Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article XIV, Section 3 (2) provides that, “They shall inculcate patriotism 
and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, appreciation of the role 
of national heroes in the historical development of the country, teach the rights and duties 
of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop moral character and 
personal discipline, encourage critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific and 
technological knowledge, and promote the vocational efficiency.”  
Parents are the first and most important educators of children. As such, they have the 
primary responsibility of morally educating their children. However, it is a fact that students 
spend most of their waking hours in school. Considering the influence that teachers have 
over their students, it is their duty and obligation to guide the students in their value 
formation and inculcate in them our cherished Filipino values of patriotism, bayanihan, 
palabra de honor, delicadeza, honesty, and respect. 
Schools are tasked with creating knowledgeable individuals of good character. In the 
words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "We must remember that intelligence is not enough. 
Intelligence, plus character, that is the goal of true education."  
The classroom is a professional environment for learning, and character must be explicitly 
taught there. Teachers can use the classroom both as a forum for direct instruction and 
as an opportunity to lead by example. Our academic institutions must actively support 
families if moral education is to be effective. We are all members of the moral community 
and are all affected by the decisions and behaviors of others. Therefore, every person, as 
well as every institution, shares the responsibility to grow good children into good adults.  
Lack of strong moral foundation breeds corruption in the government, crimes, and all sorts 
of malaise in our society. It is high time that the state gives priority to the values and 
character formation of its citizens if we are to achieve a strong republic. This bill seeks to 
include in the curricula of all public and private schools, colleges and universities a 
comprehensive course on ethics and values formation. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
August 3, 2023
12:01 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
TO INCLUDE IN THE CURRICULA OF ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, 
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES A COMPREHENSIVE COURSE ON ETHICS 
AND VALUES FORMATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as “Ethics and Values Formation 
Act.”  
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to inculcate and strengthen 
the ethics and values of its citizen through the educational system. 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. – For the purposes of this Act, the term: 
(A)
“Ethics” means conformity to the accepted, honorable, and professional
standards of conduct in government and in private unit;
(B)
“Values” – normative standards which influence human beings in their choice
among the alternative courses of action which they perceive;
(C)
“DepEd” means the Department of Education; and
(D)
“CHED” means the Commission on Higher Education.
Sec. 4. Ethics and Value-formation Syllabus. – 
(A)
Public Morality. – The main syllabus should include the following six levels of
public morality:
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(1) 
Basic Honesty and Conformity to Law. – This level describes the basic 
adherence to the constitution, laws, ordinances, and moral codes that is 
expected from all members of a group or society; 
(2) 
Conflicts of Interest. – This level deals with the conflict between 
advancing the public interest, which a public official is charged to do, and 
advancing one’s self-interest; 
(3) 
Service Orientation and Procedural Fairness. – This level deals with the 
responsibility of public officials to ensure that their actions serve the 
public and that the power they wield is used only for that purpose. This 
concentrate on procedural safeguards to prevent abuse of authority and 
on moral obligation of public servants; 
(4) 
The Ethics of Democratic Responsibility. – This level deals with the 
public officials, either elected or appointed, to make moral choices 
consistent with their own values and will of the people; 
(5) 
The Ethics of Public Policy Determination. – This level concerns making 
moral judgments about public policies in which equity and fairness are 
important considerations;  
(6) 
The Ethics of Compromise and Social Integration. – This level entails the 
necessity of give and take, and compromise in a society with 
irreconcilable differences on fundamental issues. 
(B)  
Supplementary Topics. – This curriculum should have additional topics and 
studies on the causes, issues, and effects of graft and corruption in the 
Philippines and in other parts of the world, and suggested measures to reform 
a corrupt environment.  
(C)  
Other Subject Matters. – Other areas of Ethics and Values formation may be 
included in the syllabus provided that it will not be made in preference of any 
religion and belief, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.  
 
Sec. 5. Implementing Agencies. – The DepEd Secretary and CHED Chairperson are 
hereby authorized and directed to adopt a system to implement and carry out the 
provisions of this Act. DepEd and CHED shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity 
of this Act, promulgate rules and regulations, including those of disciplinary nature, to 
carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act.  
 


 
Sec. 6. Educational Materials. – It shall be obligatory on all schools, colleges, and 
universities to keep in their libraries an adequate number of copies of the textbook, 
primer, and leaflet to be issued by the DepEd and the CHED. 
 
The DepEd and CHED shall determine the adequacy of the number of books, 
depending upon the enrollment of the school, college or university. 
 
Sec. 7. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting.   
 
Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or 
inconsistent with, the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
 
Sec. 9. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen days (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,