Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 616

Introduced by: Congressman Mariano U. Piamonte Jr. and
Congresswoman Julieta R. Cortuna, Representatives, A TEACHER Party-list

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The 1987 Philippine Constitution is a lasting legacy of the EDSA People Power
Revolution of 1986. We have enshrined in the Preamble of the 1987 Philippine Constitution our
national vision, which is “a just and humane society”. This is a shared goal to which all in
Government, in particular, as well as all Filipino citizens, in general, are committed, since it is all
of us, the Filipino people, who have written our Constitution.

While it is true that there are some who will say that even now ours is a just and humane
society, the fact that there is persistent and widespread poverty, continuing acts of graft and
corruption committed at various scales and by citizens in landscape indicates that much work

ill needs to be done for our national vision to be truly a natural reality, experienced by every
ipino citizen.

The statement of our national vision is a succinct statement of the values we hold dear as
a people. We have also enshrined these values in the Preamble. These values are: faith in
Almighty God, respect for life, order, work, concern for the family and future generations, love,
freedom, peace, truth, justice, unity, equality, respect for law and Government, patriotism,
promotion of the common good, and concern for the environment.

It is precisely by living our values as a people that we will be able to achieve our vision
of a just and humane society. A just and humane society is precisely one where these values are
lived by the citizenry in the course of our day as part of our way of life. To be maka-Diyos,
maka-tao, maka-bayan and maka-kalikasan is to live these values.

While we, as a people have enshrined both our national vision and values in the
Preamble, there is need for the citizenry to be formed further on these values so that these
become the consistent bases for our decision-making. Good citizenship values lead to good
citizenship actions. Affirming these values in one another, and forming them among the new and
younger members of Philippine society, is key to the making of good Filipino citizen across the
land in this and future generation. The many and persistent problems besetting Philippine society
have their roots in the failure to uphold one or more of these values. Hence, the need for explicit,



focused and well planned and implemented efforts to promote the good citizenship values on a
national scale and on a sustained basis.

For the past ten years, civil society has led the way in promoting the good citizenship
values, bringing the concept and the training to the various regions on a limited scale. It is time
that an appropriate organizational mechanism be established to put in place a national program
on good citizenship and the good citizenship values, providing such efforts a fitting mandate,
making funding available, and providing the leadership therefore.

‘This Bill purposes that there be launched a national multisectoral program on good
citizenship, promoting and affirming these values in a systematic manner across various sectors
and institutions and recognizing exemplary manifestations of good citizenship. The program
enyisioned in this Bill will help strengthen the moral fiber of society, built as it will be on the
values enshrined in the Constitution. Building awareness of, appreciation for, and commitment to
our values as a Filipino people will serve as a unitive factor among the citizenry, strengthen our
sense of nationhood, and mobilize sustained citizen action towards nation-building. It will further
institutionalize and immortalize for generations to come the “spirit of EDSA”, and serve as a
lasting tribute and reminder of what citizens united towards a common goal and common good
can achieve.

Immediate approval of this Bill is requested.

Jz A. Views
MARIANO U. PIAMONT|



Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 616

Introduced by: Congressman Mariano U. Piamonte Jr. and

Congresswoman Julieta R. Cortuna, Representatives, A TEACHER Party-list

AN ACT MANDATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NATIONAL.
MULTISECTORAL PROGRAM ON GOOD CITIZENSHIP, CREATING A NATIONAL
COUNCIL ON GOOD CITIZENSHIP, AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR

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 the Good Citizenship Act of 2011.
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy — It is hereby declared that the State considers the citiz

as the nation’s most valuable resource and is committed to promoting and recogi
citizenship and exemplars of the good citizenship values.

SECTION 3. Good Citizenship Values - All efforts to promote good citizenship, whether by
Government, the academe, the business sector, or civil society shall have as their foundation the
values of the Filipino people enshrined in the Preamble of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
These values, also referred to herein as “good citizenship values” are as follows: faith in
Almighty God, respect for life, order, work, concer for the family and future generations, love,
freedom, peace, truth, justice, unity, equality, respect for law and Government, patriotism,
promotion of the common good. and concern for the environment. Values related to these core
values may also be promoted. For purposes of this Act, whenever the term good citizenship is
used, it is understood that good citizenship is always based on these good citizenship values.

SECTION 4. National Multisectoral Program on Good Citizenship - A National
Multisectoral Program on Good Citizenship shall be implemented throughout the country on a
continuing basis. For this purpose, a 6-Year National Plan of Action on Good Citizenship shall
be formulated and updated at regular intervals. This shall be a part of the Medium-Term
Philippine Development Plan. Plans of Action on Good Citizenship shall be formulated and
implemented in all barangays, municipalities, cities and provinces as a part of their respective
development plans under the leadership of local chief executive. All agencies of the National


Government, including government-owned and controlled corporations shall likewise formulate
and implement their corresponding Plans of Action on Good Citizenship.

SECTION 5. Integration in Education Curriculum, and Human Resources Development
and other Programs ~ The formation of good citizens shall be a main goal of the educational
system at all levels. All education curricula and human resource development programs shall
include training on good citizenship and the good citizenship values. Formation on good
citizenship and the good citizenship values shall also be included in anti-graft and corruption
programs and in all programs on values education, formation and promotion.

SECTION 6. National Council on Good Citizenship ~ There is hereby created a mutisectoral
National Council on Good Citizenship, hereinafter referred to as the “Council”. The Council
shall have the primary responsibility for promoting good citizenship and the good citizenship
values. It shall meet at least quarterly or as often as may be necessary.

SECTION 7. Composition of the Council — The Council shall be composed as follows:

a) Executive Secretary, Chair

b) Secretary of Education

¢) Secretary of Interior and Local Government

d) Secretary of Agriculture

e) Secretary of Trade and Industry

f) Secretary of Labor and Employment

g) Chair, Commission on Higher Education

h) Director — General, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority

i) Chair, Senate Committee on Education

j) Chair, House Committee on Higher and Technical Education

k) Chair, House Committee on Basic Education & Culture

1) Chair, Coordinating Council for Private Educational Associations

m) Chancellor, Philippine Judicial Academy

n) Dean, University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and
Governance

0) Chair, Good Citizenship for National-Building Inc (Good Citizenship Movement)

SECTION 8. Functions of the Council — The Council shall have the following functions:

a) To formulate and oversee implementation of a continuing National Program on Good
Citizenship and its National Plan of Action and to put in place the requisite organizational
mechanism therefore;

b) To ensure that training for good citizenship, specifically based on the good citizenship
values shall be implemented as an intrinsic part of the education curriculum at all levels,
human resource development and values education, formation and promotion programs;

¢) To constitute experts’ groups. sectoral panels, task forces, and consultations on good
citizenship;

d) To encourage, commission, evaluate, utilize and make available research studies related
to good citizenship, including but not limited to indicators thereof;


e) To establish and implement a national awards system to recognize exemplars of good
citizenship, and set appropriate standards therefore;

f) To establish mechanisms for multisectoral collaboration for promoting good citizenship;

g) To develop a system of incentives related to the promotion of good citizenship and the
good citizenship values;

h) To encourage, provide guidelines for, produce and disseminate instructional, educational,
communications and advocacy materials for promoting good citizenship and the good
citizenship values using various media, including textbooks;

i) To set in place a system for providing technical services to assist the various sectors in
promoting good citizenship and the good citizenship values;

j) To request for, receive and disburse allocations, grants and other funds provided for the
purpose of promoting good citizenship and the good citizenship values from both
Government and private sources, local and international;

k) To mobilize the active participation of all agencies of the National Government, local
government units, and government-owned or controlled corporations in promoting good
citizenship and the good citizenship values;

1) To convenes and conduct Congresses, conferences, for a and other special events on good
citizenship and good citizenship values:

m) To present the Philippines in international for a related to citizenship;

n) To undertake such other functions as may be needed for the successful implementation of
the National Program on Good Citizenship and the discharge of its functions.

SECTION 9. Good Citizenship Technical Working Group ~ There is hereby constituted a
Good Citizenship Technical Working Group composed of a representative of each of the Council
members, of Undersecretary rank or its equivalent. The Technical Working Group shall be
chaired by the Dean of the University of the Philippines College of Public Administration and
Governance. The Technical Working Group shall meet at least once a month and as often as may
be necessary.

SECTION 10. Council Secretariat ~ There is hereby constituted a Council Secretariat, which
shall be established as a unit within the University of the Philippines National College of Public
Administration and Governance Center for Leadership, Citizenship and Democracy. The
composition of the Council Secretariat, qualification standards and compensation of Secretariat
personnel shall be as set by the Council. The Council shall prescribe the policies, scope of work,
and procedures for the operation of the Council Secretariat.

SECTION 11. Good Citizenship Recognition and Awards Officer ~ There shall be designated
within each agency of the National Government, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines
and the National Police Commission, local government units, and government-owned or
controlled corporations a “Good Citizenship Recognition and Awards Officer”. Such will assist
their respective head of agency, local chief executive, or chief executive officer in ensuring that


the requisite activities for promoting good citizenship are planned and implemented in line with
directives issued by the Council and that due recognition is given to exemplars of the good
citizenship values within their institution. The Good Citizenship Recognition and Awards Officer
shall be at least of Assistant Secretary rank or its equivalent within the institution,

SECTION 12. Training on Good Citizenship through the National Service Training
Program — Training on good citizenship and on the good citizenship values shall be made an
essential part of the National Service Training Program mandated under Republic Act No. 9163
establishing the National Service Training Program. Training of the youth in good citizenship
and the good citizenship values shall include their being mobilized as trainors on these among
their peers and out-of-school youth and in their respective communities. Local government units
and educational institutions shall develop community service and recognition programs which
will encourage the youth to undertake good citizenship actions within their respective locality.

SECTION 13. Appropriations - The amount of Fifteen Million Pesos (Php 15,000,000.00)
necessary for the initial implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the current budgets and
development funds of DepEd, CHED, and TESDA, in equal shares of Five Million Pesos (PhP
5,000,000.00) each to be released to the University of the Philippines, National College of Public
Administration and Governance. Thereafter the funds necessary for the continuous
implementation of this Act in the ensuring years shall be included in the annual respective
appropriations of DepEd, CHED and TESDA in the General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations — The National Council on Good
Citizenship shall formulate the Rules and Regulations to implement this Act within a period of
ninety (90) days from the effectivity thereof.

SECTION 15. Separability Clause — If any provision of this Act or any part thereof be declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions, as far as they are separable from the invalid
ones, shall remain in force and effect.

SECTION 16. Repealing Clause — All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts
thereof specifically inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 17. Effectivity — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.