: RECEIVED
Republic of the Philippines 01 JUL 2013
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ls

Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4
House Bil RE sit

Introduced by Representatives
GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO and DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACTTO STRENGTHEN AND ENHANCE THE USE OF ENGLISH AS THE
MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN PHILIPPINE SCHOOLS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bilingual Policy of the Department of Education, which was introduced
in 1974 (through DECS Order No. 25, s. 1974), was designed to develop a
“bilingual nation competent in the use of English and Filipino”. This policy mandated
the teaching of Filipino as a subject in all curricular levels from the elementary to
college. In addition, it required the use of Filipino as a medium of instruction in
Social Studies, Chatacter Education, Values Education, Physical Education,
Industrial Arts and Home Economics.

As a result of this policy, the learning of the English language suffered a
setback. One reason is what linguists call language interference. Targeting the
learning of two languages (English and Pilipino) is too much for the Filipino
learners, especially in the lower grades. And if the child happens to be a non-
Tagalog speaker, this task actually means learning two foreign languages at the
same time, an almost impossible task.

Another reason is that the use of Pilipino (actually Tagalog) as a medium of
instruction in the subjects mentioned earlier has limited the exposure of the
leamer to English, and since exposure is basic to language learning, mastery of
the language is not attained.

This is tragic. Because books in almost all disciplines are written in English,
learning these disciplines become a tremendously difficult undertaking. Science and
Mathematics, for example, cannot be fully mastered by our students, thus we lag
behind other Asian nations in these areas. The TIMS results in 1998 is proof of this.

This bill aims to correct the defects of the current Bilingual Education
Program of the Department of Education. Its ultimate objective is the improvement
of the learning process in schools to ensure quality outputs.

In view of this, the approval of this measure, which was duly approved
in the Committees of Higher Education and Basic Education inthe 14'" Congress is
urgently sought.

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GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO
2" District, Pampanga 2" District, Camarines Sur


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

nac Sif

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives
GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO and DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO

AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN AND ENHANCE THE USE OF ENGLISH AS THE
MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN PHILIPPINE SCHOOLS

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

SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Strengthening and
Enhancing the Use of English as the Medium of Instruction Act”.

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to
provide the citizenry with opportunities to have quality education, to learn,
communicate, grow and change in the pursuit of a higher standard of life. Towards
this end, the government undertakes to align the education of the young with the
requirements and realities of business life and to be competitive in the global
environment by strengthening, enhancing and developing the use of the English
language as the medium of instruction in all levels of education, from the preschool
to the tertiary level

Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms or
acronyms shall refer to and/or mean as hereunder defined:

(a) Medium of Instruction (MO1) refers to the language or dialect used in
teaching.

(b) School Year (SY) refers to the part of the year during which schools
are in session typically from June to March.

© Parents, Teachers and Community Association (PTCA); refers to a group
of parents and teachers organized for the welfare of the school and its pupils.

(d) Regional or native language refers to the regional language or any dialect
prevailing in region or place.

(c) Academic subjects refers to curticular subjects in the areas of general
education, science and technology.

Sec. 4. Medium of Instruction (MO). - The MOI in all subjects taught
shall be as follows:

(a) English and Filipino or the regional/native language may be used as
the MOI in all subjects from preschool until Grade Il

(b) English and Filipino shall be taught as separate subjects in all levels in
the elementary and secondary.

© In all academic subjects in the elementary grades from Grade IV to Grade


VI and in all levels in secondary school, the MO! shall be English.

(d) Inthe tertiary level, the current language policy as prescribed by the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall be maintained.

(e) In addition to formal instruction, the use of English shall be encouraged
as a language of interaction in the school. Corollary to this, the organization of
English clubs such as book, oratorical, debating, writing and related associations
shall be encouraged. In school publications, the use of English shall be given priority
as fat as practicable.

Sec. 5. Government Examinations and Entrance Examinations. - Government
Examinations and entrance examinations to public schools and state colleges and
Universities at all levels shall use English as the language of assessment:
Provided, however, That it may include questions in Filipino for which the credit for
such questions shall not exceed ten per cent (10%) of the total points in the
examination

Sec. 6. Support Facilities. - All the requirements, devices and support
facilities necessary to strengthen, enhance and develop English as the MOI such as
training and orientation for teachers’ manuals, learning modules and workbooks,
textbooks, audio-visual aids and other auxiliary teaching and learning materials
shall be formulated, developed and provided by the Department of Education
(DepEd).

Sec. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DepEd, in
consultation with the CHED, the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) and other concerned government agencies shall promulgate
within sixty (60) days the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) that shall be
necessary to implement the provisions of this Act.

Sec. 8. Congressional Oversight Committee. - There is hereby created a
congressional oversight committee composed of Three Members from the Senate
and Three Members from the House of Representatives. The Members from the
Senate shall be appointed by the Senate President based on the proportional
tepresentation of the parties or the coalitions therein, with at least one Senator
representing the Minority. The Members of the House of Representatives shall be
appointed by the Speaker, also based on the proportional representation of the
parties or the coalitions therein, withat least one Member representing the Minority

The committee shall be headed by the respective Chairpersons of the
Senate and the House of Representatives’ Committees on Education.

The Congressional Oversight Committee on Education shall, in aid of
legislation perform the following:

(2) Participate in the crafting of the IRR;
(b) Approve the final draft of the IRR;

© Set the guidelines and the overall framework to monitor and
ensure the proper implementation of this Act;

(d) Ensure transparency and require the submission of reports from
government agencies concerned on the conduct of programs, projects and
policies relating to the implementation of this Act;

(e) Determine inherent weaknesses in the law and recommend the
necessary remedial legislations or executive measures; and

(f) Perform stich other diities and functions and resnonsihilities as mav he


necessary to effectively attain the objectives of this Act.

The Congressional Oversight Committee on Education shall be assisted by
the secretariat, of the committees of both the House of Representatives and the
Senate and shall be assisted by personnel who may be seconded therefrom. It may
likewise retain the services of Consultants.

Sec. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other
provisions hereof.

Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. - All executive orders. Laws and department
orders and parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,