FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. B. No. 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORYNOTE 
The Constitution, Article 11, Section 24, provides: 
The State recognizes the vital role of communication and information in 
nation-building. 
The arrival of the cellular phone in the early 1980s was a turning point in 
telecomni~micalions. For the first time, people made and received telephone calls without being 
tied lo a specific location. 
Cellular phones have become an essential part of many Filipinos lives with the number o f  
cellular phone users increasing daily. However, cellular phones companies have failed to cope 
with the increasing demand for cellular phone services, and National Telecommunications 
Commission has received numerous complaints on poor services by these companies. 
This bill seeks to establish minimum standards regarding the quality of wireless 
teleplione service and to monitor complaints regarding sucI1 service.* 
* This bill was originally filed diiviiig Ihe Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S. B. No. 
”- 3 0 1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM STANDARDS REGARDING THE QUALITY OF WIRELESS 
TELEPHONE SERVICE AND TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS REGARDING SUCH 
SERVICE 
Be it eimcted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress asseinbled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Cell Phone Subscriber 
Protection Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration ofPolicy. - It is the policy of the State to recognize the vital 
role of communication and information in nation-building. 
SECTION 3. Definition. - As used in this Act, the term: 
(A) “Public Telecommunications Entity” or “PTE” means any person, firm, partnership 
or corporation, 
government or private, engaged 
in the provision of 
telecommunications services to the public Cor compensation; and 
(B) “Commission” means the National Telecommunications Commission. 
SECTION, 4. Establishment of Standards Regarding Quality of Comnzercial Mobile 
Service and Monitoring of Complaints Regarding Such Service. - 
(A) In General. - The Commission shall, by regulation, establish such requirements as 
the Commission considers appropriate to ensure that Public Telecommunications Entities meet 
minimum standards regarding the quality and performance of such service, which shall include 
standards regasding connection, reception, and billing practices. 
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(B) Coniplairit System. - 
(1) Establishment. - The Commission shall establish and administer a system that 
malm available a procedure for any subscribcr of a commercial mobile service to register 
a complaint regarding the quality or performance of the service. 
(2) Toll-Free Number. - Such system shall include establishment of a toll-free 
number applicable to commercial mobile services for reporting a complaint. 
(3) Records. - The Commission shall maintain a record of each complaint made 
under the system established pursuant to this Act.\ 
(4) Notice. - The Commission shall require each Public Telecommunications 
Entity of commercial mobile service to include, in each subscriber’s bill for such service, 
a slatenlent informing the subscriber that a complaint regarding the quality or 
performance of the service may be registered with the Conlmission and providing the 
toll-free number under subparagraph (2) and an address for mailing a complaint. The 
Commission shall take such other actions as may be appropriate to publicize the 
availability of the complaint system to subscribers of commercial mobile services. 
(C) Reporting of Complaints to Congress. - Every six (6) months, the Commission shall 
submit a report to the Congress regarding complaints received under the complaint system 
required under paragraph (B), which shall - 
(1) Indicate the number of complaints received, during the period for which the 
report is made, regarding the service of the Public Telecommunications Entity for which 
a complaint is made; and 
(2) Indicate the types of complaints received during such period, including 
complaints regarding dead spots, dropped calls, network busy signals, and improper 
billing practices, and ihe number of each type of complaint received during such period. 
Upon submission to the Congress of each report under this subparagraph, the 
Commission shall make such report publicly through publication in at least two (2) 
newspapers of general circulation. 
(D) Efect on Consumer Protection Laws. - This paragraph may not be construed as 
relieving any Public Telecommunications Entities from the obligation to comply with my law, 


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presidential decree or issuance., executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or 
regulation relating to consumer protection or unfair trade. 
(E) Rules und Regulations. - The Commission shall prescribe such regulations as may be 
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 6. Repealing Cluuse. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 7. Efectivity Cluuse. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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