Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
15T Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4926

Introduced By:
REP. FRANCISCO JOSE F, MATUGAS II
15" District, Surigao del Norte (Siar'gao Island)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

“The investments we are making here won't just help our students
explore music, dance and the arts. They will help these children grow
ina way that helps them succeed in school and in life.”

-NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio

The importance of culture and arts in society is immeasurable. Mr. Richard
Cohen, Vice-President for Research and Policy of Americans for the Arts once wrote,
“The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us - fostering
creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts help us express our values, build bridges
between cultures, and bring us together regardless of ethnicity, religion, or age
When times are tough, art is salve for the ache.”

In a study conducted by the Arts Council England, they found the following

benefits of arts, especially to students:

1 Engagement in structured arts and culture improves the cognitive
abilities of children and young people.
2. High-school students who engage in the arts at school are twice as

likely to volunteer than those who don’t engage in the arts and are 20% more likely
to vote as young adults.

© Cohen, Randy. (2014, March 20). Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2014. Retrieved from
http://blog.americansforthearts.org/2014/03/20)/top-10-reasons-to-support-the-arts-in-2014


3. Employability of students who study arts subjects is higher and they
are more likely to stay in employment.

4, Taking part in drama and library activities improves attainment in
literacy.

5. Taking part in structured music activities improves attainment in
math, early language acquisition and early literacy

6. Schools that integrate arts across the curriculum in the US have shown
consistently higher average reading and mathematics scores compared to similar
schools that do not

7. Participation in structured arts activ

ies increases cognitive abilities

8. Students from low income families who take part in arts activities at
school are three times more likely to get a degree than children from low income
families who do not engage in arts activities at school

In the Philippines, there is only one Philippine High School for the Arts —
located on Mt, Makiling, Los Baitos, Laguna. Considering the advantages of
nurturing the arts, especially in our youths, there is also a need to create a center for
arts and culture development in Mindanao. The Philippine High School for the Arts
= Siargao will address this need. The said high school will also complement the
Sports and Adventure Tourism currently being offered by Siargao Islands.

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

FRANCISCO JOS!

UGAS IL


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Republic of the Philippines

Wouse of Representatives

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4926

Introduced By:
REP, FRANCISCO JOSE F, MATUGAS I
District, Surigao del Norte

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS ~
SIARGAO

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

assembled:

SECTION 1. Creation. There is hereby established in Del Carmen, Surigao del
Norte, a high school to be known as the Philippine High School for the Arts
Siargao (the “High School”), which shall be a regular government entity.

iC. 2. Mandate. The High School shall implement a general secondary
education program, combined with a special curriculum oriented to the arts and
geared to the early recognition and development of highly talented children
exceptionally gifted in the arts, thus providing a continuing source of artists of
excellence and leaders in the preservation and promotion of the Filipino heritage in

the arts.

SEC. 3. Advisory Council. The High School shall have an Advisory Council,
composed of the following members:

(a) The President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines who shall be the
Chairperson, ex-officio;

(b) The Secretary of the Department of Education who shall be the Vice-

Chairperson, ex-officio;



1 (c) The Chairperson of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts,
2 ex-officio,

4 (d) The Artistic Director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, ex-
officio;

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7 (e) The Director of the Bureau of Secondary Education of the Department

8 of Education, ex-officio;

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10 () The Campus Director of the Philippine High School for the Arts-

u Siargao, ex-officio;

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13 (g) A representative from each of the fields of music, dance, theater arts,

M4 visual arts, and literature to be appointed by the Chairperson, upon

1s recommendation of the Advisory Council,

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7 The Advisory Council shall meet at least once a month. A quorum of the

18 Advisory Council shall consist of the majority of all its members holding office at the
19 time the meeting is called and present thereat. Each member of the Advisory Council
20 shall receive an honorarium in accordance with pertinent laws, rules and
21 regulations.

2 SEC. 4, Powers and Functions. To accomplish the mandate of the High School,
23 the Advisory Council shall advise the Campus Director on the following:

ea a) Fixing of the site of the school;

2s b) Receipt for, and appropriations for the ends specified by law, of such
26 sums as may be provided by law for the support of the High School;

27 °) Approval of appointments made and contracts entered into by the
28 Campus Director in connection with the employment of teachers,
29. lecturers and other employees of the High School, fixing of their
30 compensations and other conditions of employment, with concurrence
31 by the Secretary of Budlget and Management; and their removal for

cause after due notice and hearing;

8 d) Providing fellowships for faculty members and approval of the grant
uM of scholarships, stipends and other allowances to deserving students;

38 e) Determining the criteria for the selection and admission of students
36 which shall include, among others, national competitive examinations;
37 f) Approval of the issuance of certificates or diplomas to successful

38 candidates for graduation;



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Receipt of in trust legacies, gifts, donations, grants, endowments,
contributions, or other transfers of ownership and/or possession of real

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and personal properties of all kinds and administration of the same for
the benefit of the High School or for aid to any of its students;

h) Approval of the annual work program and budget for endorsement to
the Department of Budget and Management; and

i) Such other tasks as may be assigned to it by the Secretary of Education,
which are necessary for the efficient and effective accomplishment of
the purposes of this Act.

SEC. 5, Authority to Solicit Donations, Grants and the Like, Upon the
recommendation of the Advisory Council, the Campus Director may, without need
of authority, approval or intervention by any government agency of any kind
whatsoever, solicit, negotiate with, and receive from any public or private, domestic

or foreign s
or other transfers of ownership and/or po
kinds in favor and for the benefit of the High School, subject to ratification by the
Secretary of Education; Provided, That the Campus Director shall, upon
recommendation by the Advisory Council and in accordance with pertinent
accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations, prescribe the measures
necessary for the proper use, maintenance and safekeeping of said donations, grants,
endowments, contributions or transfers and the compliance of the terms and

urces such legacies, gifts, donations, grants, endowments, contributions

session of real or personal properties of all

conditions thereon, if any.

All such legacies, gifts, donations, grants, endowments, contributions or other
transfers of ownership and/or possession of real or personal properties of all kinds in

favor and for the benefit of the High School or jor ils support and maintenance or for

aid to any of its students shall be tax-exempt and shall be an allowable deduction

from the gross income of the donors. For purpose of income tax, the High School

shall be exempt from the payment of all taxes, fees, assessments and other charges of

the Government, its branches and subdivisions.

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be under the supervision and control of the Campus Director in accordance with
Section 4 hereof, He shall be appointed by the Secretary of Education, upon the

. 6. Campus Director. The day-to-day operations of the High School shall

recommendation of the Advisory Council. His functions, powers and duties, in
addition to those specifically provided in this Act, shall be those usually pertaining
to the office of the principal of any high school in the Philippine educational system

‘The Campus Director shall have a fixed term of six (6) years, renewable for
another term at the option of the Advisory Council, The Campus Director shall not
be removed from office except for cause.



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nice Coverage. Personnel of the High School shall be classified
into:

a) Career service personnel, namely, those of the finance, administrative
and personnel staff of the High School and its general education
faculty; and

b) — Non-career service personnel, namely, visiting professors and_ arts
instructors

Career and non-career service personnel shall be subject to civil service rules
and regulations on wage and position classifications. They shall be entitled to
retirement benefits enjoyed by all government personnel, in accordance with existing
laws, rules and regulations. Provisions for retirement shall be included in the annual
budget of the High School

SEC. 8. Attachment, The High School is hereby attached to the Department of
Education, in consultation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, for policy and
program implementation with special emphasis on subjects pertaining to the arts,
with the end in view of preparing its students for a career in the arts

SEC. 9. Arts High School Fund. All legacies, gifts, donations, grants,
endowments, contributions and. other similar transfers of real and_ personal
properties of all kinds received by the High School shall constitute the Arts High
School Fund, which shall be expended or used by, or with the authority from, the

Campus Director upon the recommendation of the Advisory Council, to attain the
purposes of this Act, in accordance with pertinent laws, rules and regulations.
Signatories to this Fund shall be the Campus Director and the officer of the High
School responsible for its finances, regular reports on the status of the fund shall be
submitted to the Advisory Council.

SEC, 10. Position Structure and Staffing Pattern. The position structure and
staffing pattern of the High School shall be approved and prescribed by the
Secretary of Education, upon the recommendation of the Campus Director of the
High School and with the concurrence of the Secretary of Budget and Management,
within one hundred twenty (120) days from the approval of this Act and the
authorized positions created thereunder shall be filled with regular appointments by
the High School or by the President of the Philippines, as the case may be.

SEC. 11. The amount ni

sary to carry out the provisions of this Act is
hereby authorized to be appropriated in the General Appropriations Act of the year
following its enactment into law and thereafter.

SEC. 12. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Secretary of Education shall
prescribe the rules and regulations for the efficient and effective implementation of
the provisions of this Act.



SEC. 13, Separability Clause. Any portion or provision of this Act that may be
declared unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect or nullifying other
portions or provisions hereof,

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

Sec. 3, Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general

circulation,

Approved,