Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

1049

HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ADRIAN MICHAEL A. AMATONG

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This measure seeks to establish a separate Schools Division Office for all basic
education schools in the 3°! Legislative District of Zamboanga del Norte, to be located
in the Municipality of Liloy, Province of Zamboanga del Norte.

Schools division offices are the primary support structure in school operations.
As such, they exercise direct administrative supervision over schools and align their
functions and activities toward addressing the urgent problems at the school level.

At present, the Schools Division Office of Zamboanga del Norte, which has
jurisdiction over the basic education schools in the 3% District of Zamboanga del
Norte, is located in Dipolog City. However, the distance from Dipolog City to Leon B.
Postigo, the northernmost municipality under the 3"! District of Zamboanga del Norte,
is approximately 105.8 kilometers, with average travel time of 2 hours and 25
minutes. On the other hand, the distance from Dipolog City to Sibuco, the
southernmost municipality of the district, is approximately 283.7 kilometers, with
average travel time of 6 hours and 24 minutes. Not only is this great distance and
long travel physically taxing on teachers and principals who file documents and report
to the Division Office, it also wastes a lot of their valuable time which would have
otherwise been used for preparing their lessons, checking their students’ works, and
doing necessary works.

Moreover, for the school year 2020-2021, the Schools Division Office of
Zamboanga del Norte has jurisdiction over 753 schools, 8,609 teachers, and 1,893
non-teaching employees. Ideally, a Schools Division should only comprise of 800 to
1000 teachers. This huge number of personnel under the existing Divisions Office
creates difficulty in communication of immediate standard actions and memoranda.

If this bill will be enacted, the existing Schools Division Office of Zamboanga del
Norte will be divided into two. The Zamboanga del Norte- Schools Division Office 1 will
retain supervision over the schools in the 1% and 2 Legislative Districts of
Zamboanga del Norte, with 414 schools, 4,659 teachers, and 119,245 enrollees. On
the other hand, the proposed Zamboanga del Norte- Schools Division Office II will
have supervision over the schools in the 3"! Legislative District of Zamboanga del
Norte, with 336 schools, 3,950 teachers, and 108,355 enrollees. While still above the
ideal composition of only 800-1000 teachers, the division of the existing Schools
Division Office of Zamboanga del Norte will make it easier to manage and provide
technical assistance to the teachers and personnel of the Department of Education in
Zamboanga del Norte.


It is also noteworthy that this proposal to create a separate Schools Division
Office in the Third District of Zamboanga del Norte came from the existing Schools
Division Office of Zamboanga del Norte itself. Thus, establishing a separate schools
division office for the schools in the 3« District of Zamboanga del Norte will not only
help the teachers and principals, but will also improve the Department of Education’s
desire to provide efficient, effective, and responsive services to the constituents.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

REP. thea A. AMATONG


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session

1043

HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ADRIAN MICHAEL A. AMATONG

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF LILOY, PROVINCE OF
ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, A SEPARATE SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE
FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT OF ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE,
TO BE KNOWN AS THE ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE- SCHOOLS DIVISION
OFFICE I, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1. There is hereby established, under the supervision of the
Department of Education (DepEd), a Schools Division Office in the
Municipality of Liloy, Province of Zamboanga del Norte, to be known as the
Zamboanga del Norte- Schools Division Office II.

‘The Zamboanga del Norte- Schools Division Office II shall have
jurisdiction over all basic education schools in the following municipalities of
the Third District of Zamboanga del Norte: Municipalities of Leon B. Postigo
(Bacungan), Salug, Godod, Liloy, Tampilisan, Labason, Kalawit, Gutalac,
Baliguian, Siocon, Sirawai, and Sibuco.

‘The DepEd shall determine the staff complement and the qualification
standards of the personnel assigned at the Zamboanga del Norte- Schools
Division Office II.

SEC, 2. The Secretary of Education shall immediately include in the
Department’s program the operationalization of the Zamboanga del Norte,
Schools Division Office Il, the funding of which shall be included in the annual
General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 3. Within ninety (90) days after the approval of this Act, the Secretary of
Education shall promulgate the rules and regulations implementing the
provisions of this Act

SEC. 4. All laws, orders, and rules and regulations contrary to, or inconsistent
with, the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.


SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,