Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4078

Introduced by Representatives Salvador H. Escudero Ill and Rosenda Ann M. Ocamp:

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

Our country is very fortunate for being rich in almost all the resources needed for
industrialization. That is a fact. But the sad part of it is that we are still treated as a
developing country if not a poor one. The unemployment rate keeps on rising just like the
unabated drop-out rate in public schools which is more than 5 million. There are many who
are branded “out-of-school youth”, hence, we can see street children begging for a penny,
scavengers, and the worst part of it, the youth offenders. Poverty is always the reason,

To combat poverty, there must be a radical change in our policies particularly in the
educational system. We are witnessing a rapid technological development brought about
by the forces of globalization which greatly affect and influence the world of work. We
cannot just stand as fence sitters and watch how our country's economy worsen and drain
the people's capacity to understand and be productive and let poverty eat up all of our
human resources.

Sad to say, we cannot pinpoint who really could be blamed in this deteriorating
economic situation. Accusing fingers could be pointed to many; it is the educational system
that is always the culprit. True, the educational system has a share of the blame but it is in
this department that hope lies. It is where opportunities abound.

The education sector realizes the mismatch in the system. The present curricula do
Not answer the demands of the global community. It follows therefore that human resource
development must keep in step with societal changes brought about by the takeover of
technology not only in the workforce but in almost all aspects of human life.

Mismatch has been evident in our country between the skills imparted by the national
education system and those demanded by the work place. This mismatch has been
causing the unpreventable increase of unemployment. The gap between education and
the World of work must be narrowed. The results of the National College Aptitude
Examination (NCAE) which was administered in 2006 - 2007 for the purpose of
determining the level of preparedness of high school students for college work and their


readiness for skilled-work employment, yielded very promising and the same time eye-
opening results --- that high school seniors fared high in both tech-voc and entrepreneurial
skills tests, constituting respectively 711,526 (54.51%) and 757,356 (58.13%) of the total
who took the said exam. While the fourth year students did well in the aforementioned
areas, they nonetheless fared very poorly in the General Scholastic Aptitude (GSA) test,
meaning they were not ready for college or university requirements.

The March 2007 report of the National Census Labor Force Survey showed
succinctly the mismatch between the rate of unemployment and the number of available
skilled-based jobs in 2007. A staggering combined total of 1.049 million college graduates
and undergraduates were unemployed that year. Surprisingly enough, there could have
been 650,000 available skill-based jobs for them!

Thus, it must be the priority of our government to consider passing a law creating the
Bureau Of Technology Education under the Department of Education.

This is the only way we can be assured of the potential economic and social benefits
to be derived from increasing the proportion of the population that is engaged in productive
livelihood. In order for the Strengthened Technical Vocational Education Program of the
Department of Education, to effect the much-needed vocational high schools that will
narrow if not erase the mismatch, creation of the Bureau Of Technology Education is the
shot in the arm of an ailing education system.

‘The future generation is expecting much from us. Our decision today can either lead
‘them to prosperity or poverty.

Accordingly, approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

Wave P ;
SALVADOR H, ESCUDERO III . ZcAMPO

415" District, Sorsogon



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4078

Introduced by Representatives Salvador H. Escudero III and Rosenda Ann M. Ocampo

AN ACT
CREATING THE BUREAU OF TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION UNDER THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFORE AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This shall be known as “An Act Creating the
Bureau of Technology Education"

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4 SEC. 2, Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the
5 _ state to broaden access to relevant quality education by developing the individual as
6 a total person equipped with vocational and academic competencies , proper work
7 ethics and desirable values that will make the person economically-stable,
8 responsible, law-abiding and productive in the competitive world of work.

10 SEC. 3. Creating the Bureau of Technology Education (BTE) under the
11 Department of Education. — To carry out the above-declared policies, the Bureau of
12 Technology Education, is hereby created with the provisions of this Act

14 SEC. 4. Coverage. - This Act shall apply to Public Technical-Vocational
15 High Schools as qualified implementers under the Bureau. All existing programs and
16 projects of the Department of Education (DepEd) under the Technical Vocational
17 Education Task Force on curriculum, teacher's and management training,
18 development of innovative support materials, infrastructure and facilities, logistic
19 plans, other relevant technical assistance and advocacy shall be undertaken by the
20 Bureau, The said programs and projects will respond to drop-out concerns and
21 poverty alleviation.

SEC. 5. Administration, Supervision and Functions of the Bureau. - The
DepEd shall administer and supervise the Bureau.

The Bureau shall perform the following functions:


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a. formulate policies, standards and programs to _ strengthen
technical-education;

b. conduct researches to continuously improve human resource that
will address unemployment and the jobs-skills mismatch thereby
improving the quality of life;

c. develop school models that will serve as centers of excellence for arts
and trades, agriculture, and fishery;

d. provide opportunities to operate income-generating projects to
augment the school fund for sustainability; and

e. perform other tasks as may be necessary to attain the objectives
of the DepEd.

SEC. 6. Personnel Recruitment. - All personnel, teaching and non-
teaching staff of the Bureau shall have adequate and appropriate education, local
and international trainings to be determined by the DepEd.

SEC. 7. Curriculum Content. - The Bureau of Technology Education shall
formulate, enrich and implement a technical-vocational education curriculum, devise
a rating system, develop instructional learning materials and strategies that will suit
the requirements and needs of the learners to enhance their skills, talents, attitude
and ingenuity to make them more productive and self-reliant.

SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - The DepEd, upon
prior consultation with the Committees on Education of the Senate and House of
Representatives, shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective
implementation of this Act within a period of ninety (90) days after its approval.

SEC. 9. Appropriations. - The budget necessary for the initial
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriations
of the Department of Education. Thereafter, budget as maybe necessary for its
continued implementation shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared
invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared shall remain in force
and effect,

SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations, rules and regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof, which are
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 12. _ Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation

Approved,