115 OG No. 42, 11623 (October 21, 2019)

[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11412, August 22, 2019 ]

AN ACT GRANTING THE GOLDEN NATION NETWORK INC A FRANCHISE TO CONSTRUCT, INSTALL, ESTABLISH, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTING STATIONS WITHIN THE PHILIPPINES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:SECTION 1. Nature and Scope of Franchise. - Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and applicable laws, rules and regulations, there is hereby granted to Golden Nation Network Inc., here under referred to as the grantee, its successors or assignees, a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain for commercial purposes and in the public interest., radio and/or television broadcasting stations throughout the Philippines, where frequencies and/or channels are still available for radio and/or television broadcasting, including digital television system, through microwave, satellite or whatever means, including the use of any new technology in television and radio systems, with the corresponding technological auxiliaries and facilities, special broadcast and other program and distribution services and relay stations.SEC. 2. Manner of Operation of Stations or Facilities. -The stations or facilities of the grantee shall be constructed and operated in a manner as will, at most, result only in the minimum interference on the wavelengths or frequencies of existing stations or other stations which may be established by law, without in any way diminishing its own privilege to use its assigned wavelengths or frequencies and the quality of transmission or reception thereon as should maximize rendition of the grantee's services and/or the availability thereof.SEC. 3. Prior Approval of the National Telecommunications Commission - The grantee shall secure from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the appropriate permits and licenses for the construction and operation of its stations or facilities and shall not use any frequency in the radio/television spectrum without authorization from the NTC. The NTC, however, shall not unreasonably withhold or delay the grant of any such authority.The grantee shall not dispose or lease its facilities except to entities with radio or television broadcasting franchise: Provided, That the grantee shall inform and secure written authorization to proceed from the NTC, and report the transaction to the NTC within sixty (60) days after its completion: Provided, further, That the NTC shall determine the corresponding sanction for any violation of this provision.SEC. 4. Responsibility to the Public. - The grantee shall 'provide, free of charge, adequate public service time which is reasonable and sufficient to enable the government, through the broadcasting stations or facilities of the grantee, to reach the pertinent populations or portions thereof, on important public issues and relay important public announcements and warnings concerning public emergencies and calamities, as necessity, urgency or law may require; provide at all times sound and balanced programming; promote public participation; assist in the functions of public information and education; conform to the ethics of honest enterprise; promote audience sensibility and empowerment including closed captioning; and not use its stations or facilities for the broadcasting of obscene or indecent language, speech, act> or scene; or for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, to the detriment of the public interest; or to incite, encourage, or assist in. subversive or treasonable acts.Public service time referred herein shall be equivalent to a maximum aggregate of ten percent (10%) of paid commercials or advertisements which shall be allocated based on need to the Executive and Legislative branches, the Judiciary, Constitutional Commissions and international humanitarian organizations duly recognized by statutes: Provided, That the NTC shall increase the public service time in case of extreme emergency or calamity. The NTC shall issue rules and regulations for this purpose, the effectivity of which shall commence upon applicability with other similarly situated broadcast network franchise holders.SEC. 5. Right of the Government. — The radio spectrum is a finite resource that is part of the national patrimony and the us thereof is a privilege conferred upon the grantee by the State and may be withdrawn any time after due process.A special right is hereby reserved to the President of the Philippines, in times of war, rebellion, public peril, calamity, emergency, disaster, or disturbance of peace and order: to temporarily take over and operate the stations or facilities of the grantee: to temporarily suspend the operation of any station or facility in the interest of public safety, security and public welfare: or to authorize the temporary use and operation, thereof by any agency of the government, upon due compensation, to tho grantee, for the use of the stations or facilities during the period whea these shall be so operated.SEC. 6. Term of Franchisor. - This franchise shall be in effect for a period of twenty-five (25) years, unless sooner revoked or cancelled. This franchise shall be deemed ipso facto revoked in the event the grantee fails to comply with any of the following conditions:(a) Commence operations within one (1) year from the approval of its operating permit by the NTC:(b) Commence operations within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act: and(c) Operate continuously tor two (2) years.SEC. 7. Bond. - The grantee shall file a bond with the NTC, in the amount that the NTC shall determine, to guarantee compliance with and fulfillment of the conditions under which this franchise is granted. If, after three (3) years from the date of the approval of its permit by the NTC, the grantee shall have fulfilled the same, the bond shall be released by the NTC. Otherwise, the bond shall be forfeited in favor of the government and the franchise ipso facto revoked.SEC. 8. Self-regulation h> and Undertaking of thf Grantee. - The granted- shall not. require any previous censorship of any speech, play, act or scene, or other matter to be broadcast from its stations, but if any such speech, play, act or scene, or other matter should constitute a violation of the law or infringement of a private right, the grantee shall be free from any liability, civil or criminal, for such speech, play, act or scene, or other matter: Provided. That the grantee, during any broadcast, shall cut off the airing of speech, play, act or scene, or other matter being broadcast if the tendency thereof is to propose and/us: incite treason. rebellion or sedition; or the language used therein or the theme thereof is indecent or immoral: Provided, further. That willful failure to do so shall constitute a valid cause for the revocation or cancellation of this franchise.SEC. 9. Warranty in Favor of the National and Local Governments. - The grantee shall hold the, national, provincial, city, and municipal governments of the Philippines free from all claims, liabilities, demands, or actions arising out of accidents causing injury to persons or damage to properties during the construction or operation of the stations of the grantee.SEC. 10. Commitment to Provide and Promote the Creation, of Employment Opportunities. — The grantee shall create employment opportunities and shall allow on-the-job trainings in their franchise operation: Provided, That priority shall be accorded to the residents where their principal office is located: Provided, further, That the grantee shall follow the applicable labor standards and allowance entitlement under existing labor laws, rules and regulations and similar issuances: Provided, fin-ally, That the employment opportunities or jobs created shall be reflected in the General Information Sheet (GIS)- to be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) annually.SEC. 11. Sale, Lease, Transfer, Grant of Usufruct, or Assignment of Franchise. — The grantee shall not sell, lease, transfer, grant the usufruct of, nor assign this franchise or the rights and privileges acquired thereunder to any person, firm, company, corporation or other commercial or legal entity, nor merge with any other corporation or entity, nor the controlling interest of the grantee be transferred, simultaneously or contemporaneously, to any such person, firm, company, corporation, or entity without the prior approval of the Congress of the Philippines. Congress shall be informed of any sale, lease, transfer, grant of usufruct, or assignment of franchise or the rights and privileges acquired thereunder, or of the merger or transfer of the controlling interest of the grantee, within sixty (CO) days after the completion of the said transaction. Failure to report to Congress such change of ownership shall render the franchise ipso fucto revoked. Any person or entity to which this franchise is sold, transferred, or assigned shall be subject to the same conditions, terms, restrictions, and limitations of this Act.SEC. 12. Dispersal of Ownership. - In accordance with the constitutional provision to encourage public participation in public utilities, the grantee shall offer to Filipino citizens at least thirty percent (30%) or a higher percentage that may hereafter be provided by law of its outstanding capital stock in any securities exchange in the Philippines within five (5) years from the commencement of its operations: Provided, That in cases where public offer of shares is not applicable, the grantee shall apply other methods of encouraging publicSEC. 17. Repeatability and Non-exclusivity Clause. — This franchise shall be subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal by the Congress of the Philippines when the public interest so requires and shall not be interpreted as an exclusive grant of the privileges herein provided.SEC. 18. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or parts or provisions thereof which are not consistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.SEC. 19. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

    Approved,

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines on May 29, 2019. 

Approved: AUG 22 2019

(SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE    President of the Philippines   

Source: Supreme Court E-Library