Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
According to the Asia Foundation's Fully Abled Nation PWD initiative, only 240,000 
PWDs and senior citizens overall signified their intention to vote during the 2019 
elections. Out of the 61.8 million Filipinos who registered to vote in the 2019 National 
and Local Elections as recorded by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), 9.1 
million or 14 percent are senior citizens based on COMELEC while at least 342,300 
are persons with disabilities (PWDs) as estimated by The Asia Foundation. This is due 
in large part to the inaccessibility of polling places. These sites are not guaranteed to 
have ground floor level voting areas, ramps, and other necessary facilities. With 
COVID-19, this is even more challenging. 
The proposed measure seeks to amend Republic Act No. 10366, otherwise known as 
An Act Authorizing The Commission On Elections To Establish Precincts Assigned To 
Accessible Polling Places Exclusively For Persons With Disabilities And Senior 
Citizens, to authorize the COMELEC to designate precincts in accessible polling 
places for the exclusive use of PWDs and senior citizens, such as in public schools, 
town halls or plazas, civic centers, community centers or other similarly designated 
special venues.  
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
May 23, 2023
5:18 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY IN THE VOTING OF SENIOR CITIZENS, 
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, PREGNANT WOMEN, AND INDIGENOUS 
PEOPLES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10366, 
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the 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, and indigenous peoples (IPs) 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  
Sec. 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 at the time of the
period for early voting and during election day regardless of the number of
trimester.
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(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 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. 
 
Sec. 3. Early Voting. – For national and local elections, there shall be early voting 
where senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, and IPs qualified to vote early may 
choose to cast their ballot for a period of not less than two (2) days within thirty (30) 
calendar days before election day at accessible establishments designated by the 
Commission. 
 
For this purpose, accessible establishments shall be located at the ground floor, 
preferably near the entrance of a building, shall be readily accessible to public 
transportation, and shall be free of any physical barriers and provided with necessary 
infrastructure and disability support services, including assistive devices, transport 
wheelchairs, ramps, railings, sidewalk, adequate lighting, ventilation, and other 
features for the senior citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women. 
 
Aside from structural accessibility, the Commission shall provide live assistance for 
PWDs such as sign language interpreters. 
 


 
There shall be a nationwide registration of senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, 
and IPs who may wish to avail of their early voting privileges to qualify them for early 
voting. Only those who are not registered under the early voting system shall vote on 
election day. 
 
Sec. 4. Option for Postal Early Voting. – Senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, 
and IPs who registered for early voting shall have the option to cast their ballot via post 
in designated precincts: Provided, That voters who wish to vote via post must first be 
registered to do so with the Commission. 
 
The Commission shall provide rules, necessary safeguards, and confirmation 
procedures to properly implement this provision. 
 
Sec. 5. Emergency Accessible Polling Places (EAPP). – During election day, the 
Commission shall designate a room or a makeshift or temporary polling place 
established at the ground of a voting center or outside of it but in close proximity 
thereto, where senior citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women voters may vote on 
election day. 
 
The Commission shall ensure that the voting procedure in the EAPP, including the 
facilities, materials, and a voting machine in the event of automated elections, are 
adequate, appropriate, accessible, and easy to understand and use, and that 
reasonable accommodation shall be granted to PWDs, senior citizens, and pregnant 
women in order that they may fully exercise their right of suffrage. The Commission 
shall provide live assistance for PWDs such as sign language interpreters. 
 
Sec. 6. Section 2(j) of Republic Act No. 10366 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
"SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - xxx 
(a)    xxx. 
xxx. 
 
(j) Accessible polling piece refers to the venue where the Board of 
Election Inspectors (BEIs) conducts election-related proceedings and where 


 
the voters cast their votes. The accessible polling place shall be located at the 
ground floor, preferably near the entrance of the building, SHALL BE READILY 
ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, and [is] SHALL BE free of 
any physical barriers and provided with necessary INFRASTRUCTURE AND 
services, including assistive devices, TRANSPORT WHEELCHAIRS, RAMPS, 
RAILINGS, SIDEWALKS, ADEQUATE LIGHTING, VENTILATION, AND 
OTHER FEATURES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND SENIOR 
CITIZENS.” 
 
Sec. 7. Section 9 of Republic Act No. 10366 is hereby amended to read as follows: 
 
"SEC. 9. [Creation of] Precincts for Persons with Disabilities and Senior 
Citizens. – The Commission is hereby authorized to [establish] DESIGNATE 
precincts [of a nonterritorial nature,] IN ACCESSIBLE POLLING PLACES FOR 
THE exclusive[ely for] USE OF persons with disabilities and senior citizens 
[who in their registration records manifest their intent to avail of their right to a 
separate precinct under this section. Pursuant-here to, the Commission shall 
establish at least one (1) such precinct, assigned to accessible polling places 
for every voting- enter.], SUCH AS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TOWN HALLS OR 
PLAZAS, CIVIC CENTERS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, OR OTHER 
SIMILARLY DESIGNATED SPECIAL 
VENUES OR 
AREAS, WITH 
PREFERENCE FOR VENUES DESIGNED WITH SPECIAL FEATURES TO 
ENSURE THEIR SAFETY AND COMFORT. Such precincts shall be provided 
with assistive devices PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 2(J) 
OF THIS ACT as well as the services of experts in assisting persons with 
disabilities, SUCH AS SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS. 
 
Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days from 
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. 
 


 
Sec. 9. 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. 
 
Sec. 10. 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. 
 
Sec. 11. 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. 
 
Sec. 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,