AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TIMBANGAN NG BAYAN CENTERS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MARKETS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE CHAPTER II, TITLE III OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7394, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "CONSUMER ACT OF THE PHILIPPINES"

Eighteenth Congress
Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-sixth day of July, two thousand twenty one.

[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11706, April 13, 2022 ]

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TIMBANGAN NG BAYAN CENTERS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MARKETS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE CHAPTER II, TITLE III OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7394, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "CONSUMER ACT OF THE PHILIPPINES"

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Chapter II, Title III of Republic Act No. 7394, otherwise known as the "Consumer Act of the Philippines", is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 2. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Trade and Industry shall, in coordination with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the League of Provinces of the Philippines, the League of Cities of the Philippines, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and other relevant government agencies and stakeholders, promulgate the rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.

Section 3. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of the new Article 62-A of the Consumer Act of the Philippines shall be charged against the national tax allotment and other funds of the local government unit concerned.

Section 4.  Separability Clause. - If any provision, section or part of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgment shall not affect, invalidate or impair any other provisions, sections or parts thereof.

Section 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules or regulations which are  inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed,  or modified accordingly.

Section 6. Effectivity. - The Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days folowing its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation or in the Official Gazette.

Approved,

This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 1241 and House Bill No. 3255 was passed by the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives on January 31, 2022 and February 2, 2022, respectively.

Approved: APR 13 2022

(SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
President of the Philippines

"CHAPTER II
"Regulation of Practices Relative to Weights and Measures

"General Provision

"ARTICLE 61. x x x

"ARTICLE 62. x x x

"ARTICLE 62-A. Establishment of Timbangan ng Bayan Centers. - All provincial, city and municipal governments shall establish accessible Timbangan ng Bayan Centers in all public and private markets, including supermarkets, and when practicable, in flea markets or tiangges and grocery stores, within their respective localities.

"These centers must have the necessary instruments for determining weights and measures, which shall be available, free of charge, to all persons who need to confirm the accuracy of the quantity or measurements of products purchased or about to be purchased.

"The marker supervisor shall be in charge of the safekeeping and routine maintenance of the Timbangan ng Bayan instruments and shall be responsible for maintaining a record of every product found to be deficient in quantity or is substandard in dimension, as well as the establishment where the same was bought including the name/s of the proprietor/s or manager/s thereof. A certification duly issued by the marker supervisor or his/her authorized representative reflecting the contents of such record shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of Article 64 of this Act.

"The prohibited acts provided under Article 64 of this Act shall likewise apply to Timbangan ng Bayan instruments."

"ARTICLE 62-B. Coverage. - The market mentioned in Article 62-A of this Act, which refers to a public place, building, or structure, where goods, merchandise, foodstuff, commodities or articles of commerce are displayed and offered for sale to the general public, includes the following:

"ARTICLE 62-C. Assistance to Provincial, City and Municipal Governments. - The Department of Trade and Industry shall provide assistance to provinces, cities and municipalities in the establishments of Timbangan ng Bayan Centers nationwide: Provided, That priority shall be accorded to provinces, cities and municipalities belonging to the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-income classifications."

"ARTICLE 63. x x x

"Prohibited Acts

"ARTICLE 64. Fraudulent Practices Relative to Weights and Measures. - The following acts relating to weights and measures are prohibited:

"x x x

"h) for any person to fraudulently alter, tamper, vandalize or destroy any scale, balance, timbangan ng bayan instrument, weight or measure after it is officially sealed;

"x x x."

"ARTICLE 65. Penalties. -