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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
2nd Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representative PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Among the priority of legislative measures of government is the E-Governance Bill, which 
manifests the need to capitalize on the country’s digital infrastructure following the gradual 
transition of various government agencies’ mode of services through digital platforms. In fact, 
following the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic which highly relied on digital transactions, 
such resort has already been institutionalized to various areas of transactions in the country such 
as banking, commerce, and learning, to name a few. 
Quality and accessible education, as one’s fundamental right, is among the priority of the state. 
During the COVID-19 pandemic where there is great shift in learning modalities, digital 
infrastructure has played the important role in facilitating learning. In those times where the 
norm of a classroom-setting education has been temporarily abandoned, we have witnessed all 
over the news the difficulty of teachers in catering to the needs of their students especially in far-
flung and rural areas—making access to education intensively difficult. What exacerbated the 
said situation is the lack of educational resources such as physical libraries, reading materials, 
and digital learning tools.  
Hence, in pursuit of mitigating the inaccessibility to education especially in far-flung areas, this 
bill seeks to establish the Ebooks for Barangay Program which will increase the access to 
educational resources and improve digital literacy among students in every barangay in the 
country. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this Bill is earnestly sought. 
HON. PAOLO Z. DUTERTE
March 14, 2024
3:38 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
2nd Regular Session 
House Bill No. ________ 
Introduced by Representative PAOLO Z. DUTERTE 
 AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE EBOOKS FOR THE BARANGAY PROGRAM, PROVIDING 
FUNDS THEREOF 
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 “Ebooks for the Barangay 
Program Act of 2024.” 
SEC. 2. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines. 
SEC. 3. Establishment of the Ebooks for the Barangay Program. - There is hereby 
established a nationwide program to be known as the "Ebooks for the Barangay Program" 
under the Department of Education (DepEd). This program aims to provide each 
barangay with access to free and curated digital learning resources that support the 
academic needs of its residents. 
SEC. 4. Program Components. - The Ebooks for the Barangay Program shall 
include the following components: 
a) Digital library platform - This shall provide a secure and organized database of
digital learning resources, including e-books, video lectures, simulations, and
other relevant materials, in various fields of study and in languages suitable for
the local community.
b) Devices distribution - The program shall facilitate the provision of electronic
devices, such as tablets or e-readers, to ensure access to digital library resources
for all barangays, particularly in areas with limited internet access.
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c) Capacity building - DepEd shall coordinate workshops and training programs to 
enhance digital literacy among barangay residents and develop skills in using e- 
resources. 
d) Monitoring and evaluation - Periodic assessment and data collection shall be 
carried out to measure the program's success and inform its continuous 
improvement. 
 
SEC. 5. Funding. - The necessary funding for the implementation of this Act shall 
be sourced from the DepEd's share in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA). 
 
SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DepEd, in coordination with 
pertinent government instrumentalities, shall develop the implementing rules and 
regulations, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act. 
 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - Any portion or provisions of this Act that may be 
declared unconstitutional or invalid and shall not have the effect of nullifying other 
portions or provisions hereof as long as such remaining portions or provisions can still 
subsist and be given effect in their entirety. 
 
SEC 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
memoranda, circulars, and other issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with 
the Act, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 9. Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,