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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Senate Bill No. 
Introduced by: Senator Lacson 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Since the creation of what is now known as the Department of Education 
(DepEd), the procurement of textbooks for elementary and secondary public 
schools has been highly centralized and was entrusted to one single office, i.e. The 
Property and Procurement Division. 
This highly centralized procurement of books has resulted in the delay of 
delivery of books to the provinces, cities or municipalities, particularly those in 
the far-flung areas. Also, there are reports that books and other educational 
materials were left stocked in warehouses to deteriorate instead of being used by 
our elementary and secondary students. Moreover, centralized procurement has 
resulted in the purchase of books not adaptable or suited to the region or province. 
It must be stressed that a centralized procurement of textbooks and other 
educational materials is highly susceptible to abuse by scrupulous publishers. This 
in turn could result in a monopoly to the detriment of small and medium 
publishers particularly those in the regions, provinces, cities or municipalities. 
R.A. No. 8047 or the Book Publishing Industry Act was enacted on June 7, 
1995. This law included the provisions on the regionalization of the printing of 
public, elementary and secondary school textbooks. Unfortunately, eleven (1 1) 
years after the passage of the law, the DepEd failed to implement the same for 
reasons of lack of clear enabling law and mechanisms. 
Along this light, this bill seeks among others to: 
a) Decentralize the textbook procurement program of the DepEd by creating 
a 
Division Textbook Procurement Services Unit (DTPSU) in all 
provincial and city division offices including those in the Autonomous 
Region In Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). 
b) Decentralize Textbook Printing 
With the enactment of this bill it is envisioned that the desired ratio of 1 : 1 
or 1 book per student per subject area will be achieved, and that books as well as 
other required instructional materials would reach the elementary and secondary 
students on time. 


Finally, with the immediate enactment of this bill, it is also hoped that the 
required textbooks wouId not only be delivered without delay but will likewise 
meet the standard of quality required and pertinent to each region. 
In view thereof, approval of this bill is urgently sought. 
V 
Senator 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Senate Bill No. 
Introduced by: Senator Lacson 
AN ACT 
DECENTRALlZING THE TEXTBOOK PROCUIWMENT PROGRAM OF 
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DepEd) BY CREATING A DIVISION 
TEXTBOOK PROCUREMENT SERVICES UNIT (DTPSU) IN ALL 
PROVINCIAL AND CITY DIVISION OFFICES INCLUDING THOSE IN THE 
AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO (ARMM) REPEALING 
FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 10 OF R.A. NO. 8047 OTHERWISE KNOWN 
AS THE BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT ACT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress Assembled: 
SECTION 1. Decentralization of the Textbook Procurement Program. - The 
Textbook Procurement Program of the Department of Education (DepEd) shall be 
decentralized by establishing Division Textbook Procurement Services Unit (DTPSU) 
in every provincial and/or city division office of the department including those in the 
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) 
SEC. 2. Pre-Procurement Procedures - Textbook Development, Evaluation 
and Selection. 
The Offices/Bureaus concerned shall exercise the following duties and 
responsibilities: 
A. The Bureaus Of Elementary and Secondary Education, (BEE/BSE) shall, in 
coordination and with the assistance of the National Book Development Board 
(NBDB) and the IMCS perform the following: 
i. 
ii. 
The BEE shall prepare the Philippine Elementary Learning 
Competencies (PELC) and the Philippine Secondary, School Learning 
Competencies (PSSLC) 
The NBDBiIMCS shall disseminate copies of the PELC and PSSLC to 
all 
provincial 
and 
city 
division 
offices, 
as well 
as 
to 
publishers/companies duly registered with that agency; 
Preparation of the minimum learning competencies and writing briefs 
iii. 
B. The ProvincialiCity Division Offices shall undertake the following: 


B. The ProvincialICity Division Offices shall undertake the following: 
a. 
Guided by the PELCPSSLC, evaluate and select the most 
adequate and relevant textbooks among those submitted by 
interested publisherdcompanies; 
Dissemination to each school of the list of duly evaluated 
textbooks and instructional materials from among which the 
end-user school may select the titles to be requisitioned; 
Provision of funds for the purpose and effect payment of 
textbooks and other books procured. 
b. 
c. 
SEC. 3. Tize Procurement Procedures - The PDOs and/or CDOs through the 
respective DTPSUs shall: 
i. 
Gather Requisition and Issue Slips (RIS) from the schools and 
consolidate the titles needed; 
ii. 
Preparation of purchase orders to effect the procurement of the 
titles mostly requestedhequisitioned by District Supervisors or 
School Heads. 
iii. 
Accomplishment of the P.O. up to availability of funds. 
iv. 
Preparation of allocation and assistance in the delivery of the 
textbooks to schools. 
SEC. 4. Decentralization of Textbook Printing. - The printing of public 
elementary and secondary textbooks shall be done on a regional basis and whenever 
economically feasible by congressional district or province. 
SEC. 5 .  Multiple Adoption. - The DepEd shall ensure that the policy of 
multiple adoption of textboolts be implemented to encourage the free flow of 
information and the deregulation of book publishing. 
SEC. 6. 
Composition of the DTPSU - the DTPSU shall be headed by the 
Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) or hisiher authorized representative with the 
following as members; Supply Officer, Area Supervisor Concerned, FiscalFinance 
Chief, Representative District Supervisor or Head of biggest school. 
SEC. 7. Appropriations. - The Secretary of Education and the Regional 
Secretary of Education of the ARMM shall immediately include in their respective 
agency’s programs the establishment and operation of the DTPSUs, the initial 
funding of which shall be charged against their current year’s appropriations and 
thereafter in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
Likewise, the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of the ARMM shall 
include in their respective agency’s Annual Budget Appropriations the amount for the 


procurement of textbooks and other instructional materials based on the annual 
textbook procurement programh submitted by each division. 
SEC. 8. Function of the Office of the Secretary of the DepEd. - The Office of 
the Secretary of the DepEd shall monitor the operation of the DTPSUs with respect to 
the quality of services of participating private publishers as well as the utilization of 
funds allocated to the respective DTPSUs. 
SEC. 9. Functions of the Regional Of$ce and the Office of the Secretary of 
DepEd.- 
A. The Regional Office shall see to it that there is equality in the 
implementation of education for all through the proper distribution and 
utilization of textbooks in schools. 
B. 
The Office of the Secretary shall: 
a, 
Work for the inclusion of appropriations for textbooks and other 
instructional materials in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) and 
their release to Division Office concerned, 
b. 
Monitor the submission of liquidation reports for amounts spent for 
textbooks. 
SEC. 10. Penal Clause - Any person who willfully violates or cause the 
violation of any provision of this Act shall, upon conviction, be penalized with a fine 
of Twenty thousand pesos (P20,OOO.OO) and/or imprisonment of not less than three 
months but not more than one year or both depending upon the discretion of the 
court. 
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. Section of 10 R.A. No. 8047, otherwise known as 
the “Book Publishing Industry Development Act” is hereby repealed. All other laws, 
decrees, rules, regulatory and other administrative issuances or provisions thereof, 
which are contrary to or inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect after its publication in 
the OfJicial Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation 
Approved,