FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
”“5 
S.B. 
Introduced by Senator Villar 
Explanatory Note 
The 1887 fable, “The Monkey and the Tortoise” written by our national hero, 
Dr. Jose Rizal, is considered as the first komiks in the Philippines. Historical records 
indicate that it signalled the commencement of the mainstream Philippine komiks 
industry. 
Komiks, a form of graphic arts is actually patterned after the English lexicon 
“comics” and adapted to fit the orthography of native Filipino language such as 
Tagalog. 
Its popularity soared in 1947 when Tony Velasquez introduced the Pilipino 
Komiks, a cornucopia of panelled stories and illustrations. It opened the doors for 
other publications such as Tagalog Klasiks in 1949, Hiwaga in 1950 and Espesyal 
Komiks in 1952. 
By mid-50s, the Philippines had one of the largest comics industry in the 
world. It served as the medium of other forms of Filipino literature such as the 
bmedya, alamai, folklore, and mythology. The komiks gained prominence as the 
“unofficial national book” of the citizens. 
But the wide utilization of komiks was seriously threatened by other forms of 
entertainment such as videogames, text jokes in cellular phones, the internet, pocket 
novellas, karaoke and others. By the year 2005, there were no longer any major 
publication of komih in the Philippines. 
Against these backdrop, this legislation is submitted. Its highlights: 
1. 
2. 
It seeks to revive the Philippine Komiks through its promotion as an 
instructional material and a tool of popular art; 
It mandates that ten percent (10 %) of the printable instructional 
materials being used by Filipino children in elementary and secondary 
education be in the form of komiks. It is believed that visually- 
attractive reading literature like komiks is more stimulating and 
promotes in-depth acquisition of howledge. 
It mandates that as far as practicable, 
all departments, agencies, 
f~sQyplsptali~es 
of +e national govemqpnt shoql4 fncqporate the use 
3. 


of komiks in all its printing and information campaign dissemination 
for the general public. 
In a globalized world where everything seems to be the same, it is desired to 
have particular things, distinctly Filipino, rooted in its milieu. 
Certainly, the 
Filipino komiks is one of them. 
Immediate enactment of the legislation is earnestly sought. 
MA 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUEILIC 
First Regular Session 
-* 
.! 
1 s : :  
! 
., 
OF TEE PHILIPPINES 
S E N A T E  
S.B. 
Introduced by Senator Villa 
AN ACT 
TO ENHANCE GENUINE FILIPINO CULTURE AND TO ENCOURAGE THE 
GROWTH OF PHILIPPINE ARTISTIC TRADITION THROUGH THE RE- 
INTRODUCTION AND REVIVAL OF THE KOMZKS (COMICS) AS POPULAR 
INSTRUCTIONAL 
MATERIALS 
IN 
EDUCATION 
AND EFFECTIVE 
DISSEMINATION OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. 
This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Komiks 
Revival Act of 2007.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. 
It is a declared policy of the State that it 
shall preserve, enrich and evolve a Filipino national culture based on the principle of 
unity in diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression. 
It likewise declared that arts and letters enjoy the patronage of the State and that 
the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources as we11 as artistic creations 
must be conserved, promoted and popularized. 
To this end, the use, utilization, and the reading of komiks (comics) as a tool of 
instruction and information shall be promoted. 
SECTION 3. 
The Department of Education is hereby mandated that ten percent 
(10 %) of all instructional materials being printed and utilized in all academic institutions. 
both public and private, shall be in komiks form. 
SECTION 4. 
As far as practicable, 
all departments, 
agencies and 
instrumentalities of the Philippine government shall take immediate steps to implement 
this Act and shall incorporate the use of komiks in all its printing and information 
dissemination campaign for the general public. 


SECTION 5. AI1 equipment and materials that am reasonably necessary and are 
not manufactured or produced locally for the propagation and renewed popularisation of 
komiks shall be tax or duty-free. 
SECTION 6. 
Five percent (5 %) of the total travel tax collection for five (5) 
consecutive years beginning the year of effectivity of this Act shall be constituted as a 
fund to conduct valuable research on the re-introduction and revival of the komiks as a 
popular art. Substantial portions of it shall be constituted as a revolving fund for the 
printing of such komiks publications. 
SECTION7. Within sixty (60) days fiom the effectivity of this Act, 
the 
Cultural Center of the Philippines, the National Commission on Culture and Arts, the 
Department of Education and the Philippine Information Agency shall jointly come up 
aad promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of 
this Act. 
SECTIONS. In the event that any provisions of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the validity of the other provisions not affected shall remain. 
SECTION9. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and Fegulations or portions 
thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of national 
circulation. 
Approved,