Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3406

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Honorable Anthony M. Bravo and Honorable
Cresente C. Paez

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Education is always a priority among the Filipino families, A big part of each family’s

budget goes to education, However, with poverty, more and more children drop out from

school and fail to get the basic education that they need to do well in life. As a result, there is
an increasing concern about the growing number of illiterate Filipinos

To help solve this problem, there are many non-government organizations that offer

their help in reaching out to our needy brethren and provide basic education to those who can

afford it, Many of them have spearheaded invaluable initiatives to ensure that everyone will

have the necessary skills to be productive members of our society. In order to maximize these

efforts, we should establish a national coordinating organization that will allow sharing of

knowledge, experience and resources among different organizations.

‘This bill seeks to establish the National Literacy Institute which shall be tasked with
the research and formulation and implementation of literacy programs that will ensure that
the nationwide efforts are properly coordinated and the best practices are uniformly

implemented.

HON. 5 M. BRAVO nee 'CRERENTE C. PAEZ



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Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3406

Introduced by Honorable Anthony M. Bravo and Honorabl
Cresente C. Paez

AN ACT
MANDATING THE CREATION OF
THE NATIONAL LITERACY INSTITUTE,

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 “National Literacy Institute
Act of 2013.”
SECTION 2. Purpose. ~ The purpose of this Act is to establish a National Literacy
Institute that—
‘A. provides national leadership regarding literacy;
B. coordinates literacy services and policy; and
€. serves as a national resource for literacy programs by
1. providing the best and most current information available in the area of
phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and reading
comprehension to all educational institutions that provides. literacy
development program; and
2. supporting the creation of new ways to offer services of proven

effectiveness.


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SECTION 3. Establishment. ~ There is hereby established the National Literacy
Institute (hereinafter referred to as the “Institute”)

The Institute shall be administered under the terms of an interagency agreement
entered into by the Secretary of Education with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of
Health (in this section referred to as the “Interagency Group”), The Interagency Group may
include in the Institute any research and development center, institute, or clearinghouse
established within the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, or the Department
of Health the purpose of which is determined by the Interagency Group to be related to the

purpose of the Institute

SECTION 4, Offices. ~The Institute shall have offices separate from the offices of the

Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health.

SECTION 5. Recommendations. — The Interagency Group shall consider the
recommendations of the National Literacy Institute Advisory Board (in this section referred
to as the “Board”) established in this Act in planning the goals of the Institute and in the
implementation of any programs to achieve the goals. Ifthe Board's recommendations are not
followed, the Interagency Group shall provide a written explanation to the Board concerning
actions the Interagency Group takes that are inconsistent with the Board's recommendations,
including the reasons for not following the Board's recommendations with respect to the
actions, The Board may also request a meeting of the Interagency Group to discuss the

Board's recommendations.

SECTION 6, Daily Operations. — The daily operations of the Institute shall be

administered by the Director of the Institute.


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SECTION 7. Duties. - In order to provide leadership for the improvement and

expansion of the system for delivery of literacy services, the Institute is authorized—

A. to establish a national electronic data base of information that disseminates

information to the broadest possible audience within the literacy and basic skills

field, and that includes—

effective practices in the provision of literacy and basic skills instruction,
including instruction in phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency,
and reading comprehension, and the integration of literacy and basic skills
instruction with occupational skills training;

public and private literacy and basic skills programs, and national, and
local policies, affecting the provision of literacy services at the national,
and local levels;

opportunities for technical assistance, meetings, conferences, and other
opportunities that lead to the improvement of literacy and basic skills
services; and

‘a. communication network for literacy programs, providers, social service

agencies, and students;

B, to coordinate support for the provision of literacy and basic skills services across

government agencies and at the national and local levels;

C. to coordinate the support of reliable and replicable research and development on

literacy and basic skills in families across government agencies and to carry out

basic and applied research and development on topics that are not being

investigated by other organizations or agencies, such as the special literacy needs

of individuals with learning disabilities;


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D. to collect and disseminate information on methods of advancing literacy that show
‘great promise, including phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and
reading comprehension;

E. to provide policy and technical assistance to national and local entities for the
improvement of policy and programs relating to literacy;

F. to fund a network of literacy resource centers to assist national and local public
and private nonprofit efforts to improve literacy by

1. encouraging the coordination of literacy services;

2. enhancing the capacity of national and local organizations to provide

3, serving as a link between the Institute and providers of literacy activities
for the purpose of sharing information, data, research, expertise, and
literacy resources;

G. to coordinate and share information with national organizations and associations

that are interested in literacy and workforce investment &

H. to advise the legislative and executive departments and agencies regarding the
development of policy with respect to literacy and basic skills; and

1. to undertake other activities that lead to the improvement of the country's literacy

delivery system and that complement other such efforts being undertaken by

public and private agencies and organizations.

SECTION 8. Priority, ~ The Institute shall give priority to adults and individuals with

disabilities in the performance of its duties as provided in this Act.

SECTION 9. Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. ~ ‘The Institute may

award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, individuals, public or


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private institutions, agencies, organizations, or consortia of such institutions, agencies, or

organizations to carry out the activities of the Institute.

SECTION 10. Literacy Leadership. ~ The Institute, in consultation with the Board,
may award fellowships, with such stipends and allowances that the Director considers
necessary, to outstanding individuals pursuing careers in literacy in the areas of instruction,

management, research, or innovation,

Fellowships awarded under this section shall be used, under the auspices of the
Institute, to engage in research, education, training, technical assistance, or other activities to
advance the field of literacy, including the training of volunteer literacy providers at the

national, or local level.

SECTION 11. Interns and volunteers, ~ The Institute, in consultation with the Board,
may award paid and unpaid internships to individuals seeking to assist the Institute in
carrying out its mission. Subject to applicable labor laws, the Institute may accept and use

voluntary and uncompensated services as the Institute determines necessary.

SECTION 12. National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board. ~ There shall be a

National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board (in this section referred to as the “Board”),
which shall consist of 10 individuals appointed by the President with the advice and consent

of the Senate.

SECTION 13. Composition. ~ The Board shall be comprised of individuals who are

not otherwise public officers or employees and who are representative of entities such as—

‘A. literacy organizations and providers of literacy services, including nonprofit
providers, providers of English literacy programs and services, social service

organizations, and eligible providers receiving assistance under this subtitle:


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B, businesses that have demonstrated interest in literacy programs;

C. literacy students, including literacy students with disabilities:

D. experts in the area of literacy research;

B. local governments; and

F, representatives of employees, including representatives of labor organizations.
SECTION 14, Duties of the Board. ~ The Board shall ~

‘A. make recommendations concerning the appointment of the Director and staff of

the Institute;
B, provide independent advice on the operation of the Institute; and
C. receive reports from the Interagency Group and the Director.

SECTION 15. Appointment of Board Members, ~ Each member of the Board shall be
appointed for a term of 3 years, except that the initial terms for members may be 1, 2, or 3
years in order to establish a rotation in which one-third of the members are selected each

year. Any such member may be appointed for not more than 2. consecutive terms,

‘Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term
for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder
of that term. A member may serve after the expiration of that member's term until a successor

has taken office.

SECTION 16. Quorum, — A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a
quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings. Any recommendation of the Board may be

passed only by a majority of the Board's members present,


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SECTION 17. Election of Officers of the Board. - The Chairperson and Vice
Chairperson of the Board shall be elected by the members of the Board. The term of office of

the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be 2 years.

SECTION 18, Meetings. ~ The Board shall meet at the call of the Chairperson or a

majority of the members of the Board.

SECTION 19, Gifts, Bequests and Devices, ~ The Institute may accept, administer,
and use gifts or donations of services, money, or property, whether real or personal, tangible

or intangible

The Board shall establish written rules setting forth the criteria to be used by the
Institute in determining whether the acceptance of contributions of services, money, or
property whether real or personal, tangible or intangible, would reflect unfavorably upon the
ability of the Institute or any employee to carry out the responsibilities of the Institute or
employee, or official duties, in a fair and objective manner, or would compromise the
integrity or the appearance of the integrity of the Institute's programs or any official involved

in those programs,

SECTION 20. Report, ~The Institute shall submit a report annually to the appropriate
committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives, Each report submitted under this

section shall include—

A. acomprehensive and detailed description of the Institute's operations, activities,
financial condition, and accomplishments in the field of literacy for the period

covered by the report;

B. a description of how plans for the operation of the Institute for the succeeding

fiscal year will facilitate achievement of the goals of the Institute and the goals of


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the literacy programs within the Department of Education, the Department of

Labor, and the Department of Health; and
C. any additional minority, or dissenting views submitted by members of the Board.

SECTION 21. Appropriations. ~The amount necessary for the initial implementation
of this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the Department of Education under
the current General Appropriations Act, Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its full
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as a distinct and

separate item,

SECTION 22. Separability Clause, ~ If any provision o part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain

valid and subsisting.

SECTION 23. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is
inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended

accordingly.

SECTION 24, Hffectivity Clause, - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after

its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,