Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HOUSHBILLNo.      9913
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Introduced by
HON. KRISTINE ALEXIE BHSAS TUTOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill establishes the Health and Safety Office in every school whether
public or private. The HSO shall be manned by qualified, licensed, and certified
personnel.  An  earlier  version  of this  bill  was  filed  in  the  17th  Congress  by
registered  nurse,  Rep.  Harlin  Neil  Abayon,  Ill.  The  undersigned  author  has
modified that earlier version to incorporate some improvements.
The HSO is envisioned to be a potent front-line healthcare delivery center
strategically  placed  within  schools  to  serve  students,  their  parents,  and  their
teachers.
This bill also seeks to unburden school teachers and faculty of universities
and colleges of non-teaching responsibilities heaped upon them by regulations of
the  Department  of Education,  Technical  Education  and  Skills  Development
Authority, and Commission on Higher Education.
With  this  bill,  primary  responsibility  for  the  school  canteen,   school
nutrition program,  immunization campaigns,  campus security, and many other
related non-teaching roles and functions will be vested in each school's Health
and Safety Office.
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The number and mix of HSO personnel  shall be determined by student
population size per school.
School  health,  security,  and  safety  manpower  in  our  public  schools  is
grossly  inadequate.  At  the  DepEd,  the  school  nurse-to-student  ratio  they  are
targeting is 1 :5000 and the allocation of the school nurse items is not by school,
but by school division which means by province or by city. With this kind of
policy, many schools have Ilo school nurses or other healthcare professionals
on  daily  duty  to  respond  to  health  emergencies,  continually  monitor the
health of students and personnel, and take charge of the many school health
and nutrition activities that riddle the school calendar yearly.
The DepEd public schools have at least two million children who are of
wasted  or  severely  wasted  nutritional  status.     Malnutrition  among  Filipino
children is why there are school feeding programs.
Many students from public schools study in private schools as beneficiaries
of education service contracting and student vouchers. They bring with them their
personal health issues.
There is also an oral health crisis afflicting millions of Filipino children.
The 2006 National Oral Health Survey (NOHS) revealed that 97.1 % of six-year-
old children suffer from tooth decay. More than four out of every five children of
this subgroup manifested symptoms of dentinogenic infection. In addition, 78.4%
of twelve-year-old children suffer from dental caries and 49.7% of the same age
group manifested symptoms of dentinogenic infections.
The  Advisory  Council  for  the  Education  of Children  and  Youth  with
Disabilities estimates that by Year 2020 there will be 2.23 million children aged
5 to 14 with disabilities or 19 percent of that age group.
In   higher  education,  the  Commission   on   Higher  Education   has
guidelines on health, guidance/counseling, and other services for students.
However, in 2013, the Philippine Institute of Development Studies published
a  study  on  health  care  in  private  colleges  and  universities.  That  study
discovered that back then, (a) only 28 percent (generally the large schools)
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had a doctor, dentist, and nLirse;  (b) only  18 percent had a nurse; and (c)
only 10 percent had a doctor and dentist.
In   universities   and   colleges,   security   guards/watchmen   are   usually
outsourced  from  security  agencies.  Utility  workers  have  either  contractual  or
casual items in the school's organizational structure. Few SUCs have a University
Health Service like that of the University of the Philippines.
The scourge of crime has spread to schools. There have been incidents of
fatal shootings, stabbings and physical assaults involving students and teachers
inside  and  just  outside  school  premises.  Robbers  and  thieves  have  invaded
schools,   stealing  computer  equipment,   CCTV   equipment,   cash,   and  other
valuable items.   Illegal drugs is both a health and security problem. There is a
need to implement a random drug testing policy for students and mandatory drug
testing   for   all   school   personnel,   in   accordance   with   the   Comprehensive
Dangerous Drugs Act. There is also the urgent need to keep illegal drugs from
physically  entering campuses  and  being used and sold to  students  and school
personnel. Moreover, it has become necessary to strengthen preventive anti-drug
abuse campaigns among students, their parents, and teachers.
This bill seeks to address these crucial school health, safety, and security
issues and situations in our education system.
Considering all the foregoing, urgent passage of this bill is sought.
KRISTINH AL
Bohol Third District


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session
HOUSEBILLNo.      9913
Introduced by
HON. KRISTINE ALEXIE BESAS TUTOR
AN ACT MANDATING THE EMPLOYMENT OF LICENSED HEALTH
CARE PROFESSIONALS AND CERTIFIED SECURITY AND SAFETY
OFFICERS IN EVERY SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY,
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 "Hca/ffe fl[„ds¢/cfy
in All Campuses Act."
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. -It is the declared policy of the State, to
protect the right to health of the people, instill health consciousness among them,
and promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and
independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that
provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of
living, and an improved quality of life for all.
Section 3. Health and Safety Offlce. There is hereby established Health
and Safety Office, hereinafter referred to as HSO, in every school, whether public
or private, in the country.
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The HSO shall be attached to the Office of the School Head for the basic
education  schools,  and  to  the  Vice  President/Assistant  Dean  or  Director  for
Administration for the technical-vocational and higher education schools.
Section 4. Roles, Functions, Responsibilities, and Accountabilities. The
HSO    shall    have    these    primary    roles,    functions,    responsibilities,    and
accountabilities:
1.  formulate, recommend to the school head for approval, and implement
the following policies, programs, and projects involving and affecting
the  students,  faculty,  and  non-teaching  personnel  of the  school:  (1)
Comprehensive   School   Health   Management   Program;   (2)   Child
Protection   Policy;   and   (3)   School   Security,   Safety,   and  Disaster
Preparedness Management Program ;
2.  participate in the formulation and implementation of the Campus Crisis
Management Plan;
3.  lead implement all  school  nutrition,  immunization,  dental  extraction,
reproductive health, and other on-campus health care activities;
4.  lead implement the Child and Youth Welfare Code (Presidential Decree
603), Anti-Bullying Act of 2013  (Republic Act  10627), Republic Act
7877 (Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995), Republic Act 9262 (Anti-
Violence  Against  Women  and  Their  Children  Act  of  2004),  and
Republic Act  11313  (Safe  Streets and Public  Spaces Act),  and  other
laws protecting and promoting the rights of children and other minors;
5.   implement the  Mental  Health  Law  (Republic  Act  11036),  the  HIV-
AIDS   Poliey   Act   (Republic   Act   11166);   nutrition   laws   of  the
Philippines including Presidential Decree No. 491 ;
6.  implement   anti-illegal   drug   abuse,   fire   prevention,   and   disaster
management campaigns and related laws, including the Comprehensive
Dangerous   Drugs   Act   (Republic   Act   9165),      Fire   Code   of  the
Philippines of 2008 (Republic Act 9514), and the Philippine Disaster
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Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act of 2010 (Republic Act
No.10121);
7.  serve as first responders to medical,  safety, and security emergencies
and incidents on campus and within the immediate one hundred meters
vicinity of the campus, and conduct first aid training and drills;
8.  manage, supervise, or operate the school canteen;
9.  maintain   and   secure   health,   consultation,   and   counseling  records
according to standards set by the Department of Education, National
Privacy Commission, Department of Health, and Department of Social
Welfare and Development;
10. oversee  the   secure   safekeeping  of  any  hazardous   chemicals   and
flammable liquids;
1 1. protect the campus from any security threats and intruders;
12. manage  the  daily  operation  of the  campus  closed-circuit  television
(CCTV) system and emergency communications devices;
13 . conduct daily fire safety and hazards checks throughout the campus;
14. supervise  and  coordinate  fire,  earthquake,  evacuation,  and  campus
lockdown drills;
15. implement security and safety searches for firearms, bladed weapons,
and  devices  that  can  cause  serious  physical  injuries,  illegal  drugs,
alcoholic beverages, and other contraband;
16. call  for  response  units  from  the  local  barangay  office,  Philippine
National Police, and Bureau of Fire Protection;
17. conduct research and surveys relevant and related to the functions of
the HSO;
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18. assist  in the  classroom teaching of subjects  and modules within the
competencies and specializations of the HSO personnel;
19. participate in the administration of educational tests mandated by the
Department of Education;
20. attend     professional     development     training     and     competencies
updating/upgrading courses;
21. prepare  the  budget  of the  HSO,  recommend  to  the  school  head  its
approval, and implement the approved budget; and
22. strictly   follow   government   accounting   and   auditing   rules   and
regulations,   to   maintain,   safe   keep,   and   account   for   all   funds,
equipment,  furniture,  fixtures,  supplies,  and  other  inventory  items
entrusted to, assigned to, and used by the HSO; and
23. perform such other related or secondary functions as may be assigned
to them by the school head.
Section  5.  Complement  of  HS0  personnel.  Professional  healthcare
personnel of the HSO must possess the requisite civil service qualifications and
license to practice their profession from the Professional Regulation Commission.
Security and Safety Personnel must have appropriate competencies certification
from duly accredited or authorized institutions specializing in safety and security.
The  number  of full-time  HSO  personnel  in  a  school  shall  be  determined  by
student population size as follows:
For a school, extension campus, and branch with a student population of
up to one thousand the minimum complement is:
1.   one (I) medical doctor
2.   one (1) nurse;
3.   one (1) dental hygienist;
4.   one (1) nutritionist;
5.   one (1) guidance counselor or psychologist;
6.   one (1) electrician;
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7.   one (1) plumber;
8.  two (2) security guards; and
9.  two (2) utility workers.
For  a  school  with  a  student  population  ranging  from  more  than  one
thousand but no more than three thousand, the minimum complement is:
1.   one (1) medical doctor
2.  two (2) nurses;
3.  two (2) doctors of dental medicine;
4.   one (1) nutritionist;
5.   one (1) social worker;
6.   one (I) guidance counselor or psychologist;
7.   one (1) psychiatrist;
8.   one (1) electrician;
9.   one (1) plumber
10.three (3) security guards; and
11.two (2) utility workers.
For a public school with a student population of more than three thousand,
the minimum complement is:
1.  two (2) medical doctors;
2.  three (3) nurses;
3.  two (2) doctors of dental medicine;
4.  two (2) nutritionists;
5.  two (2) social workers;
6.   one (1) guidance counselor;
7.   one (1) psychologist;
8.   one (1) psychiatrist;
9.   one (1) psychometrician;
10.three (3) emergency medical technicians;
11.four (4) security guards;
12. two (2) electricians;
13.two (2) plumbers;
14.three (3) utility workers; and
15.three (3) volunteer firefighters.
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For a Special Needs Education (SPED) School, the minimum complement
of the following personnel is required:
1.   one (1) psychiatrist
2.   one (1 ) internist or general practitioner physician
3.   one (1) ophthalmologist
4.   one (1) nurse
5.   one (1) physical therapist
6.   one (1) speech therapist
7.   one (1) psychometrician
8.   one (1) social worker
9.  one (1) guidance counselor
10.two (2) security guards
11. one (1) electrician
12. one (1) plumber
13.two (2) utility workers
Subject to availability of funds and absolute necessity, the school head may
augment, but not decrease the number of HSO personnel provided in this Act,
through job order or contract of service.
Section  6.   Structure  and  Stafring  Pattern.  -  The  Department  of
Education  and  Commission  on  Higher  Education,  in  consultation  with  the
Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department
of the Interior and Local Government, shall determine the minimum standards for
the organizational structure of the HSO.
Implementation of the HSO school plantilla may be carried out in phases
over four years:   the mega schools start in Year One; the large schools start in
Year Two; the medium-sized schools start in Year Three; and the small schools
start in Year Four.   Each school  shall have three years to  fully  implement the
minimum standards and be in full compliance with the Implementing Rules and
Regulations.
Section 7. Separation and Retirement. - Employees who are separated
from service or retire within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act as a
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result of the consolidation and/or reorganization under the provisions of this Act
shall  receive  benefits  to  which  they  are  entitled  under  existing  laws  and
regulations.
Section 8. Appropriations.  The funds needed for the implementation of
this Act shall be from the annual appropriations and augmented as may be deemed
necessary with funds from other relevant sources, including the Special Education
Fund of local government units, discretionary funds of the Office of the President
and remittances of government-owned or controlled corporations to the National
Treasury;
Section  9.  Implementing  Rules  and  Regulations.  The  Department  of
Education, the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Health, the
Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of the Interior and
Local   Government,   in   consultation   with   the   Civil   Service   Commission,
Commission on Audit, and Department of Budget and Management, shall jointly
issue the implementing rules and regulations of this Act not later than sixty (60)
days after the effectivity of this Act.
Section   10.   Repealing   Clause.   -   All   laws,   executive   orders,   and
administrative orders or parts thereof inconsistent with any provision of this Act
are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
Section 11. Separability. - If any provision or part of this Act is declared
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall
continue to be in full force and effect.
Section  12.   Effectivity Clause. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after its publication in the online version of the OJj7?cz.cz/ G¢zeffe or in two
(2)  newspapers  of general  circulation  or  with  an  established  internet  website
presence.
Approved.