Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BILLNo,_1796

Introduced by Rep. BERNADETTE HERRERA-DY

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Everyday left handed people struggle in a right handed world. There are many
different factors in the environment that may pose problems for left handed people. The
problem is that the majority of people are right handed and various products and tools
are often made for right handed individuals without any thought being put into whether
or not it will work for a left handed person. Being. a left handed can sometimes be a
drag. This is because almost all hand-held devices, such as tools, have been designed
with a right-handed individual in mind. In fact, most right-handed people don't even
recognize that things have been made specifically for them. It's just the way that things
are, and since they work so easily for right-handed people, it becomes second nature.

From a global perspective, available data indicate that there are at least 20
million people in the .United States that are left handed and 500 million left-handers on
the planet. There are now more left handed people in the world than ever before. A
recent study in the US. shows that the number of people who primarily use their left
hand is on a steady rise. In fact, as much as 10% -15% of the population is left handed
That's more than one out of ten people. Therefore, if you don't happen to be left handed
yourself, you likely know someone who is. In fact, data indicate that the three
candidates who ran in the 1992 U.S. presidential election, George Bush, Bill Clinton and
Ross Perot were all left-handed. If we take the assumption that 10% of the total


population are left handed, then we can easily estimate that there are about 8.8 million
Filipino population that are left-handed given that we have a total population of 88

million.

Every single day left handed school children struggle fo succeed in a right
handed world. For instance left handed students are faced with many obstacles in
school. Some of these problems include using scissors, using a right handed desk,
using a ruler, even notebooks are made for the right handed person. Left handed
students also have a hard time when it comes to sitting at a table with right handed
students because they constantly bump elbows with them. Even writing poses a
problem for left handed individuals because they always move their hand across what
they have just written and it smudges the ink all over the paper, and gets smeared on
their hands as well. In the US., a research covering 1,000 left handed respondents
indicate that an overwhelming 85% of the lefthander respondents are having trouble
with smudging writing. Moreover, aching hands are also a problem for 65% of
lefthanders, yet only 10% of students have received any specific advice on left-handed
writing techniques from their teacher. Tragically, some teachers even try to "uncorrect”
children who have been taught the correct lefthanded techniques at home, because this
does not conform to school policies.

In many instances in bar examinations and professional board examinations, left-
handed people are competing for the limited number of left-handed desks. Even when
left handed examinees could get an appropriate desk, there are other problems
because left-handed desks are all the way-over to the left-handed side of lecture hall
where you have to strain your neck to see the overheads. This is so because few school
administrators, teachers, maintenance administrators and furniture buyers take
infrastructure bias for granted. Right-sided arm school desks represent an obstacle to
learning for left-handed students from pre-school through university. Yet this is a
problem that may be easily solved by better informed parents, students, teachers,
school administrators, classroom designers, and furniture buyers.


Even the most basic educational tools were not made available in a large number
of classrooms. Only 18% had access to a left-handed fountain pen, or pen with left-
handed finger grips. A great many left-handers do not realize that the correct
educational tools and equipment would improve their school performance. Practical
subjects in schools such as practical arts, home economics, woodwork & metalwork
which involve using heavy machinery also raised concerns, both with blade positioning
and over the positioning of safety overrides, which, according to many experts are
positioned for right-handers convenience. This means that lefthanders can lose valuable
seconds in an emergency, as they would instinctively reach out with their dominant
hand in moments of stress. Although many schools and universities embrace anti-
discrimination policies, unwitting school administrators and maintenance administrators
continue to institutionalize discrimination by buying right-armed chairs. Without proper
instruction, a child may develop a needlessly uncomfortable, inefficient, slow, or messy
way of writing

In many instance, the education system not only fails left-handed students by
inflicting a right-handed education upon them, but also fails them by not stimulating the
potentials inherent in the left-hander.

The most common & serious problems left-handers face in school are: Forcing a
lefthander to switch to the right hand may precipitate the onset of serious learning
disorders; improper instruction on how to position paper and pencil can lead to
awkward, uncomfortable, and/or slow writing

Research studies indicate that there is a significant gap in teachers’ knowledge
relating to their left-handed pupils. Far too few teachers are aware of their left-handed
students’ needs and crucially do not know how easily these needs can be met.
Alarmingly, it appears very few teachers give specific safety guidance to left-handers on
the best positions fo adopt when using such machinery. Students are even being told to
“use it right-handed which not only means relying on their weaker hand, but also impairs


hand-eye co-ordination, making them less accurate which can have disastrous
consequences.

Today, modern science has shown us that it is perfectly natural for some people
to be left handed. If parents discover that their child prefers to use their left hand over
their right, many medical authorities strongly encourage parents not to change this
natural process. There is nothing wrong with a child using their left hand. It simply takes
a little more guidance when it comes to developing handwriting skills. A recent study
has shown that parents must never force and try to train a left handed child to become
right-handed. The reason is that the left-handed child will start to have concentration
problems and difficulties, and also develop negative psychological effects later on in life.

Indeed, there is an urgent need to provide teachers with the proper training and
Information so that they can address the major concerns of left-handed students.
Lefthandedness need never be a problem for children provided teachers can guide
them in the techniques to adopt when approaching new tasks as a left-hander.

This humble measure is being proposed with the hope that this intervention will
address the horizon of concerns faced by our left-handed school children who have to

struggle and face difficulties in a right-handed oriented school system.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BiLLNo._1°9 8

Introduced by Rep. BERNADETTE HERRERA-DY

AN ACT
INSTITUTING A COMPREHENSIVE AND HOLISTIC
FRAMEWORK AND PROGRAMS FOR LEFT-HANDERS AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION I. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive
Handedness Act of 2010".

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. -- It is hereby declared the policy of the
State to promote the right to education and to promote the total and holistic human
development. In this light, the State shall institutionalize a holistic handedness
education program in the country that will be sensitive to the needs not only to the right-
handers but also to the left-handers in order to provide educational programs that is
responsive to the handedness preference of the students.

Towards this end, the State shall provide the comprehensive mechanisms to
update and improve the scientific knowledge on the issues concerning handedness with
the purpose of promoting better education to our students.

SECTION 3. Philippine Handedness Research and Training Institute
(PHRTI). - There is hereby established a Philippine Handedness Research and Training


Institute (PHRTI), hereinafter referred to as the "Institute". The Institute shall be
established as an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology
(DOST). The purpose of the Institute is to advance the scientific understanding and
knowledge of handedness (left-handed and right-handed) and to help alleviate the
social and educational discrimination of left-handers nationwide through research,
information, education and advocacy.

The objective of the Philippine Handedness Research Institute (PHKTI) is to
contribute to the scholarly and social understanding of the human condition of majority
tight-handers co-existing with left-handed. Towards this end, the Institute shall perform
the following functions:

1. To facilitate and support interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and international
research and training activities to advance our knowledge and understanding on the
issues concerning handedness (right handedness and left handedness);

2. To disseminate scientifically validated and verified educational resources to
the country on the issues concerning right-handed and left-handed students;

3. To raise the awareness on issues of public concern related to handedness;

4. To provide a communication forum for researchers, professionals, policy
makers, school administrators, the public and various stakeholders to exchange
information and knowledge concerning the issues on handedness (right handedness
and left handedness);

5. To provide forum and avenue for discussion of educational and modern
techniques and methods in relation to the problems encountered by left-handed
students;

6. To promote a continuing training program for teachers through information,
education and communication (IEC) campaigns in order for them to be sensitized and:
be sensitive to the needs of the left-handed students;

7. To serve as an authoritative source of information regarding issues concerning
handedness;

8. To publish and disseminate information, education, communication and
training materials concerning the issues handedness, most specially the concerns of the
left-handers. These materials shall include, among others, the following: Parents' Guide


to Left-Handers, Teachers’ Guide to Left-Handers, Employers’ Guide to Left-Handers,
Students’ Guide to Left-Handers, the Development of Handedness in Children,
Handedness & Personal Health & Safety, Handedness & Brain Lateralization; and

9. To perform such other functions as mandated for under this Act.

SECTION 4. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign for
Left-Handers. - The Institute, in coordination with the Department of Education
(DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Philippine Council for the Welfare
of Children (PCWC) and Philippine Information Agency (PIA), shall conduct a year-
round information, education and communication (IEC) campaign to inform and educate
teachers, school administrators, policy makers and various stakeholders involved in the
education of our children.

Among the activities and programs to be undertaken in the IEC Campaign shall
include the following:

|, The Institute shall provide scholarly information on issues related to
handedness (left-handedness and right-handedness). The information, education and
communication (IEC) campaign of the Institute will focus on eradicating three global
educational problems faced by left-handers namely: the forced switching of left-handed
children's hand preference; the improper teaching of left-handed writing; and the use of
biased school desks and arm chairs;

2. The Institute shall publish additional resources which will include series of
topical articles on handedness, educational materials and educational posters. The
Institute shall also provide translations into various local dialects and easy-to-print
formats to help students and individuals obtain accurate and scientific information on
the proper handling of the concems of the left-handers and to make information easily
accessible to every school and parent in the country;

3. The Institute shall publish the latest information, teaching aids, school
equipment and advice for helping left-handed school children in all areas of the


curriculum. The aim of the information campaign is to ensure that these children receive
an equal learning experience to their right-handed contemporaries;

4, The IEC will include the preparation of educational training manuals for
teachers for them to easily detect left-handed students so as not to discriminate these
group of students; and

5, The IEC campaigns shall ensure that left-handed children will have an equal
tight to receive the correct basic training and equipment that will enable them to reach
their full potential

Recognizing the value of two-way communication for researchers, professionals,
and the public and in order to promote such communication avenues, the Institute shall
invite comments, ideas, and suggestions regarding issues related to handedness.

SECTION 5. National Handedness Awareness Week. - In order to mainstream
the issues and concerns of left-handers, the first week of September of every year is
hereby declared as the "Handedness Awareness Week". This week will be celebrated
nationwide so that left-handers all over the nation can celebrate and increase public
awareness on the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed. Said week-long
activity will be spearheaded by the Philippine Handedness Research and Training
Institute (PHRTI), in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd),
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

All educational institutions throughout the country are hereby enjoined to give
their support to the celebration of the National Handedness Awareness Week by
conducting their respective activities with the active participation of all their students,
faculties and staff.

SECTION 6. Provision on Left-Handed Educational Materials and Fac:
The DepEd, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), shall

ies.


formulate the necessary implementing rules and regulations to ensure that schools all
over the country shall provide left-handed desks and educational materials in relation to
the percentage of left-handed people in the student population and to ensure that
school policies, regulations and activities are non-discriminatory to the needs of
lefthanded students. These school materials should include sports materials that are
sensitive and fitted to be used by left-handed students during sports activities and
school events. These materials should also cover equipments in music, sports, arts, and
all facets of education and training

Moreover, the relevant professional regulatory bodies of the government,
including the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), are hereby mandated to
provide the appropriate arm chairs, desks and educational materials for left-handed
students particularly during professional board examinations so that left-handed
examinees will be given equal learning experience and opportunities with that of their
right-handed contemporaries.

SECTION 7. Annual Conference on Handedness. - The Philippine
Handedness Research and Training Institute (PHRTI), in coordination with the
Department of Education (DepEd), Phil
(PCWC), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), is hereby mandated to conduct an
Annual Handedness National Conference which will be participated by school
administrators, teachers, policy makers, academic researchers, and experts in the field

pine Council for the Welfare of Children

of handedness in order to promote awareness and information exchange on the issues
concerning handedness.

The Annual Handedness National Conference is envisioned to be an avenue
where experts of various academic disciplines will share their knowledge on the issues
faced by lefthanders and identify ways and means in order to address said issues.

The National Conference will discuss and review various research and
development efforts of various multidisciplinary institutions in the mainstreaming of the


issues faced by left-handers. The Institute shall provide opportunities for international
experts from across disciplines to address specific research topics related to
handedness.

The proceedings of the Institute's Annual Research Conferences will be
published and be made available to the public.

SECTION 8. Appropriation. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions
of this Act shall be included and incorporated in the annual general appropriations of the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - Within six (6)
months from the date of effectivity of this Act, the DOST shall promulgate necessary
implementing rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - All Laws, decrees, executive orders, rules
and regulations or parts thereof not consistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of this Act, or the
application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held unconstitutional or invalid, the
remainder of this Act shall not be affected thereby.

SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
from the date of its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)

newspapers of general circulation

Approved,