NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 721
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
Senate
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*22 JUL 18 PI 59
RECEIVED BV:
AN ACT
MANDATING THE PROVISION OF FREE ON-SITE LIVING QUARTERS FOR 
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
According to the Department of Education (DepEd), there were 22.9 million 
students who enrolled In public elementary schools and high schools nationwide for 
the school year 2017-2018. For the school year 2019-2020, DepEd reported that 
there would be 27 million enrollees, which is around 3% higher than the school year 
2018-2019. And despite the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of 
students who enrolled in public schools continued to rise. For the school year 2021- 
2022, DepEd has registered 27,232,095 enrollees, which Is up by almost four 
percent from the previous year's 26.2 million.
In the 2017 budget of DepEd, around Phpl9.5 Billion was allocated for the 
creation of 58,831 teacher positions and 13,391 non-teaching positions.
The above-mentioned statistics simply illustrate that there is a huge demand 
for the services of public school teachers to ensure that quality education is indeed 
accessible and should be affordable for all Filipino children.
The focus of this legislative measure is a concern/aspect of public education 
that seems to be out of reach by statistics. Unknown to most of Filipinos, lots of 
public school teachers are forced to teach in public schools located far away from


their respective hometowns, far away from their respective families. Some teach 
within the same town but in the remotest of barrios in said town.
To be able to save time and energy, some of said teachers opt to incur board 
and lodging expenses in exchange of the dally financial and physical struggle 
required by traveling from their homes to the public schools where they teach at.
Teaching is a very noble profession and is something that becomes part of 
each and every future graduate and/or professional. Though education must be 
made accessible and affordable for Filipino children and/or youth, it should not, on 
the other hand, provide added burden and sacrifice on the part of our public school 
teachers who have already opted to teach away from their homes and families to 
teach in the remotest of areas all around the country.
This legislative measure seeks the provision of free on-site housing and/or 
board and lodging for the above-illustrated public school teachers who are teaching 
away from their homes and families, among others. The ultimate goals of this 
legislative measure are to ensure that the remotest of areas all around the country 
would not lack competent and dedicated public school teachers and to ensure that 
said areas are not the "last choice" of existing and/or aspiring public school teachers.
In view of the foregoing, immediate passage of this legislative measure is 
earnestly sought.
GRACE PC


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
s. No. 721
Senate
o! tl)f
72 JUL18 PI 59
RECEIVED BY:
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
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AN ACT
MANDATING THE PROVISION OF FREE ON-SITE LIVING QUARTERS FOR 
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. “This Act shall be known as the "Free On-Site Living 
Quarters for Public School Teachers
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. -It is hereby the declared policy of the State to 
ensure the accessibility and affordability of quality education to all Filipinos.
The State duly recognizes the distinct situation of public school teachers who 
are teaching away from their homes and their families.
It is the objective of the State to ensure availability of competent and 
dedicated public school teachers in the remotest of areas in the country with the 
least burden and hardship on the part of said public school teachers.
Sec. 3. Coverage. -This Act shall apply to the public school teachers who are 
teaching in public schools far away from their respective homes and families and are 
forced, or have opted, to live in said areas where the schools they teach at are 
located.
There shall be no distinction if the afore-mentioned public school teachers are 
new hires or transferees.
Sec. 4. Provision of Free On-Site Living Quarters. - The Department of 
Education (DepEd) shall, free of charge, provide livable and humane living quarters 
at the nearest possible location to the public schools where the covered public 
school teachers in Section 3 of this Act are teaching.


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Existing benefits and allowances already granted by law, rules, regulations 
and issuances to the covered pdblic school teachers In this Act shall not be 
diminished, withdrawn or removed.!
Sec. 5. Funding. - The funding necessary for the successful implementation 
of this Act shall be sourced from tt)e existing funds of the DepEd and shall later on 
be specifically allocated in the annual budget of the DepEd. In addition, reasonable 
and sufficient additional funding shall be sourced from the Special Education Fund 
(SEF) arising from the real property tax collected by concerned Local Government 
Units (LGUs) where the living quarters shall be constructed and/or located.
Sec. 6. Implementing Ruiesi and Regulations. - The DepEd, in consultation
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with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of the 
Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Budget Management 
(DBM), shall formulate and promulgate the necessary implementing rules and 
regulations for the successful implementation of this Act not later than ninety (90) 
days from the effectivity of this Act.:
Sec. 7. Separability Clause, -ilf for any reason any section or provision of this
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Act is declared to be unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections and provisions 
thereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.
Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules or regulations or 
parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, 
amended, or modified accordingly.
Sec. 9. Effectivity. - This Ad shall take effect after fifteen (15) days upon
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publication In a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved, 
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