FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. 2576 
L- 
~ 
Introduced by Senator Manny Villar 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The internet is full of information. We can find information on any subject without to 
much trouble. Information on clothing, modeling, sports, TV, movies, address, and driving 
directions, just to name a few. With this large database of information come problems, 
because a dosage of good things will almost always come with a dosage of bad things. 
Among the problems that come with these things are internet schemes, all with the 
intention of providing ways by which money can be made with the simple press of a button. 
Along comes the mail-order brides. Women from Thailand and the Philippines are the 
most popular among Western men seeking an Asian wife. 
Images of Thai woman portrayed on the sites are often accompanied by descriptions 
like "sweet" and "spoils and treats her husband like a king". 
Filipinas are noted for their beauty, grace, charm and loyalty as well as being family- 
oriented, resourceful and devoted. Additional qualifications in the mail-order bride stakes are 
the Filipina's Christian faith and cultural compatibility. 
As the growth of the internet has reached through to millions if not billions of people, 
this paved the way for the phenomenon of internet brides. We should consider this as another 
form of prostitution by which our women are auctioned off to the highest and most willing 
bidders to be turned into their wives, if they are lucky. But what if they are turned into slaves, 
or household help? 
The immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought for the purpose of putting a 
stop to all avenues which make Filipino women an easy prey for mail-order bride schemes. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
~~~~~~~~~~ 
BY :, 
S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. 2576 
Introduced by Senator Manny Villar 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING FILIPINO WOMEN AGAINST UNSCRUPULOUS INDIVIDUALS 
OPERATING IN THE INTERNET WHO ARE ENGAGED IN MATCH-MAKING 
ACTIVITIES AND OTHER VARIOUS SCHEMES, PURPOSELY FOR MARRIAGE 
TO FOREIGN NATIONALS, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT 
NO. 6955, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ANTI-MAIL ORDER BRIDE LAW 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 6955 is amended to read as follows: 
SEC. 2. Pursuant thereto, it is hereby declared unlawful: 
(a) For a person, natural or juridical, association, club or any other entity to 
commit, directly or indirectly, any of the following acts: 
(1) To establish or carry on a business which has for its purpose the 
matching of Filipino women for marriage to foreign nationals (either) on 
a mail-order basis (or) through personal introduction OR THROUGH E- 
MAILS OR WEBSITES IN THE INTERNET; 
(2) To advertise, publish, print or distribute, or cause the advertisement, 
publication, printing or distribution of any brochure, flier or any 
propaganda material, INCLUDING THOSE DISTRIBUTED AND 
MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE INTERNET WHICH ARE 
calculated to promote the prohibited acts in the preceding subparagraph; 
(3) To solicit, enlist or in any manner attract or induce any Filipino 
woman to become a member in any club or association whose objective 
is to match women for marriage to foreign nationals (either) on mail- 
order hasis (or) through personal introduction OR THROUGM E- 
MAILS OR WEBSITES IN THE INTERNET for a fee; 
(4) To use the postal service AND THE INTERNET to promote the 
prohibited acts in subparagraph 1 hereof. 
1 


‘(b) For the manager or officer-in-charge or advertising manager of any 
newspa&\, magazine, television of any newspaper, magazine, television or radio 
station, of other media INCLUDING INTERNET WEBSITES AND OTHER 
SCHEMES MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE WORLDWDE 
WEB, 01 or an 
advertising ‘ggency, printing company or other similar entities, to knowingly allow or 
consent to, &e acts prohibited in the preceding paragraph.” 
SECTION 2.\A new section is hereby added after Section 4 of R.A. No. 6955 as 
~ E C .  
\5.A. 1MPLEMENTlNG RULES AND REGULATIONS. - 
follows: 
’, 
TI-IE 
DEPA~TMENT OF 
FqREIGN 
AFFAIRS 
(DFA), 
THE 
DEPART MEN^ OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION 
(DOTC), THE ~ATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE ROLE OF FILIPINO 
WOMEN (NCRiTW), AND AT LEAST THREE (3) REPRESENTATIVES 
FROM NON-GOYERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS), WHICH ARE 
ENGAGED IN ASSISTING VICTIMS OF MAIL-ORDER BRIDE OTHER 
SCHEMES, SHALL BE CHARGED WITH CARRYING OUT THE 
PROVISIONS 
OF THIS ACT AND 
SHALL FORMULATE 
ITS 
IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS WITHIN NINETY (90) 
DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVITY OF THIS ACT.” 
SECTION 3. Separability Clause. - If any part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and 
subsisting. 
SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with, the provisions ol- this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 5. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
2