Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill proposes the creation of a National Education Council. It aims to develop a national 
education agenda and institutionalize a system of coordination, planning, monitoring, 
evaluation, and management among the Department of Education, the Technical Education 
Skills and Development Authority and the Commission on Higher Education. 
It seeks to ensure effective coordination to align education policies and programs by 
strengthening the collaboration of the three subsectors. Since the separation of the three 
education subsectors in 1991, there is evident misalignment through the years. Coordinating 
bodies were create such as the Presidential Commission on Educational Reform (PCER) in 
1998, and the National Coordinating Council for Education (NCCE) under Executive Order 
(EO) No. 273, s. 2000, EO No. 632, s. 2007 and EO No. 652, s. 2007. 
This measure recognizes the indispensable role of a national council on education to develop 
an effective and efficient education ecosystem that will enable the three sub-sectors to 
implement policies and programs coherently. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is most earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
August 16, 2022
2:32 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
AN ACT CREATING THE NATIONAL EDUCATION COUNCIL, DEFINING ITS 
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:  
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “National Education Council 
Act.”  
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to make 
education as a critical component of human capital development, socio-economic 
equality, inclusive growth, and sustainable development. Pursuant to Article XIV of the 
Constitution which mandates the State to protect and promote the right of all citizens 
to quality education at all levels, take appropriate steps to make such education 
accessible to all, and establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and 
integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society, the 
State hereby adopts the following policies:  
a.
The State shall place education at the center of its development policies, guided
by a clear and long-term set of goals in the form of a national education agenda
that is a product of a long-term planning and strategic investments in education;
b.
The three sub-sectors of education, namely the Department of Education, the
Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills
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Development Authority, shall strategically implement the policies and programs 
under this national education agenda in a coordinated and harmonized education 
ecosystem so that investments in education will lead to the achievement of the 
goal of developing the country’s human capital as an essential factor to national 
development; and  
 
c.  
The State recognizes that to develop such an effective and efficient education 
ecosystem, the role of a national council on education is indispensable in 
enabling the three sub-sectors to implement policies and programs coherently, 
while engaging other government agencies, local government units (LGUs), the 
business sector, the academe, and other public and private stakeholders who 
play a crucial role in the education sector.  
 
Sec. 3. Objectives. - The objectives of this Act are as follows:  
a.  
Promote a culture of long-term, strategic, and collaborative planning among the 
three sub-sectors through the formulation and implementation of a national 
education agenda that will compel the adoption of a long-term vision and focused 
priorities for the education sector;  
 
b.  
Improve education governance in the country and ensure effective coordination 
and eliminate fragmentation of education policies and programs among the three 
sub-sectors; and  
 
c.  
Establish an efficient institution through the creation of the National Education 
Council with the necessary authority to mandate the integration of education 
policies and programs, and strengthen the collaboration of the three sub-sectors 
to improve education outcomes and achieve the goals set under the national 
education agenda.  
 
Sec. 4. The National Education Council. - The National Education Council, 
hereinafter referred to as the NEDCO, is hereby created and attached to the Office of 
the President, to develop the country’s national education agenda, goals, priorities, 
and long-term national strategy, and institutionalize a system of national coordination, 


planning, monitoring, evaluation, and management among the three sub-sectors. The 
NEDCO shall be composed of the following:  
a.  
President of the Philippines - Chairperson;  
b.  
Secretary of the Department of Education - Co-Vice Chairperson;  
c.  
Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education - Co-Vice Chairperson;  
d.  
Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority - 
Co-Vice Chairperson;  
e.  
President of the Senate - Member;  
f.  
Speaker of the House of Representatives - Member;  
g.  
Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority - Member; 
h.  
Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology - Member;  
i.  
Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry - Member;  
j.  
Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology - 
Member;  
k.  
Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management - Member;  
l.  
Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government - Member;  
m.  Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment - Member;  
n.  
Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission - Member;  
o.  
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the Philippine Statistics 
Authority - Member;  
p.  
Chairperson of the Professional Regulation Commission - Member; and  
q.  
Four (4) Members to be appointed by the President from each of the following 
stakeholders: education sector, business sector, academe, and other sectors, 
whether public or private, with a direct stake in education to ensure broad-based 
consultation and planning. The NEDCO shall meet at least twice a year. The 
President may designate the Executive Secretary to attend on his behalf and 
preside over the meetings of the NEDCO. The other members may not designate 
alternate representatives other than their respective undersecretaries, or the 
officers next-in-rank to such members, to the meetings. Majority of the members 
shall constitute a quorum.  
 
Sec. 5. The National Education Council; Powers and Functions. - The NEDCO 
shall have the following powers and functions:  


a.  
Develop the country’s strategic vision for education as anchored on national 
development plans, long-term and medium-term goals, plans and priorities, 
strategies for a coordinated and coherent implementation, and recommendations 
on the corresponding investments and appropriations in the form of a national 
education agenda;  
 
b.  
Institutionalize a system of national coordination in the planning, monitoring, 
evaluation, implementation, and management of the national education agenda 
to ensure coherent strategic direction by the three sub-sectors and avoid 
possible overlaps, gaps, and inconsistencies that may result from non-alignment 
of policies, plans and programs;  
 
c.  
Serve as a regular forum for inter-sub-sectoral consultations and proposals for 
intervention to address cross-cutting policies and programs of the three sub-
sectors 
 
d.  
Ensure effective, harmonized, and coordinated planning among the three sub-
sectors on issues critical to the education sector including but not limited to the 
following: a teacher education program that will equip teachers with the required 
skills, trainings, and competencies and is suitable and responsive to the needs 
of the three sub-sectors, taking into account the real demand of the labor market 
and needs of the industry; an integrated curriculum that will deliver the desired 
education goals, priorities, and outcomes under the national education agenda; 
and a K to 12 graduates employment plan that ensures a job-skills match 
between senior high school graduates vis-a-vis the qualifications and needs of 
the government and the private sector;  
 
e.  
Coordinate with government agencies, LGUs, and other relevant sectors to 
promote policy and program coherence;  
 
f.  
Regularly monitor, evaluate, review, and update the education programs under 
the national education agenda, as well as existing programs, for tighter inter-sub-
sector coordination;  
 


g.  
Communicate, whenever it deems necessary, the country’s national education 
agenda, policies, priorities, and programs to both local and international 
communities, including the public reporting of the State of Philippine Education 
Address;  
 
h.  
Implement an action agenda for the development of the country’s capacity for, 
and success in, education as measured by the National Achievement Test, 
Programme for International Student Assessment, Education Index, Education 
for All Development Index, and other indices and measures that it may deem 
appropriate in measuring the growth and development of the education sector in 
the country, or among countries; 
 
i.  
Submit annual reports to the Philippine Congress on the progress of 
implementation of this Act; and Perform other functions as may be necessary for 
its implementation.  
 
Sec. 6. The National Education Agenda. – The national education agenda shall be 
anchored on national development plans and establish the country’s strategic vision 
for education, long-term and medium-term goals, plans and priorities, strategies for a 
coordinated 
and 
coherent 
implementation, 
and 
recommendations 
on 
the 
corresponding investments and appropriations in the form of a national education 
agenda. It shall provide a road map for improving education governance through clear-
cut delineation and complementation of education policies and programs across the 
three sub-sectors and other stakeholders. It shall also identify areas and strategies to 
stimulate the role of other government agencies and LGUs in the attainment of its 
vision.  
 
The national education agenda shall have a minimum of five (5)-year horizon, to be 
updated annually and reviewed periodically by the NEBCO. The three sub-sectors, 
concerned government agencies, and concerned stakeholders shall strictly comply 
with the national education agenda and shall incorporate its pertinent policies in their 
respective programs.  
 


The national education agenda shall be developed by the NEBCO, in consultation with 
other relevant government agencies, LGUs, and other stakeholders. It shall be 
completed within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act.  
 
Sec. 7. The NEDCO Secretariat. – To provide support to the NEDCO, a Secretariat 
shall be established within the Office of the President and shall be under its control 
and supervision. It shall be headed by an Executive Director who shall be nominated 
by the NEDCO and appointed by the President of the Philippines. The Executive 
Director shall have at least ten (10) years of experience and practice in the field of 
education to qualify for nomination and appointment.  
 
The NEDCO shall determine its organizational structure, staffing pattern, and 
compensation schedule as it may deem necessary, and shall appoint officers and 
employees in accordance with Civil Service law, rules and regulations.  
 
The initial staffing structure and complement of the Secretariat shall be submitted by 
the NEDCO to the Department of Budget and Management for funding. Pending the 
creation of the appropriate plantilla positions, the NEDCO shall constitute an interim 
Secretariat within one (1) month from the effectivity of this Act, through the temporary 
detail of competent personnel from the three sub-sectors.  
 
The NEDCO shall define the duties and responsibilities of the Secretariat which shall, 
in turn, formulate and adopt its own internal operating rules and procedures.  
 
Sec. 8. Educational Mapping and Statistics for the National Education Agenda. 
- To ensure an evidenced-based formulation and crafting of the national education 
agenda, the Philippine Statistics Authority is hereby mandated to:  
a.  
strengthen its core unit that is dedicated to the generation, analysis, utilization, 
and dissemination of all education and literacy statistics and information, 
including the mapping of data related to education as a dimension of poverty 
under Republic Act No. 11315 or the “Community-Based Monitoring System Act”;  
 
b.  
develop and manage a nationwide database of such statistics and information;  
 


c.  
systematize its administrative and operational linkages with the statistical or 
mapping units of the three sub-sectors; and d. coordinate with other government 
agencies whose mandate requires the conduct of community mapping programs 
that are relevant to the education sector such as the Department of Interior and 
Local Government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.  
 
Sec. 9. Annual Report. – The NEDCO shall submit an annual report to the President 
and both houses of Congress on or before the last day of May to provide an 
assessment of the NEDCO’s implementation of the national education agenda and 
present strategies to remedy implementation gaps. The report shall also be made 
available to the public through the respective portals of the three sub-sectors.  
 
Sec. 10. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the initial implementation of 
this Act shall be sourced from the current appropriations of the Office of the President. 
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous implementation of this Act shall 
be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
 
Sec. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days after the 
effectivity of this Act, the Office of the President and the three subsectors, in 
consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall formulate and promulgate the necessary 
rules and regulations for its effective implementation.  
 
Sec. 12. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this Act shall be held invalid 
or unconstitutional, the other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected shall 
remain in full force and effect.  
 
Sec. 13. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, rules, executive orders, and other 
administrative issuances and parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are 
hereby repealed, superseded or modified accordingly.  
 
Sec. 14. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
 
Approved,