FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
7 JuL -4 
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SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 9
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INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It is the policy of the State to give priority to education, education, science 
and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, 
accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development. It 
is further provided in Section 1, Article XIV of the Constitution that “the State shall 
protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall 
take appropriate steps to make education accessible to all.” 
It is in this light that this bill seeks to provide free public preparatory education 
to all qualified Filipino children to prepare them for formal elementary education. 
Preparatory education plays a vital role in shaping up the values and in 
developing the interest of the child. In fact, educators agree that starting formal 
education at pre-school age has substantial benefits not only to the child, but to 
society as well. 
In view of the foregoing reasons, the immediate approval of this bill is 
earnestly sought. 
MANNY ILLAR 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
Senate Bill No. 9 5 6  
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING FREE PUBLIC PREPARATORY EDUCATION, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title - This Act shall be known as “Free Public Preparatory 
Education Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy - It is hereby declared the Policy of the 
State to institutionalize and provide for free public preparatory education to all 
qualified Filipino children in order to promote their physical, social, intellectual, 
emotional and skills stimulation and value formation to sufficiently prepare them for 
formal elementary education. 
SECTION 3. Definitions - Free Special Education Classes shall aim to 
develop the maximum potential and learning competencies of the disabled person to 
prepare him for civic efficiency and as valuable asset to the community in the future. 
a. 
b. 
C. 
Free Public Preparatory Education - Means that the children from five (5) 
to six (6) years old enrolled in day care centers established, administered, 
maintained and funded by national and local government units, and those 
public preparatory schools which may be established by law, shall be free 
from payment of tuition and other school fees. These qualified children 
shall finish one (1) year of schooling before they are admitted to Grade 1. 
Tuition Fee - Refers to the fee representing direct costs of instruction and 
other related activities and for children’s use of instruction and training 
facilities: 
Other School Fees - Refer to those fees, which cover other necessary 
costs supportive of instruction. 


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SECTION 4. Statement of Objectives - The Free Public Preparatory 
Education Program, hereinafter referred to as the Program, shall be implemented in 
accordance with the following objectives: 
a. To make preparatory education compulsory for all five (5) and six (6) 
years old children as part of the formal education ladder; 
b. To implement an adequate preparatory education program that will 
efficiently provide the necessary physical, social, intellectual and 
emotional activities needed by the preparatory school children; 
SECTION 5. Implementation of Free Public Preparatory Education - The 
system of free public preparatory education is hereby institutionalized as part of 
compulsory basic formal primary. It shall commence on the school year immediately 
following the approval of this Act. 
In case there s no adequate number of 
classrooms available for immediate use, the existing classrooms in public 
elementary schools and barangay day care centers shall be used temporarily until 
the national government provides for sufficient facilities to accommodate the 
preparatory school children nationwide. 
In no case shall any pupil be admitted to Grade I without having completed 
SECTION 6. lmplementing Agency; Powers and Functions - The Program 
shall be implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd) through the 
organization of preparatory school classes in public elementary schools. 
In pursuance of these mandates, the DepEd shall exercise the following 
powers and functions: 
the required preparatory education two (2) years after the effectivity of this Act. 
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b. 
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C. 
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d. 
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a. 
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e. 
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f. 
Oversee, administer and supervise the implementation of the Program 
throughout the country; 
Provide properly trained preparatory education teachers and make 
available all existing facilities of public elementary schools for pre-school 
use until funds for the construction of pre-school classrooms are made 
available; 
Authorize the opening of preparatory education classes in all public 
elementary schools as part of the elementary education ladder, including 
the registrationlaccreditation of barangay day care centers that are 
currently holding preparatory classes; 
Formulate a standard preparatory education curriculum in order to attain 
quality, efficiency and access. In addition to providing the pre-school 
children with general skills, knowledge and values, such a curriculum 
must include reading and arithmetic; 
Provide a regular training program to preparatory education teachers to 
keep pace with modern trends, methodologies and concepts on early 
childhood education; 
Perform such other duties as may be necessary and relevant to ensure 
the effective implementation of the program. 


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SECTION 7. Appropriations - The amount necessary to implement the 
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provision of this Act is hereby authorized to be appropriated in the General 
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Approved, 
Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and thereafter. 
SECTION 8. 
Repealing Clause - All laws, executive orders, rules and 
regulations or any provisions, inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed. 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause -This Act shall take effect upon its approval.