Senate
of ti)f Sriu-tary
TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 1297
25 AUG 27 P5 ’-27
RECEIVED BV;
Introduced by Senator Robinhood Padilla
AN ACT
RESTRUCTURING THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BY 
ABOLISHING THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, AMENDING 
PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE "ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013" AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Section 1, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution mandates 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." In pursuit of this 
constitutional directive, Republic Act No. 10533, otherwise known as the "Enhanced 
Basic Education Act of 2013," was enacted. The law aimed to establish a functional 
basic education system that produces productive and responsible citizens equipped 
with essential competencies, skills, and values for lifelong learning and gainful 
employment.
The K to 12 program was envisioned to align the Philippine education system 
with global standards. It sought to ensure that Filipino graduates would be 
academically and professionally competitive, thereby eliminating the need for 
additional years of high school for those seeking to pursue higher education abroad, 
and enhancing the employability of graduates in the global workforce.
More than a decade since its implementation, however, the K to 12 program 
remains the subject of public discourse and policy review. The program, while well-


intentioned, has raised concerns, particularly in the context of the country's prevailing 
socio-economic conditions. Among the issues identified are:
a. Financial burden -The additional two years of Senior High School have imposed 
considerable financial strain on families, especially those living below the poverty 
threshold, due to added costs such as tuition, transportation, school supplies, and 
uniforms;
b. Increased drop-out rates - The economic pressure associated with the 
extended years of schooling has led to a rise in student dropouts, particularly 
among those from disadvantaged backgrounds, thereby undermining the 
program's goal of inclusive education; and
c. Curriculum effectiveness - There are continuing concerns that the current 
Senior High School curriculum may still fall short in adequately preparing students 
for employment or higher education, thereby necessitating further review and 
improvement.
The implementation of the K to 12 program must be continually assessed in 
light of the lived realities of Filipino families. It is imperative that education policies be 
responsive to economic disparities and inclusive of mechanisms that mitigate financial 
barriers to completion.
This proposed measure seeks to amend Republic Act No. 10533 by removing 
the Senior High School component from the basic education curriculum. While 
recognizing the importance of educational reform, this representation remains hopeful 
that the government can adopt alternative strategies and design programs that are 
effective, efficient, inclusive, and equitable—serving the best interests of Filipino 
children and youth without the added burden of two additional years of schooling.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this measure is earnestly sought.
BINnOOD PADILLA
Senator


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 1297-
ifcl Senate
of t!)f ■ ;ft,irj>
25 AUG 27 P5 27
RECEIVED BY;
Introduced by Senator Robinhood Padilla
AN ACT
RESTRUCTURING THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BY 
ABOLISHING THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, AMENDING 
PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OTHERWISE 
KNOWN AS THE "ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013" AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. Short Title. -This Act shall be known as the "Abolishing Senior High
2 
School Education Act".
3 
Sec. 2. Section 4 of Republic Act No. 10533 otherwise known as the "Enhanced
4 
Basic Education Act of 2013" shall be amended to read as follows:
5 
"SEC. 4. [Enhanced] SIMPLIFIED Basic Education Program. —
6 
The [enhanced] SIMPLIFIED basic education program
7 
encompasses at least one (1) year of kindergarten education, six
8 
(6) years of elementary education, and [six (6)] FOUR (4) years
9 
of secondary education, in that sequence. [Secondary education
10 
includes-four (4) years of junior high school and two (2) years-ef
11 
senior high school education.]
12 
Kindergarten education shall mean one (1) year of
13 
preparatory education for children at least five (5) years old as a
14 
prerequisite for Grade I.


1 
Elementary education refers to the second stage of
2 
compulsory basic education which is composed of six (6) years. The
3 
entrant age to this level is typically six (6) years old.
4 
Secondary education refers to the third stage of compulsory
5 
basic education. It consists of four (4) years of [jumer] high school
6 
education [and two (2) years of senior high school education]. The
7 
entrant age to the [junior and senior] high school level [s-are] IS
8 
typically twelve (12) [and sixteen (16)] years old [, rGspoctively]."
9 
"X X X."
10 
Sec. 3. Section 5 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby further amended to read
11 
as follows:
12 
"SEC. 5. Curriculum Development. — The DepED shall formulate
13 
the design and details of the [enhanced] SIMPLIFIED basic
14 
education curriculum. It shall work with the Commission on Higher
15 
Education (CHED) to craft harmonized basic and tertiary curricula
16 
for the global competitiveness of Filipino graduates. To ensure
17 
college readiness and to avoid remedial and duplication of basic
18 
education subjects, the DepED shall coordinate with the CHED and
19 
the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
20 
To achieve an effective [enhanced] SIMPLIFIED basic
21 
education curriculum, the DepED shall undertake consultations with
22 
other national government agencies and other stakeholders
23 
including, but not limited to, the Department of Labor and
24 
Employment (DOLE), the Professional Regulation Commission
25 
(PRC), the private and public schools associations, the national
26 
student organizations, the national teacher organizations, the
27 
parents-teachers associations and the chamber of commerce on
28 
matters affecting the concerned stakeholders.
29 
The DepED shall adhere to the following standards and
30 
principles 
in developing the [enhanc-ed] SIMPLIFIED basic
31 
education curriculum:
32 
(a) X X x;


1 
X X X.
2 
Sec. 4. Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby further amended to read
3 
as follows:
4 
"SEC. 7. Teacher Education and Training. — To ensure that the
5 
[enhanced] SIMPLIFIED basic education program meets the
6 
demand for quality teachers and school leaders, the DepED and the
7 
CHED, in collaboration with relevant partners in government,
8 
academe, industry, and nongovernmental organizations, shall
9 
conduct teacher education and training programs, as specified:
10 
(a) In-service Training on Content and Pedagogy — Current
11 
DepED teachers shall be [re] trained to meet the content
12 
and performance standards of the [now K to 17] BASIC
13 
EDUCATION curriculum.
14 
The DepED shall ensure that private education
15 
institutions shall be given the opportunity to avail of such
16 
training.
17 
(b) Training of New Teachers. — New graduates of the
18 
current Teacher Education curriculum shall undergo
19 
additional training, upon hiring, to upgrade their skills to the
20 
content standards of the [eew] curriculum. Furthermore, the
21 
CHED, in coordination with the DepED and relevant
22 
stakeholders, shall ensure that the Teacher Education
23 
curriculum offered in these Teacher Education Institutes
24 
(TEIs) will meet necessary quality standards for new
25 
teachers. Duly recognized organizations acting as TEIs, in
26 
coordination with the DepED, the CHED, and other relevant
27 
stakeholders, shall ensure that the curriculum of these
28 
organizations meet the necessary quality standards for 5
29 
trained teachers.
30 
(C) XXX."
31 
Sec. 5. Section 10 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby further amended to read
32 
as follows:


1 
"SEC. 10. Expansion of E-GASTPE Beneficiaries. — The benefits
2 
accorded by Republic Act No. 8545, or the 'Expanded Government
3 
Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act', shall
4 
be extended to qualified students enrolled under the [enhanced]
5 
SIMPLIFIED basic education.
6 
[The DepED shall engage the services of private education
7 
institutions and non DepED schools offering senior high school
8 
through the programs under Republic Act No. 8515, and other
9 
financial—arrangements formulated—by the—DepED—and the
10 
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) based on the
11 
principles of public private partnership.]"
12 
Sec. 6. Section 11 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby further amended to read
13 
as follows:
14 
"SEC. 11. Appropriations. —The Secretary of Education shall include
15 
in the Department's program the operationalization of the
16 
[enhanced] SIMPLIFIED basic education program, the initial
17 
funding of which shall be charged against the current
18 
appropriations of the DepED. Thereafter, the amount necessary for
19 
the continued implementation of the [enhanced] SIMPLIFIED
20 
basic education program shall be included in the annual General
21 
Appropriations Act."
22 
Sec. 7. Section 12 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby further amended to read
23 
as follows:
24 
"SEC. 12. Transitory Provisions. — The DepED, the CHED and the
25 
TESDA shall formulate the appropriate strategies and mechanisms
26 
needed to ensure smooth transition from the existing [ten {40)
27 
years basic education cycle to the] enhanced basic education (K to
28 
12) cycle TO THE SIMPLIFIED BASIC EDUCATION. The
29 
strategies may cover changes in physical infrastructure, manpower,
30 
organizational and structural concerns, bridging models linking
31 
grade 10 OR FORTH YEAR HIGH SCHOOL competencies and the
32 
entry requirements of new tertiary curricula, and partnerships


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as
between the government and other entities. [Modeling for senior 
high school may-be-implemented in selected schools to simulate the
transition process and provide concrete data for the transition
ptefb]
[To manage the initial implementation of the enhanced basic 
education program and mitigate the expected multi year low
enrolment turneut-for HEIs and Technical Vocational Institutions
(TVIs) starting-School Year 2016 2017, t] The DepED shall 
CONTINUE TO engage in partnerships with HEIs and TVIs for the 
utilization of the latter's human and physical resources. Moreover, 
the DepED, the CHED, the TESDA, the TVIs and the HEIs shall 
coordinate closely with one another to implement strategies that 
ensure the academic, physical, financial, and human resource 
capabilities of HEIs and TVIs to provide educational and training 
services for graduates of the [enhanced] SIMPLIFIED basic 
education program to ensure that they are not adversely affected.
The faculty of HEIs and TVIs allowed to teach students of 
secondary education under Section 8 hereof, shall be given priority 
in hiring for the duration of the transition period. For this purpose, 
the transition period shall be provided for in the implementing rules 
and regulations (IRR)."
Sec. 8. Section 13 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby further amended to read 
follows:
"SEC. 13. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the 
[Enhanced] SIMPLIFIED Basic Educational Program [(K to 12 
Program)]. — There is hereby created a Joint Oversight Committee 
to oversee, monitor and evaluate the implementation of this Act.
The Oversight Committee shall be composed of five (5) 
members each from the Senate and from the House of 
Representatives, including Chairs of the Committees on BASIC 
Education [,Arts and] , Culture AND THE ARTS, and Finance of


1 
both Houses. The membership of the Committee for every House
2 
shall have at least two (2) opposition or minority members."
3 
Sec. 9. Section 14 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby further amended to read
4 
as follows:
5 
"SEC. 14. Mandatory Evaluation and Review. — [By the end of
6 
School Year 2014-2015] THREE (3) YEARS AFTER THE
7 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT, the DepED shall conduct a
8 
mandatory review and submit a midterm report to Congress as to
9 
the status of implementation of the [Kto 12] SIMPLIFIED BASIC
10 
EDUCATION program in terms of closing the following current
11 
shortages: (a) teachers; (b) classrooms; (c) textbooks; (d) seats;
12 
(e) toilets; and (f) other shortages that should be addressed.
13 
XXX."
14 
Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held
15 
unconstitutional or invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid.
16 
Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances,
17 
rules and regulations or parts thereof which are contrary to and inconsistent with this
18 
Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
19 
Sec. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
20 
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in
21 
the Philippines.
Approved,