HOUSE 9F REPRESENTATIVES

REA ae
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) DATE: 6
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES —)
TIME: 40 Km,

First Regular

‘sion )

REGISTRATION UNIT
BILLS AND INDE X SERVICE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.No. 2269

Introduced by Representative Vilma Santos Recto
6"" District of Batangas

AN ACT
ENSURING ACCESS TO SECONDARY EDUCATION BY CONVERTING ALL
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS INTO INTEGRATED SCHOOLS OFFERID
COMPLETE BASIC EDUCATION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Explanatory Note

There has been an alarming increase of elementary graduates who are unable to pursue
secondary education because of the limited number of high schools accessible within their
communities. Data from the Department of Edueation (DepEd) show that as of SY 2015-2016,
there are only 8,159 public secondary schools as compared to the 38,688 public elementary
schools. In short, there is only one public high school for every five elementary schools. Almost
all barangays in the country have at least one elementary school as opposed to high schools
which are usually found only in urban areas and population centers. As a result, 94.5 percent of
school-age children are enrolled in elementary, while only 86.2 percent are enrolled in high
school.

Furthermore, many children in the rural areas are not enrolled in high school, The
shortage of public high schools, particularly in rural areas, possibly explains the alarming
number of children who are not enrolled in high school, Despite basic education being free,
students need to bear the costs for food, school materials, and transportation, among others.
According to the 2011 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, topping the list of reasons for not
attending school is the high cost of education, Other reasons cited are far distances of schools,
lack of schools within the barangay, and the lack of regular transportation.

Students are in need of an accessible high school within their community. The
government should pay immediate attention and address the gross shortage in public secondary
schools to reduce the number of out-o!
the K to 12 program, a more conscious effort to maximize the resources of the s
initiated in order to reach out to more students. Establishing more second
opportunities for students to access complete basic education at a lower cost and meet the
growing educational needs of the youth.

hol youths in the country. With the implementation of
hools should be

public elementary schools to become integrated
ng complete basic education including high school, With easier
integrated school, students will be able to continue their education without too much additional
burden to the students who have to deal with the long commute, as well as to their families who
need to provide their children with additional money for their transportation expenses. This,
would also result in expected savings on the part of the government as the facilities of the
existing school may be utilized for the incoming high school students, with only standard repairs

II therefore expands exis

" Adjusted Ne
schools, S¥ 201

olment Rate (Ratio of School-age children, 6-11 years old and 12-15 years old) in elementary and secondary
1014, Source: Dep & to 12 Midterm Report 2015.

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and retrofittings required, and a few additional classrooms to be constructed, rather than creating
separate public high school in the area

‘To complement the expansion of schools into integrated schools, this bill also provides
that the DepEd prioritize the titling of the lands used by the public schools to provide a solid
legal basis for land ownership and enable school authorities t0 have direct control and
supervision over their school sites.

With the opening of more accessible high schools, an increase in student participation,
survival and completion rates will be achieved and will eventually produce an educated citizenry
that will hasten the development of our country.

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

VILMA sAxros RECTO

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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES — )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

a5)
HNe25O

Introduced by Representative Vilma Santos Recto
6" District of Batangas

AN ACT.
ENSURING A‘ TO SECONDARY EDUCATION BY CONVERTING ALL
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS INTO INTEGRATED SCHOOLS OFFERING
COMPLETE BASIC EDUCATION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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 "Integrated Public Schools Act
of 2016".

Se

and promote the rights of all citizens to quality basic education and the need to make such

. 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect

education accessible to all, especially to the rural communities which lack the necessary
infrastructure to deliver the mandate. Towards this end, the State shall provide the necessary

basic infrastructure for learning, and address the students’ need for an accessible high school

within their community to lessen and eventually eliminate the growing number of out-of-school
youths in the country.

SEC. 3. Expansion of Public Elementary School into Integrated Schools. - A public
elementary school shall be converted into an Integrated School (IS) if they satisfy any of the
following:

a) Ther

ate no other public schools offering complete basic education within the
aatchment area
b) The community warrants an additional public high school to accommodate the
growing student population in the catchment area;
©) The nearest secondary school is situated more than three (3) kilometers away from
the elementary school.
The IS shall offer complete basic education from Kindergarten to Grade 12 in one school
site with unified instructional program.
SEC. 4, Objectives. — The Department of Education (DepEd), herein referred to as the
Department, shall be responsible in developing a school integration plan to complete the

conversion into IS within ten (10) years from the effectivity of this Act: Provided, That the

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Department shall, within the ten-year period, achieve significant improvements in the following
metrics:
a) Grade 6 to Grade 7 tran

tion rate;

b) High school net participation rate;

©) High school cohort survival rate;

d) Overall completion rate, from elementary to senior high school; and

e) High school-to-elementary school-classroom ratio.

SEC. 5. Integrated School Development Plan. ~ Not tater than one hundred twenty days
(120) days after the approval of this Act, the school principal of each elementary school shall
prepare and submit to its respective DepEd Division Office an Integrated School Development
Plan which will include the following:

a) Proposal for the additional school buildings/classrooms to be constructed;

b) Additional teaching and non-teaching plantilla items needed:

©) Program budget, for recommendation to the Department of Budget and Management

(DBM), of all funding requirements over the ten-year period necessary to carry out
the conversion into an IS; and

d) ‘The organizational, administrative, as well as, academic structure of the created IS.

‘The development plan shall take into consideration the school population growth, school-
age population profile and projected number of high school enrollees in the catchment area.

Within sixty days (60) days after the receipt of the development plan, the DepEd Division
Office shall evaluate the development plan submitted and recommend to the DepEd Central
Office the approval of the Plan for implementation of the IS.

SEC. 6. Infrastructure Requirements. ~ The Department, together with the Department of
Public Works and Highways (DPWH), shall ensure that the additional infrastructure

requirements of the IS is completed within the prescribed time frame.

Provided, That the primary obje in the use of any allocation shall be to eliminate
school building/classroom shortages if any: Provided, further, That for every school building
and/or classroom constructed, the corresponding toilets and/or sanitation facilities shall also be
provided in accordance with Chapter VI - School Sanitation and Health Services chapter of
Presidential Decree No. 856 otherwise known as “Code on Sanitation of the Philippines”.

See da Public School Sites. - The

Department, together with the national and local government agencies concerned, shall prioritize

7. Expedition of Titling of Real Propertie’

the acquisition of lands occupied by the public elementary schools subject to the guidelines set
under applicable Executive Orders and other related issuances, rules and regulations, and ensure
the school’s titling prior to the conversion into an IS.

The Registry of Deeds, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Local Government Units
(LGUs), and all other government agencies concerned are directed to process the registration and

titling of the properties in favor of the Department in the most efficient and expeditious manner.

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SEC. 8. Planning and Budgeting. ~ The Department shall formulate rolling budget plans
with continuous five (5) year planning horizons, consistent with the identified outcomes under
lished by the DBM, Department of Finance
(DOF), and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) which will provide for a

Section 4 hereof, enabled by forward estimates est

specific annual increase in the education budget ceilings.

SEC. 9. Reportorial Requirement. - The DepEd, DBM, and the DPWH, are required to
submit to the respective Committees on Education of both houses of Congress an Annual Report
on the progress of implementation, program accomplishments, and the utilization of the budget
provided under this Act: Provided, That such submission shall be separate and distinct from the
reports that the said departments submit to Congress in relation to the deliberations on the
General Appropriations Bill.

SEC. 10. Appropriations. — Such amount as may be necessary for the effective
implementation of the ten (10)-year school integration plan formulated under Sections 4 and 5
hereof and for the continued implementation of this Act shall be provided for in the budget of the
DepEd or under the public elementary school concerned in the annual General Appropriations
Act, consistent with the budget plan created pursuant to Section 8 of this Act.

Sec. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days from the
approval of this Act, the DepEd, DBM, and DPWH shall promulgate the rules and regulations
necessary to implement this Act.

Sec. 12. Separability Clause. ~ If any part or provision of this Act shall be held
unconstitutional or invalid, other provisions, which are not affected thereby, shall continue to be
in full force and effect.

SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules and
regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

Sec. 14, Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in

the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers in general circulation.

Approved,

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