Recently Enacted Laws in the Philippines that are of Interest to the Public

New laws were passed in the Philippines just recently and Filipinos must be aware of these newly signed laws for it greatly affect their daily lives.  These laws cover issues on driving, dating, employment, and businesses. 

IRR of Republic Act 10909 - No Shortchanging Act of 201

 REPUBLIC ACT 10909 – NO SHORTCHANGING ACT OF 2016

An act prohibiting business establishments from giving insufficient or no change to consumers and providing penalties therefore.

This law ensures that business establishments will give the exact amount of changes to consumer without waiting for the consumer to ask for the same. The cashier or the staff clerk, or their equivalent, of business establishments shall count the change in front of the consumer and place the same in the hand of the consumer, or on the change tray, whichever is applicable. The use of price tags, issuing an official receipt or sales invoice, and posting notices that will reminds consumers of the said law is also mandated.

The law prohibits business establishments to shortchange a consumer, even if such change is a very small amount, changing in any form, other than the present currencies and ASKING THE CONSUMER FOR PERMISSION TO BE EXEMPTED FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT FOR ANY REASON.

Violators, on the first offense, will be fined Php. 500 or 3% of the gross sales of the business in the day of violation, Php. 5000 or 5% during the second offense, Php. 15,000 or 7% on the third offense with 3 month suspension, and Php. 25, 000 or 10% of the gross sales during the day of violation and the license to operate shall be revoked by the appropriate government agency.

REPUBLIC ACT 10906 ANTI-MAIL ORDER SPOUSE ACT

An Act Providing Stronger Measures against Unlawful Practices, Businesses, and Schemes of Matching and Offering Filipinos to Foreign Nationals for Purposes of Marriage or Common Law Partnership.

This law prohibits the act of matching Filipinos and Filipinas, for the purpose of marriage or common law partnership, to foreign nationals.

Any person found to be violating this law by engaging in any business or profitable schemes shall be penalized 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of, not lesser than Php. 500,000. Stiffer penalties are provided if found to be committed in a larger scale.

            Prohibited acts include, but not limited to, matching Filipinos to foreign nationals via mail-order basis, personal introduction, email or websites in the internet, exhibiting, printing, or distributing materials, which promote the mail-order spouse industry.

REPUBLIC ACT 10905 THE CLOSED CAPTION BROADCASTING TELEVISION PROGRAMS ACT

An act requiring all franchise holders or operators of television stations and producers of television programs to broadcast or present their programs with closed caption options.

This law is very important because it will give Filipinos with hearing impairment access to information from television through closed captioning, wherein television operators and program producers are mandated to provide subtitles that mostly appear at the bottom of the television screen.

Violators shall be fined, not more than,  Php. 50,000 but not less than Php. 100,000 or 6 months to 1 year imprisonment.

However, programs shown from 1:00 am to 6:00 am, public service announcement shorter than 10 minutes, programs that are textual in nature are exempted.  The law also provides exemptions when compliance would be economically burdensome.

The law shall be implemented through Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and the National Telecommunications Commission.

REPUBLIC ACT 10913 – THE ANTI-DISTRACTED DRIVING ACT

This law prohibits drivers from using any devices for communication, computing and entertainment while driving or temporarily stopped on traffic lights, intersections, or for any other reasons. It covers all vehicles as long as it is operated by human and are driven in public highways, streets and other public thoroughfares.

The Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Office are the main implementer of the said law. Violators will be penalized with a fine of Php. 5000 for the first  offense, Php. 10,000 for the second, Php. 15,000 for the third offense and with a three-month suspension of driver`s license. Anyone found to be violating this law beyond third offense will be fined Php. 20,000 and shall be penalized with a revocation of driver`s license.

Drivers are still allowed to use traffic navigational apps provided that it is installed in an area that cant obstruct the driver`s view of the road. Drivers are also allowed to make and receive calls in case of emergencies.

References:

SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES PORTAL: Republic Act 10905 The “Closed Caption Broadcasting of Television Programs Act” http://www.senate.gov.ph/republic_acts/ra%2010905.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF TRADES AND INDUSTRIES: IRR of Republic Act 10909 “No Short Changing act of 2016”.  http://www.dti.gov.ph/media/advisories/10040-irr-of-republic-act-no-10909-no-shortchanging-act-of-2016

SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES PORTAL: Republic Act No. 10906 - Senate of the Philippines. https://www.senate.gov.ph/republic_acts/ra%2010906.pdf

LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE: Republic  Act 10903 – the anti-distracted driving act.  http://www.lto.gov.ph/latest-advisory/317-republic-act-10913-or-the-anti-distracted-driving-act.html