13'h CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
Senate Bill No. 2 3 7 5  
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Good education must start with the children and the young; otherwise, the 
famous line that the future belongs to the young would amount to nothing. Even 
our constitutional mandate is directed and categorical: promote the physical, 
moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well being of the youth. 
The attached bill seeks to institutionalize a Pre-School Program in our 
public education system as separate curriculum level and to integrate values 
formation into the curriculum of all public pre-school, elementary and high 
schools. 
It is said that early years of a child's life are the best years in terms of 
molding the child -the time when the child's sense of wonder is best sharpened 
and learning is best initiated. A pre-school program, popularly referring to classes 
prior to entering elementary school, will start at the early young age the process 
of learning. It will be institutionalized as a separate level of education, a pre- 
elementary level, which shall be required prior to elementary schooling. 
But what is values formation? It has been used in many contexts, referring 
to moral values, traditional values, code of right manners and good conduct, 
moral principles, acceptable norms of conduct. Teachers and educators, given 
some broad, subjective and religion-related interpretations, have still to agree on 
what values formation really means or what values really are. 
For purposes of this Act, values formation is taken as a concept not 
hewed to any church or religious doctrines or teachings because of existing 
constitutional constraints. In essence, values formation - some call it education 
in values - deal with values that will help the children and the young develop 
good character and personal discipline essential to good citizenship, values that 
will help them appreciate their importance and inspire them to focus their 
thoughts, decisions and actions on what is for the greater good of the community. 
It must be more than right manners and good conduct as we had them in 
yesteryears. It must deal with ideals and virtues that will sharpen the sense of 
right or wrong of the young and encourage them to make a more responsible use 
of their person, life and freedom to fulfill their social rights and duties for the good 
of their family and society. 
To achieve the declared policy of government, Values Formation shall be 
included as a mandatory and integral par! of the curriculum of all public pre- 
school, elementary and high schools. The courses or subjects shall be designed 


along the achievement of this goal or policy. And to have the fullest impact, 
specific lessons, courses or activities in values formation shall be taught and 
programmed across the pre-elementary (pre-school), elementary and high school 
years. 
Because public school teachers are an equally important component of 
the values formation program - pupilslstudents and teachers make the equation 
-they must be equipped with the proper resources, skills and training to have a 
uniform understanding, lesson planning, teaching strategy, approach or 
methodology and evaluation. The proposed legislation sees this as an essential 
requisite to the success of the values formation program. This and other aspects 
of the program shall be addressed more concretely in the implementing rules to 
be promulgated by the Secretary of Education. 
In this light, approval of this bill is earnestly requested. 
J 


13'h CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. __ 
2375 
6 
JUM -7 P4 :h:> 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
EDUCATION SYSTEM AND INTEGRATING VALUES FORMATION INTO THE 
SCHOOL EDUCATION 
INSTITUTIONALIZING A PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM IN THE PUBLIC 
CURRICULUM OF PUBLIC PRE-SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY AND HIGH 
Be enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION I. Declaration of Poky. - It is the declared policy of the State 
to promote quality education at all levels of the education system and to promote 
the physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being of the youth. 
Towards this end, the Government shall endeavor to teach and inculcate in the 
children and the youth in their formative years values that will help them develop 
good character and personal discipline essential to everyday life, values that will 
help them appreciate their importance as citizens and inspire them to focus their 
thoughts, decisions and actions on what is for the greater good, ideals and 
virtues that will encourage them to make a more responsible use of their person, 
life and freedom to fulfill their social rights and duties for the good of their family 
and society. 
SECTION 2. Institutionalization of Pre-School in Public Education. - To 
enhance the learning process and development of children, a Pre-School 
Program, designed by the Department of Education upon consultation, as far as 
practicable, with Parent-Teachers Associations and pre-schooling learning 


centers or organizations, shall be made part of the public education system as a 
separate curriculum level and shall be considered as a requisite to elementary 
education. The pre-school classes conducted in public pre-school learning 
centers or day care centers, if any, shall be standardized into the Pre-School 
Program. 
SECTION 3. Integration of Values Formation in the Public Curriculum. - 
To achieve the declared policy of government, Values Formation shall be 
included as a mandatory and integral part of the curriculum of all public pre- 
school, elementary and high schools. To have the fullest impact, specific lesions, 
courses or activities in values formation shall be programmed and taught across 
the pre-school, elementary and high school years. 
SECTION 4. Curriculum Planning and Teaching. - A comprehensive 
curriculum planning and construction, identification of subjects and content of 
courses, and teaching resources and preparations applied to a values formation 
program at the pre-school elementary and high school levels, involving, as far as 
practicable, parents and other teachers or educators of children and youth, shall 
be observed. The public pre-school, elementary and high school teachers shall 
be equipped with the proper resources, skills and training to have a uniform 
understanding, lesson planning, teaching strategy, approach or methodology and 
evaluation. 
SECTION 5. Funding. - The amount needed to implement the provisions 
of this Act shall be charged against the allocation of the Department of Education 
under the current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter the amount necessary 
to carry out and maintain the pre-school and values formation programs shall be 
included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 6. lmplemenfing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) 
days from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education shall 
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this 
Act. 


SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees and orders or parts 
thereof which are contrary to or inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, 
amended or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 8. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
following its publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,