SENATE 
t 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B.'VILLAR, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill intends to prepare the Filipino youth to meet the technological challenges of 
the 2 1st Century by promoting their scientific and technical literacy in the field of 
computer education. 
Under the proposed measure, the basics of computer applications and programming 
will be integrated in the school curriculum. A Board on Computer Education is 
created. Private sectors' participation is enlisted through the grant of fiscal incentives 
to private sector participants. A voucher system is institutionalized with respect to the 
country's nineteen (19) poorest provinces to make these provinces at par with the rest 
of the country in terms of computer literacy. Community linkages among the 
participants are likewise enjoined to hasten the nationwide upgrading of computer 
skills. 
Approval of this bill is, thus, fervently called for. 
MANUEL B. 
Senator 


SENATE 
S. No. 
40 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR, JR. 
AN ACT 
TO INTEGRATE A COMPUTER EDUCATION PROGRAM 
INTO THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration and Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to 
promote functional computer literacy in all schools, at the earliest possible stage, and 
in a manner that is most efficient and effective in producing a population that is highly 
skilled in the creation, use and manipulation of computer software. In this regard, 
private sector initiative and participation shall always be encouraged to achieve this 
policy objective. 
SECTION 2. Board on Computer Education; Creation Power and Functions. 
- A Board on Computer Education, hereafter referred to as Board, is hereby created to 
implement the provision of this Act and for this purpose shall have the following 
powers and shall exercise the following functions: 
(a) supervise the accreditation of the computer schools which will participate in 
the program; 
(b) assess and provide for the necessary training of the personnel of computer 
schools on methods of teaching; 
(c) prepare the curriculum for computer-aided logic math and science education 
in the elementary level; 
(d) 
monitor the performance of the computer schools; 
(e) 
evaluate the abilities of the students enrolled in the program; 
(r) 
issue and implement all rules and regulations provided for in this Act; 
(g) exercise all other powers and functions which may be necessary to carry out 
and 
the provisions of this Act 
SECTION 3. Board Composition - The Board shall be composed of the following 
Members: 
(a) One (1) representative from the Department of Education (DepEd) to be 
nominated by the Secretary of Education, 
(b) One (1) representative from the Commission on Higher Education (C11ED) to 
be nominated by the CIICD Chairman; 
(c) One (1) representative from the Department of Science and Technology to be 
nominated by the Secretary of Department of Science and Technology; 
(d) One (1) representative from the duly accredited professional organizations of 
computer programmers and system analysts to be nominated by the recognized 
leadership of these organizations; 


(e) One (1) representative from the National Economic Development Authority, 
to be nominated by the Secretary-General of the National Economic Development 
Authority; 
The representative from the Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall 
serve as the Chairman of the Board. 
The Chairman and the Members shall be appointed by the President of the 
Republic of the Philippines for a term of five (5) years and shall have the rank and 
compensation of a Bureau Director. 
SECTION 4. Promotion of the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Scheme and other 
Similar Arrangements. - The provision of Republic Act No. 6957, as amended, shall be 
applied to the construction, operation and servicing of computer education and its 
facilities, Provided, That any contractual arrangement that will be utilized for this 
purpose shall additionally provide for the following: 
(a) A training program for teachers not only on computer literacy but also 
on the maintenance and servicing of computer education facilities; and 
(b) An apprenticeship program for the interested students of the public 
school being serviced whereby they may be employed as apprentices for the education 
component of for the facilities maintenance component of computer education. 
The build-operate-transfer arrangement or any other similar arrangements 
provided for in Republic Act No. 6957, as amended, may be bidded out and awarded at 
the school district level, in accordance with the implementing rules and regulations to 
be issued by the Board. 
SECTION 5. Institutionalization of the Voucher Systent for Specialized Computer 
Education in the Nineteen (I 9) Poorest Provinces. - In addition, to whatever contractual 
arrangements which may be utilized under the provisions of Section 4 hereof, there 
shall be created a voucher system for specialized computer education in the country's 
nineteen (19) poorest provinces whereby each of these provinces shall be given the 
amount of Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) each year from the annual budget 
allocated for the implementation of the specialized computer education program, or 
such amount as may later be provided by the law, to enroll in a computer school of his 
or her choice, to finish advanced and specialized computer courses such as, but not 
limited to, advanced programming, computer aided design, hardware design, 
networking, or such other courses that may be identified by the Board. 
Each student shall be entitled to only one voucher. The Board shall issue the 
implementing rules and regulations to ensure that the students do not enroll in more 
than one school, or that enrollment figures reflect actual enrollment. Student found 
guilty of violating this one-voucher-per-student rule shall be subject to the penalties 
provided hereunder. 
SECTION 6. Accreditation of Computer Education Service Providers. - All 
entities shall participate in the activities described in Sections 4 and 5 hereof must be 
accredited by the Board as bona fide participants. The accreditation must be renewed 
for every period of not less than one year but not more than five years. Accreditation 
shall be based on the following criteria: 
(a) The curriculum meets the standards provided for by the Board; 
(b) The quality of the computers and other peripherals to be provided and 
other physical infrastructure to be built, operated or used which must ensure quality 
of education and minimum health and safety standards; 
(c) The capability of the service provided instructors. The Board will issue 
minimum standards for evaluating teaching ability; and 


(d) With respect to renewal applications, the performance of the students 
on performance measures to be designed by the Board. 
SECTION 7. Curriculum of Publicity cf’icnded Computer Education. - The 
computer literacy program acknowledges the vital participation of the private sector in 
the scheme, but the curriculum shall be prepared by the Board. 
The curriculum should make use of computer-assisted education to 
teach elementary students the basic courses of math, science and logic. These courses 
will prepare the student for the demands of computer programming and system 
analysis, as well as strengthen the learning student receives from the formal education 
sys tem. 
The Board will also prepare the curriculum for computer programming 
and popular software utilization, which will be taught at the high school level. 
SECTION 8. Monitoring and Incentive on Performance. - Monitoring of the 
program shall be done to maintain the quality of education being given to tile 
students. Performances measures shall include, but not limited to the following: 
(a) periodic renewal accreditation or license to operate; 
(b) testing; 
(c) national competitions; and, 
(d) unannounced visits to participating schools. 
The Board shall formulate or commission the formulation of a 
performance index which will be used in assessing the performance of the 
participating schools. The latest result of the evaluation of all schools shall be 
published before the start of every school year. 
The Board shall formulate a system rewards and incentives to promote 
excellence among the service providers. 
SECTION 9. Tax-free Importation of Computer Hardware and Sofhoare. - 
All entities who have been accredited, or who have obtained contracts as participants 
in the activities provided for in Sections 4 and 5 hereof shall be given fiscal incentives. 
These incentives shall include the tax-free importation oh all computer 
hardware, software, peripherals and documentary materials. However, these 
incentives shall last for a period of not more ten years from the effectivity of this Act. 
The Board shall issue the implementing rules and regulations for the 
availment of the incentives described herein. 
SECTION 10, Phased Implementation. - The computer education program 
shall be implemented in phases to ensure that program and infrastructure 
requirements shall be met, to prepare the private sector for the demand for computer 
schools and equipment, and to prime-up the local demand for computer-literate 
workers. 
The implementations shall be done in accordance with the following 
objectives: 
(a) the graduation, one year from the effectivity of this Act, of a corps of 
high school students who can manipulate the most popular computer application 
programs in the areas of word processing , database encoding and spreadsheets; 
(b) the graduation, three years from the effectivity of this Act, of a corps 
of high school students who are not only literate in the applications described in 
paragraph (a) herein, but also in the basic programming and system analysis; an, 


(c) the immediate use of computer-aided education which will 
compliment the academic instructions in math, science and logic. 
SECTION 11. Community Linkage. - Other software and computer 
programming may be taught by the schools and service providers under community 
link-up system whereby additional training on the use of special software can be paid 
for by interested business or manufacturing firms in the community. The business 
community will also be encouraged to expand and update their manufacturing 
procedures to achieve efficiency through computerization or computer-controlled 
processes. 
SECTION 12. Budget and Funding. - An initial of One Hundred Million 
Pesos (P 100,000,000.00) to be disbursed from the earnings of the lotteries conducted 
by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office is hereby appropriated for the payment of 
the services to be provided under Sections 4 and 5 of this Act as well as for the 
expenses related to the establishment and operation of the Board. Thereafter, the 
necessary for the continuous implementation of this Act shall be included in the yearly 
General Appropriations Act. 
The administrative expenses related to the implementation of this Act 
shall be both more than three percent (3%) of the annual appropriations for this 
Computer Education Program. 
SECTION 13. Penalties. - Any person found guilty of violating the 
provisions of Section 5 hereof shall be meted the following penalties: 
(a) The student shall pay the full cost of tuition, with interest thereon. The 
payment may be in cash or in its equivalent in terms of community service. 
(b) The accreditation of the service providers found guilty of padding their 
enrollment figures, or for knowingly permitting a student to violate the provisions of 
Section 5 hereof, without prejudice to the payment of twice the amount of 
reimbursement resulting from the padded enrollment as fine. 
SECTION 14. Rules and Regulations. - Within forty-five (45) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Board shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations 
for the effective implementation of this Act. 
SECTION 15. Separability Clause. - In the event that any provisions of this Act 
is declared unconstitutional, the validity of the other provisions shall not be affected 
by such declaration. 
SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
regulations, or portions thereof, inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
SECTION 1 7. Effectivity. - This act shall take effect fifteen (1 5) days after its 
publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved ,