Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 570.

Introduced by
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO
and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. RENEE LOUISE M. CO

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR ONE (1) SERVICE LAPTOP FOR EVERY PUBLIC
SCHOOL TEACHER IN THE PHILIPPINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREOF

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill proposes to provide one (1) service laptop for every public school
teacher to alleviate their financial burdens due to meager salaries and insufficient
teaching supplies allowance. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, much of
teachers’ duties and tasks already rely on technology, such as when they submit
their reports, or make lesson plans, modules, exams, instructional materials, and
other teaching or non-teaching-related tasks. Gone are the days that teachers will
rely on handwritten outputs.

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic happened, teachers were forced to shell
out more from their meager salaries just to render education services through
blended or online learning by securing laptops, gadgets, load, internet connection or
subscription, and other materials. The COVID-19 pandemic showed to us how
pathetic our education system is, teachers were not equipped with proper tools to
educate our students effectively and properly through blended modes or online. As
most teachers, especially those in rural areas, do not have their own laptops or even
internet connectivity. They usually do not qualify under the Department of
Education’s computerization program, whether for the provision of desktops or
laptops. More often than not, they will rely on laptops procured by the school or by
the local government unit.

If government has not previously seen fit to sufficiently provide teachers the


tools that are necessary for their duties and tasks, now is the suitable time. If
policemen are provided with their service firearms, and office workers in most
government agencies are provided with office supplies and computers, then there is
no reason that public school teachers are not provided with service laptops.

For the foregoing reasons, urgent approval of this bill is sought.

A al

_RBep-ANTONIO L. TINIO Rep. RI LOUISE M.CO |
ACT Teachers Party-List KABATAAN Party-List



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 570

Introduced by
ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. ANTONIO L. TINIO
and KABATAAN Party-List Rep. RENEE LOUISE M. CO

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR ONE (1) SERVICE LAPTOP FOR EVERY PUBLIC
SCHOOL TEACHER IN THE PHILIPPINES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS.
THEREOF

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. — The State recognizes the vital role of our
public school teachers in nation building and as such, they are the foundation of the
Filipino youth through the education services they provide.

It is also in consonance with the government's constitutional duty to protect
and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels. The State shall
therefore take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.

The State shall ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of
the available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job
satisfaction and fulfillment.

SEC. 2. Definition. — As used in this Act, the term “teacher” shall mean all persons
engaged in classroom teaching, in any level of instruction, on full-time basis,
including guidance counselors, school librarians, and all other persons performing
supervisory and/or administrative functions in all schools under the Department of
Education, but shall not include school nurses, school physicians, school dentists. and
other school employees.


SEC. 3. Provision of Service Laptops to Public School Teachers. - Every public
school teacher under the Department of Education (DepEd) shall receive one (1)
service laptop each.

For this purpose, the DepEd and Department of Budget and Management
(DBM), shall determine the total number of public school teachers and procure one (1)
service laptop for each public school teacher. The distribution of the laptops will be
done in two tranches, thus:

1. For School Year 2023-2024, the laptops shall be distributed to all classroom
teachers, namely, Teacher I to Master Teacher IV, Special Education Teacher I
to Special Education Teacher III, Special Science Teacher I to Special Science
Teacher V, and other teaching-related positions;

2. For School Year 2024-2025, the laptops shall be distributed to administrative
or supervisory positions such as Principal I to Principal IV, Assistant School
Principal I to III, Special School Principal, Vocational Schoo! Administrator I
and Vocational School Administrator III, and Head Teacher I to VI; and

3. The DepEd shall likewise ensure that each teacher newly-hired upon effectivity
of this Act is issued a service laptop.

The DepEd, in coordination with the Department of Information and
Communications and Technology (DICT), shall consider and formulate the technical
qualifications and specifications needed for the procurement of service laptops to
ensure effective performance of duty of our public school teachers. Further, the DICT
shall ensure the efficacy of said laptops through regular repair and maintenance of the
same.

SEC. 3. Monitoring. — The DepEd, in strict coordination with its Divisions as well as
the unions and organizations of public school teachers, shall monitor the
implementation of this Act, including but not limited to the budgetary requirements.
It shall submit the results of such monitoring annually to the Senate Committee on
Basic Education, Arts and Culture, the House Committee on Basic Education and
Culture, and the Department of Budget and Management.

SEC. 4. Strict Implementation of the Procurement Process. ~ The procurement of
the service laptops shall comply with the strict implementation of Republic Act 9184
or the Government Procurement Reform Act, thus:

1. The DepEd shall first go through Competitive Bidding under Article IV thereof,
whether the Single-Stage and Two-Stage Public Bidding;

2. After exhaustion of the measures under Competitive Bidding, the DepEd shall
then resort to either of two alternative modes of procurement, namely, Repeat
Order under Section 51 or Negotiated Procurement under Section 53 (a); and


3. In alll cases, the DepEd shall incorporate all measures and actions it has
undertaken, including compliance with the terms and conditions prior to
resorting to Repeat Order or Negotiated Procurement, in its report under the
preceding Section.

SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The DepEd shall promulgate the
necessary rules and regulations for the faithful and effective implementation of the
provisions of this Act within thirty (30) days from the date of its effectivity

Failure to comply with the mandate of this Section will render the responsible
officials liable under relevant laws and administrative rules.

SEC. 6. Appropriations. — Upon effectivity of this Act, the amounts necessary for its
implementation shall be charged against the current appropriations of the
DepEd. Thereafter, the funds shall be provided in the annual General Appropriations
Act.

SEC. 7. Separability Clause. — Should any provision of this Act or any part thereof
be declared invalid, the other provisions, insofar as they are separable from the invalid
ones, shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. ~ Any provision of laws, orders, agreements, rules, or
regulations contrary to and inconsistent with this Act is hereby repealed, amended or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 9. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete

publication either in the Official Gazette, or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,