PRESIDENT Duterte has signed nine bills into law, among them measures that prohibits and penalizes child marriage and cohabitation of an adult with a minor outside wedlock.
Republic Act No. 11596, or “An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage and Imposing Penalties for Violations Thereof,” was signed last December 10.
Under the measure, it is now considered a crime to facilitate and solemnize child marriage and for an adult to cohabitate with a child outside of marriage.
The law defines a child as those aged below 18 or above but is unable to fully care and protect oneself from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation and discrimination either due to physical or mental disability or condition.
The law says the acts are “deemed public crimes and can be initiated by any concerned individual.”
Those who violate the law such as those who fixed, facilitated, or arranged a child marriage will be fined at least P40,000 and jailed for six years and one day to 12 years. In case those involved are the parents or guardian, they shall be fined at least P50,000, imprisoned for 12 years and shall perpetually lose their parental authority over the child.
Persons who solemnize the weddings of and cohabits with a minor outside of wedlock shall also face imprisonment of 12 years, pay a fine of at least P50,000, and be dismissed from office and perpetually disqualified to hold office if the perpetrator is a public official.
Malacañang yesterday released copies of the nine measures that were signed by the President.
Duterte also signed into law Republic Act (RA) No. 11595, which amends the Retail Trade Liberalization Act of 2000 and lowers the paid-up capital of foreign retailers to P25 million from $2.5 million.
Under the law, a minimum investment per store will include the “value of the gross assets, tangible or intangible, including but not limited to buildings, leaseholds, furniture, equipment, inventory, and common use facilities.”
“In the case of foreign retailers engaged in retail trade through more than one physical store, the minimum investment per store must be at least ten million pesos,” it added.
The Department of Trade and Industry, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the National Economic and Development Authority shall also review the required minimum paid-up capital every three years.
Duterte also signed Republic Act No. 11635 which amends Section 27(B) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, and lowers the tariff imposed on hospitals that are “non-profit and propriety educational institution” to 1 percent from 10 percent from July1, 2O20 to June 30, 2023.
The Department of Finance shall issue the implementing rules and regulations to ensure the implementation of the law.
The President also signed Republic Act No. 11598 that allows the Department of Agriculture to provide cash aid until 2024 to farmers who are tilling less than two hectares of rice lands. The fund shall be sourced from the excess of the P10 billion of the annual tariff revenues from rice importation pursuant to Republic Act No. 11203, or the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
“The policy of the State to address the plight of small farmers in the country. The State recognizes the urgency of intervening for our farmers in light of the current state of declining palay prices and the crippling effects of the Coronavirus Disease-19 or COVID-19 pandemic. Towards this end, the State shall provide monetary assistance to the hardest hit segments of the country’s small farmers in the form of actual giving of cash to farmers,” the law read.
Also signed into law were Republic Act 11597, also known as the Philippine Veterans Bank Act, which increases the bank’s authorized capital stock from P100 million to P10 billion to align its capitalization with the minimum level prescribed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for private commercial banks; Republic Act No. 11599 which separates the sitio of Ladol from Barangay Poblacion in the municipality of Alabel, province of Sarangani, and constitutes it into a distinct and independent barangay to be known as “Barangay Ladol;” Republic Act No. 11637 which establishes the first Bohol district library in Balilihan in Bohol; Republic Act No. 11637 which grants Good News Sorsogon Foundation Inc. a 25-year franchise to construct, install, operate, and maintain radio and television broadcasting stations in the Bicol Region; and Republic Act No. 11638 which recognizes the CCF Life Academy Foundation in Manila as an international educational institution.
The Department of Education, in consultation with the board of trustees of the CCF Life shall issue the rules and regulations for the implementation of the law.
