Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House eit no, 8920

Introduced by HON. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This measure is proposed in recognition of the constitutional mandate of the State to protect and
promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels. Consistent with this mandate, it
is the duty of the State to take appropriate steps to make quality education accessible to all.

This measure seeks to establish library media programs for public elementary and secondary
schools which shall award grants for the acquisition of school library media resources for the use
of students, library media specialists and teachers. This measure likewise provides for conduct of
instructional innovation programs through partnerships between library media specialists and
educators in order to develop units of instruction which will enable elementary and secondary
school students to use a variety of information resources and expand student's information-
gathering abilities and cognitive skills of selection, analysis, evaluation and application.

This proposal would not only improve students’ access to library resources, but would also better
equip both students and educators, especially from rural areas, to better adapt with digital
advancements in learning delivery.

On behalf of the people of Parafiaque City's Second District, and for the common good of the
Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought.

|

REP, Jt ‘S. TAMBUNTIN|

( Anq/District, Parafiaque City


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 8929

Introduced by HON. JOY MYRA S. TAMBUNTING

AN ACT
TO PROVIDE FOR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA
RESOURCES, TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENT, TRAINING, AND IMPROVEMENT

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the " Public School Library Media Services
Act."

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is a policy of the State to protect and promote the right of
all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such
education accessible to all.

SEC. 3. Defi

A. "Director" means the Director of the Division of Public School Library Media Services
established under this Act;

B. "Local Educational Agency'"refers to a public board of education or other public authority
legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to
perform a service function for public elementary or secondary school in a province, city or
municipality;

C. "National Educational Agency" refers to the officer or agency primarily responsible for the
national supervision of public elementary and secondary schools;

D. "Secretary" refers to the Secretary of Education;

E. "Division of Public School Library Media Services" refers to the Division established for the
purposes of this Act under the Department of Education;

ion of Terms. — As used in this Act, the term:

SEC. 4, Establishment and Functions of the Division of Public School Library Media
Services.

A. Division, - There is established within the Department of Education, a Division of Public
School Library Media Services, to be administered by a Director of such Division.
B. Functions, — The Division of Public School Library Media Services shall:


1. Provide information and leadership to elementary and secondary, library media
specialists, teachers, and school administrators in order to encourage improvement of
educational programs, train library personnel, use advanced technology, and develop
library resources, including resources that will encourage students to acquire skills in
other languages; and

2. Monitor and administer the grant programs for elementary and secondary school
library media center resource development; elementary and secondary school library
media specialist and teacher partnership grants for innovative education; and grants
for uses of technology in the classroom that are linked to the library media center.

SEC. 5. Public School Library Media Program. -

A. Establishment of the Public School Library Media Resource Development Program. - The
Director shall award grants from all allocations to provinces for the acquisition of school
library media resources for the use of students, library media specialists and teachers in
public elementary and secondary schools.

B Allocation to Provinces. — From the amount appropriated in each fiscal year, the Director
shall allocate to each province having an approved plan an amount which bears the same
relationships to such funds as the amount such province received for educational
purposes.

C. Provincial Plans. ~ In order for a province to receive an allocation of funds under paragraph
(8) for any fiscal year such province shall have in effect for such fiscal year a provincial
plan, Such plan shall—

1. Designate the national educational agency as the agency responsible for the
administration and supervision of the program described in this section; and

2. Set forth a program under which funds paid to the province from its allocation under
paragraph (B) will be expended solely for-

a. Acquisition of school library media resources, including foreign language
resources, for the use of students, school library media specialists and teachers in
elementary and secondary schools; and

b. Administration of the provincial plan, including development and revision of
standards relating to school library media resources, except that the amount used
for administration of the provincial plan in any fiscal year shall not exceed five per
centum (5%) of the amount allocated to such province under paragraph (B), for
such fiscal year; and

c. Set forth criteria to be used in allotting funds for school library media resources
among the local educational agencies or the province, which allotment shall take
into consideration the relative needs of the students, school media specialists and
teachers to be served.

D. Distribution of Allocation to Local Educational Agencies. —
1. Distribution Rule. - From the funds allocated to a province under paragraph (B) in

each fiscal year, such province shall distribute not less than ninety five per centum
(95%) of such funds in such fiscal year to local educational agencies within such


province according to the relative enrollment of students in public elementary and
secondary schools within the school districts of such province, adjusted to provide
higher per-pupil allotments to local educational agencies that have the greatest
number or percentages of students whose education imposes a higher than average
cost per child, such as those students —

a. Living in areas with high concentrations of low-income families;
b. From low-income families; and
c. Living in sparsely populated areas.

2. Calculation of Enrollment. - The calculation of relative enrollments under
subparagraph (1) shall be made on the basis of the total number of students enrolled
in public schools in the province.

SEC. 6, Establishment of the School Library Media Specialist and Teacher Partnerships
for Instructional Innovation Program. — The Director shall award grants to projects that —

A. Encourage collaboration between public elementary and secondary school library media
specialists and teachers in order to develop units of instruction that enable elementary
and secondary school students to use a variety of information resources; and

B, Expand student's information-gathering abilities and cognitive skills of selection, analysis,
evaluation and application,

‘SEC. 7. Establishment of the Use of Technology in the Classroom Program. —

A. In General. ~ The Director shall award grants to encourage elementary and secondary
school library media specialist and teacher programs assigned to —

1. Expand the use of computers and computer networks in the curriculum; and
2. Enable elementary and secondary school library media centers to access information
from computerized databases.

B, Operative Agreements. - The Director may enter into cooperative agreements with
appropriate non-profit agencies and organizations in carrying out this Section.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The Secretary shall promulgate the
necessary rules and regulations to assure the smooth and efficient implementation of the
provisions of this Act.

SEC. 9. Construction. — Nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with State and local
initiative and responsibility in the conduct and support of school library media services, the
administration of school library media centers, or the selection of personnel or library books and
materials.

SEC. 10. Supplementation. - Funds provided under this Act shall be used so as to supplement
and not supplant other national or local funds available to carry out the activities and services
assisted under this Act.


SEC. 11. Appropriations. — To carry out the provisions of this Act, such sum as may be
necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, the
sum necessary for the continuous operation of the program shall be included in the annual
appropriation of the Department of Education.

SEC. 12. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act be declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the validity or constitutionality of the other provisions shall not be affected
thereby.

SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, and
other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 14, Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least
two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,