Designations Used for Philippine Laws

Designations used for Philippine laws Philippine laws have had various nomenclature designations at different periods in the history of the Philippines, as shown in the following table:

Nomenclature Designation

Abbreviation

Form of government

Dates

Act

Act

Philippine government under United States sovereignty

1900-1935

Commonwealth Act

CA

Philippine Commonwealth

1935-1946

Batas Pambansa

BP

Modified parliamentary republic

1978-1985

Presidential Decree

PD

Republic under Martial Law/Fourth Republic

1972-1986

Presidential Proclamation

PP

Republic under Martial Law

1972-1986

Executive Order

EO

Republic under Provisional Constitution

1986-1987

Presidential Proclamation

PP

Republic under Provisional Constitution

1986-1987

Republic Act

RA

Republic

1946-72, 1987-present

Notable Laws The following table lists of Philippine laws which have been mentioned in Wikipedia, or which are otherwise notable.

Designation Act 1696

Date Passed September 6, 1907

Result Known as the Flag Law, this law proscribed display of "any flag, banner, emblem, or device used during the late insurrection in the Philippine Islands to designate or identify those in armed rebellion against the United States, or any flag, banner, emblem, or device used or adopted at any time by the public enemies of the United States in the Philippine Islands for the purposes of public disorder or of rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States in the Philippine Islands, or any flag, banner, emblem, or device of the Katipunan Society or which is commonly known as such.[1]" This law was repealed

in 1919. Act 2871

October 24, 1919 [2]

Repealed the Flag Law and legalised the use of the National Flag and the National Anthem.

Act 3436

November 28, 1928

Established the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) with the bill granting it a 50-year charter.

Act 3815

December 8, 1930

The Revised Penal Code.

Act 3827

October 28, 1931

Declared the last Sunday of August as National Heroes' Day.

CA 1

December 21, 1935

The National Defense Act of 1935, which created the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

CA 63

October 21, 1936

An act providing for the ways in which Philippine citizenship may be lost or reacquired.

CA 111

October 31, 1936

The act that created the Boy Scouts of the Philippines by President Manuel L. Quezon.

CA 382

December 5, 1938

The English lyrics to the National Anthem were made official.

CA 473

June 17, 1939

Revised Naturalization Law.

CA 638

June 14, 1941

Provided for the publication and distribution of the Official Gazette.

RA 1

July 15, 1946

Act appropriating funds for the operation of the Government of the Philippines. The first legislation passed by the Congress of the Philippines upon independence.

RA 53

October 5, 1946

Press Freedom Law (now known as the Sotto Law).

RA 85

October 29, 1946

Charter of the Development Bank of the Philippines.

RA 265

June 15, 1948

Established the Central Bank of the Philippines.

RA 333

July 17, 1948

Declared Quezon City the national capital.

RA 387

June 18, 1949

Petroleum Act of 1949

RA 1425

June 12, 1956

The Rizal Law, which mandates the inclusion of courses on José Rizal in the curricula of all educational institutions in the Philippines.

RA 2733

June 10, 1960

Asserted that the first mass in the Philippines took

place at a site on Limasawa, Southern Leyte; declared the site a national shrine. RA 3518

June 18, 1963

Established the Philippine Veterans Bank

RA 3844

August 8, 1963

Established the pace for land reform and the formation of Landbank.

RA 4200

June 19, 1965

The anti-wiretapping law.

RA 6173

Oil Industry Commission Act

BP 8

December 2, 1978

Defined the metric system and set the basis for its implementation in the country. Modern Philippine Standard Time was also instituted under this law.

BP 185

March 16, 1982

Provides that a natural-born citizen of the Philippines who has lost Philippine citizenship may be a transferee of private land, "for use by him as his residence, subject to the provisions of this Act."

BP 880

December 3, 1985

Public Assembly Act of 1985

BP 881

December 3, 1985

Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines

RA 6635

October 23, 1972

Revision of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines

RA 6639

November 27, 1987

Changed the name of the Manila International Airport to Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

RA 6645

December 28, 1987

Prescribes the manner in how to fill a vacancy in Congress.

RA 6734

August 1, 1989

Created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which was officially inaugurated on 6 November 1990 in Cotabato City.

RA 6735

August 4, 1989

Set up a system of initiative and referendum.

RA 6766

October 23, 1989

Provided for an Organic Act for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). It mandates the creation of an autonomous government, headed by a Regional Governor. It creates a Regional Assembly that will enact laws of regional application and a regional judiciary composed of a supreme court and lower courts.

RA 6955

June 13, 1990

The Anti-Mail Order Bride Law

RA 6975

December 13, 1990

Department of the Interior and Local Government Act

of 1990. Created or re-organized under the DILG the National Police Commission, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the Philippine Public Safety College. RA 7042

June 13, 1991

Foreign Investments Act of 1991

RA 7104

August 14, 1991

Commission on the Filipino Language Act

RA 7156

September 12, 1991

Mini-Hydro Law

RA 7160

October 10, 1991

Local Government Code of 1991

RA 7610

June 17, 1992

Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act

RA 7653

June 14, 1993

The New Central Bank Act; established the present Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

RA 7638

December 9, 1994

Charter of the Department of Energy

RA 7648

April 5, 1993

Electric Power Crisis Act

RA 7832

December 8, 1994

"Anti-electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994" / an act penalizing the pilferage of electricity and theft of power transmission lines/materials, rationalizing system losses by phasing out pilferage losses as a component thereof, and for other purposes.

RA 8171

October 23, 1995

"An act providing for the repatriation of Filipino women who have lost their Philippine citizenship by marriage to aliens and natural-born Filipinos."

RA 8179

March 28, 1996

"An act further liberalizing foreign investments, amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 7042, and for other purposes."

RA 8293

June 6, 1997

The Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (the copyright law).

RA 8353

September 30, 1997

The Anti-Rape Law of 1997.

RA 8438

December 22, 1997

Created the Cordillera Autonomous Region. A plebiscite on 9 March 1998 to ratify the bill invalidated the act. See Cordillera Administrative Region.

RA 8479

February 10, 1998

"Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998" / An act deregulating the downstream oil industry and for other purposes

RA 8491

February 12, 1998

Prescribed the code of the National Flag, Anthem, motto, coat-of-arms and other heraldic items and devices of the Philippines.

RA 8749

June 23, 1999

"Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999" / An act providing for a Comprehensive Air Pollution Control Policy and for Other Purposes

RA 8981

December 5, 2000

"PRC Modernization Act Of 2000" / An act providing for the modernization of the Professional Regulation Commission.

RA 9006

February 12, 2001

"Fair Election Act of 2001" / An act to enhance the holding of free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible elections through fair election practices.

RA 9136

June 8, 2001

"Electric Power Industry Reforms Act of 2001" / An act ordaining reforms in the electric power industry, amending for the purpose certain laws and for other purposes

RA 9139

June 8, 2001

"The Administrative Naturalization Law of 2000"

RA 9160

September 29, 2001

"Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001". Subsequent foreign pressure by the FATF and by other nations resulted in this act being amended.

RA 9164

March 19, 2002

"Synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections"

RA 9165

June 7, 2002

"Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002"

RA 9178

November 13, 2002

"Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBE's) Act of 2002."

RA 9189

February 13, 2003

"Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003" / An act providing for a system of overseas absentee voting by qualified citizens of the Philippines abroad, appropriating funds therefor, and for other purposes

RA 9208

May 26, 2003

"Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003" / An act providing for policies to eliminate and punish human trafficking, especially women and children, establishing the necessary institutional mechanisms for the protection and support of trafficked persons.

RA 9225

August 29, 2003

"Citizenship Retention and Re-Acquisition Act of 2003" / An act making the citizenship of Philippine citizens who acquire foreign citizenship permanent, amending for the purpose Commonwealth Act No. 63, as amended, and for other purposes.

RA 9262

March 8, 2004

Inspired by the life of Dolores Lorenzo, this act gives protection of the law to women and children suffering from domestic abuse.

RA 9334

December 21, 2004

An act increasing the excise tax rates imposed on alcohol and tobacco products, amending for the purpose sections 131, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, and 288 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended. Also known as the "Sin Tax Law".

RA 9335

January 25, 2005

"Lateral Attrition Act of 2005" / an act to improve the revenue collection performance of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) through the creation of a rewards and incentives fund and of a revenue performance evaluation board and for other purposes

RA 9337

May 24, 2005

An act amending sections 27, 28, 34, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 116, 117, 119, 121, 148, 151, 236, 237, and 288 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, and for other purposes. Also known as the "expanded value-added tax" or "E-VAT" law.

RA 9340

May 25, 2005

"Synchronized Barangay and Sangguiniang Kabataan Elections Resetting" / An act resetting the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, extending the term of officeof Barangay and Sangguiniang Kabataan Officials and for other purposes.

RA 9346

June 24, 2006

The act repealing the death penalty and granting universal commutation to life imprisonment and reclusión perpetua.

RA 9367

January 12, 2007

"Biofuels Act of 2006" / An act to direct the use of Biofuels, establishing for this purpose the Biofuel Program, appropriating funds therefor, and for other purposes.

RA 9369

January 23, 2007

"Amending the Election Modernization Act" / An act amending Republic Act No. 8436, Entitled "An Act Authorizing The Commission on Elections to use an Automated Election System in the May 11, 1998 National or Local Elections and in Subsequent National and Local Electoral Exercises, to Encourage Transparency, Credibility, Fairness and Accuracy of Elections, amending for the purpose Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, as amended, Republic Act No. 7166 and other related elections laws, providing funds therefor and for other purposes

RA 9371

February 22, 2007

An act splitting the Lone District of Cagayan de Oro City into two, with the Cagayan de Oro River as a

natural boundary. RA 9372

March 6, 2007

The Human Security Act of 2007

RA 9492

July 25, 2007

Mandates the observance of some public holidays to the nearest weekday. Also known as the "Holiday Economics Law".

RA 9500

April 29, 2008

The University of the Philippines Charter of 2008 declaring it as the national university.

RA 9522

March 1, 2009

Defined the archipelagic baselines of the Philippines and described the Kalayaan Island Group and Panatag Shoal as a "Regime of Islands".

RA 9999

February 23, 2010

Free Legal Assistance Act

RA 10000

February 23, 2010

The Agri-Agra Reform Credit Act.

RA 10066

March 26, 2010

National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, establishing the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property

RA 10175

September 12, 2012

The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012

RA 10354

December 21, 2012

The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012

RA 10535

May 15, 2013

The Philippine Standard Time (PST) Act of 2013