REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No, 8809

Introduced by MAGDALO PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVE
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN III

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In June 2015, a fire struck the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association Food
Center (CASAA) of the UP Diliman Campus due to a gas tank leak. A month after,
another fire incident burned the Alumni Center to the ground.! In April 2016, the
buildings of the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and the University
Chapel of the University of the East in Manila went aflame and reached the eighth
highest alarm level.? These fire incidents in campuses must be given attention as it
involves the safety of the youth and the rest of the academic community. Considering
the high congestion of students and faculty members, it is necessary to reassess the
capability of educational institutions against fire hazards.

This bill seeks to mandate all public and private educational institutions to inform their
students, employees and interested applicants with an annual Fire Safety Report. The
report shall be distributed through appropriate publications and mailings to promote

" nger, Fre hits UP Dlimans Casa food center. Irformtion reieved from htps:/newsrtonqure.net/68185 fve-razes-up-diman-udng. Dated
dune 13,2015

'phistar. Univesity ofthe East butdings hit by fre, Information rebieved trom htps/wnw.phibtr com/ratin/2016/04/01/S68654)urwversy-eas-
bolngs t-re. Dated Ap 1, 2016,


fire safety standards. This is to compel learning institutions to disclose their current
fire safety practices so that areas of improvement could be properly identified, and
appropriate measures could be adopted to always ensure the safety of the whole
community.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

MANUEL DG, CABOCHAN III
Representative
Magdalo Para Sa Pilipino Party-List


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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No.

Introduced by MAGDALO PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVES
HON. MANUEL DG. CABOCHAN IIT

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE COMPULSORY DISCLOSURE OF FIRE SAFETY
STANDARDS AND MEASURES IN CAMPUS BUILDINGS

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 “Campus Fire Safety
Right-to-Know Act of 2021”.

Sec. 2. Definition of Terms.— For the purpose of this Act:

(@) Chairman refers to the Chairman of the Commission on Higher
Education; and

(b) GED refers to the Commission on Higher Education.

Sec. 3. Disclosure of Fire Safety Standards and Measures in Campus Buildings.—
All public and private educational institutions shall, beginning in the Academic Year
2019-2020, and each year thereafter, prepare, public and distribute, through
appropriate publications or mailings to all current students and employees and to any
applicant for enrolment or employment upon request, an annual Fire Safety Report

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containing at least the following information with respect to their campus fire safety
practices and standards:

(a)A detailed summary of all educational facilities including student housing
facilities of the institution, if any, with a statement of whether or not the
facilities are equipped with a fire sprinkler system or any other fire safety
system, or both;

(b) If available, statistics concerning the occurrence on campus during the two
(2) preceding calendar year of fires and false alarms in the subject facilities;

(c) For each such occurrence, a statement of the human injuries or deaths, and
the structural damage caused by the occurrence;

(d) Information regarding fire alarms, smoke alarms, the presence of adequate
fire escape planning or protocols, rules on portable electrical appliances,
smoking and open flames (such as candles), regular mandatory supervised
fire drills, and planned and future improvement in fire safety; and

(e)Preventive steps and/or programs and other fire safety undertaken by the
educational institution concerned to curb and mitigate fire hazards,

Sec. 4. Autonomy of Educations/Institutions.— Nothing in the previous section
shall be construed to authorize the Secretary of the Department of Education and/or
the Chairman, when applicable, to require particular policies, procedures, or practices
by educational institutions with respect to fire safety.

Sec. 5. Periodic Reports. Each institution covered by this Act shall make
periodic reports to the campus community on fires and false alarms which are reported
to local fire departments in a manner that will aid the prevention of similar

occurrences.

Sec. 6. Reports to the Secretary of Education and/or Chairman— On an annual
basis, each institution covered by this Act shall submit to the Secretary of Education
or any of his duly authorized representative, in the cases of primary and secondary
educational institutions and the Chairman or any of his duly authorized representative,
in the cases of tertiary educational institutions, a copy of the information required to


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be disclosed under Section 3 hereof. Thereafter, the Secretary of Education and the
Chairman, in proper cases, shall:
(a) Review such statistics;
(b) Make copies of statistics available of the public; and
(c) In coordination with representatives of the institutions concerned, identify
exemplary fire and safety policies, procedures, and practices and
disseminate information concerning those policies, procedures and practices
that have been proven effective in the reduction of campus fires.

Sec. 7. Report to Congress by the Secretary of Education and/or Chairman of
CHED.- Within one (1) year after the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Education
and/or Chairman of the CHED, in proper cases, shall prepare and submit to the
Congress a report containing the following:

(a) An analysis of the current status of the fire safety systems in all educational

facilities. covered by this Act;

(b)An analysis of the appropriate fire safety standards to apply to these
facilities, which the Secretary of Education and/or the Chairman, in proper
cases, shall prepare after consultation with such fire safety experts,
representative of educational institutions, and other government agencies
as the Secretary of Education and/or Chairman, considers appropriate;

(©) An estimate of the cost of bringing all nonconforming dormitories and other
campus buildings up to current building codes; and

(d)Recommendations concerning the best means of meeting fire safety
standards in all facilities, including recommendations for methods to fund
such cost.

Sec. 8. Lead Agency The Department of Education shall be the lead
government agency tasked to implement this Act.

Sec. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Department of Education
shall issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations to enforce the provisions
of this Act within one hundred twenty (120) days from the enactment of this law.


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Sec. 10. Separability Clause.— If any provision of this Act is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act or the provision not otherwise affected shall
continue to be in full force and effect.

Sec, 11, Repealing Clause.— All other laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive
orders, presidential proclamations, issuances, rules and regulations, or parts thereof
which are contrary to or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 12. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,