved on June 18, 1949 and provides under Article 2 that, "Laws shall take 
effect after fifteen days following the completion of their pubiication either in the 
Official Gazette, unless it is otherwise provided."
The said law was amended in 1987 by Executive Order No. 200 to include 
newspapers of general circulation as a means to comply with the requirement for 
publication of laws. This is in recognition of the limited readership and erratic 
release of the Official Gazette. This concern was raised by the Supreme Court in 
Tahada, et. al. vs. Tuvera, et. al. (G.R. No. 6395, December 29, 1986).
In the same year. Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the 
Administrative Code of the Philippines was signed and it contained provisions 
consistent with Executive Order No. 200. Particularly, Chapter 5 (Operation and 
Effect of Laws) and Chapter 6 (Official Gazette) provides for other rules related to 
laws that govern the country.


With the advancements in information and communication technology, 
information dissemination through the internet has become very reliable in terms of 
speed and reach. Hence, online documents are more accessible to the public at the 
faster, more convenient, and more affordable manner.
In this light, this measure seeks to include the online version of publication of 
both the Official Gazette and the newspapers of general circulation as among the 
legal and recognized format and channel of publication of laws of the country.
This measure was approved on Third Reading by the House of 
Representatives in the 18th Congress.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this legislative proposal is 
highly recommended.
I
JiNGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 1645
lie &nwte
/(©ffit» of tljf
23 JAN -9 P4 -43
RECEIVED nr:
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF LAWS IN THE PRINT OR ONLINE 
VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND OF A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL 
CIRCULATION
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assem bled:
1
2 
Section 1. Article 2 of Republic Act No. 386, otherTwise known as the "Civil
3 
Code of the Philippines," is hereby amended to read as follows:
4 
"Article 2. Laws shall take effect [after] fifteen (15) days
5 
[following the completion of] AFTER their publication [cither] IN FULL,
6 
in the PRINT OR ONLINE VERSION OF THE Official Gazette, or in
7 
THE PRINT OR ONLINE VERSION OF a newspaper of general
8 
circulation in the Philippines, unless [it] A DIFFERENT PERIOD is
9 
Otherwise [providedr] PRESCRIBED TO RESPOND TO A NATIONAL
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EMERGENCY: PROVIDED, THAT PUBLICATION IN THE ONLINE
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VERSION OF THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND THE NEWSPAPER OF
12 
GENERAL CIRCULATION SHALL INDICATE THE OFFICIAL DATE
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OF THE PUBLICATION.
14 
"AS USED IN THIS ACT, THE TERM "LAWS" SHALL REFER
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TO:
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"(1) ALL STATUTES ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE
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PHILIPPINES;


1 
"(2) ALL ORDERS, PROCLAMATIONS, CIRCULARS AND
2 
OTHER ISSUANCES PROMULGATED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE
3 
PHILIPPINES PURSUANT TO THE ORDINANCE POWER, AS
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PROVIDED FOR BY EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 292, OTHERWISE
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KNOWN AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1987; OR
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"(3) ALL RULES AND REGULATIONS PROMULGATED TO
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IMPLEMENT OR ENFORCE STATUTES PURSUANT TO A VALID
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DELEGATION OF LEGISLATIVE POWER BY THE CONGRESS OF
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THE PHILIPPINES."
10 
Sec. 2. Section 18 of Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the
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Administrative Code of 1987, is hereby amended to read as follows:
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"Sec. 18. When Laws Take Effect - Laws shall take effect after
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fifteen (15) days following the completion of their publication in the
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PRINT OR ONLINE VERSION OF THE Official Gazette or IN THE
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PRINT OR ONLINE VERSION OF [ift] a newspaper of general
16 
circulation, unless [it] A DIFFERENT PERIOD is otherwise [provided.]
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PRESCRIBED TO RESPOND TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY."
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Sec. 3. Sections 24 and 25 of the same Executive Order are hereby amended
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to read as follows:
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"Sec. 24. Contents. - There shall be published in the Official
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Gazette, IN ITS PRINT AND ONLINE VERSION, all legislative acts
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and resolutions of a public nature; all executive and administrative
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issuances of general application; decisions or abstracts of decisions of
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the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, or other courts of similar
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rank, as may be deemed by the said courts of sufficient importance to be
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so published; such documents or classes of documents as may be
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required so to be published by law; and such documents or classes of
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documents as the President shall determine from time to time to have
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general application or which he may BE authorized so to be published.
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"The publication of any law, resolution or other official documents
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in the Official Gazette shall be prima facie evidence of its authority.


1 
"Sec. 25. Editing and Pubiications. - The Official Gazette shall be
2 
edited in the Office of the President and published weekly in [Pilipino]
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FILIPINO or in English language IN PRINT OR THROUGH THE
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OFFICIAL GAZETTE WEBSITE MANAGED BY THE OFFICE OF THE
5 
PRESIDENT OR SUCH OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR OFFICE
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AUTHORIZED BY THE PRESIDENT, [it] THE PRINT VERSION OF
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THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE shall be sold and distributed by the National
8 
Printing Office which shall promptly mail copies thereof to the subscribers
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free of postage."
10 
Sec. 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held Invalid or
11 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise
12 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.
13 
Sec. 5. Repealing Clause. - Article 2 of Republic Act No. 386, otherwise
14 
known as the Civil Code of the Philippines, is hereby amended. Executive Order No.
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200, dated June 18, 1987, is hereby repealed. Sections 18, 24 and 25 of Executive
16 
Order No. 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, are hereby
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amended. All other laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive orders, presidential
18 
proclamations, issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are contrary
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to or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed,
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amended or modified accordingly.
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Sec. 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
22 
publication in the OfTicial Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,