FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 8 78 
) 
) 
) 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 15, Section 1 provides: 
f\ 
! 
"The State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the 
nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively 
promote its total development." 
Fundamental changes in the demographics and economics of family life in 
the country over the past 20 years have had a profound effect on children and 
their parents. 
As the number of women working outside the home and of two earner 
families has been steadily increasing, there is a need to support community-
based family resource and support programs that promote healthy child 
development and increase parental competency. Investment in promoting the 
development of family resource and .support programs will reap long-term 
benefits for individual families and the nation as a whole. 
. 
This bill seeks to establish a national center for information and technical 
assistance relating to all types of family resource and support programs, hence, 
immediate approval hereof is earnestly recommended. 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 
878 
) 
) 
) 
i, .. ,1 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
TO 
ESTABLISH 
A 
NATIONAL CENTER 
FOR 
INFORMATION 
AND 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RELATING 
TO ALL TYPES OF 
FAMILY 
RESOURCE AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS 
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' "Family 
Resource Act." 
SEC. 2. Purpose. - It is the purpose of this Act to -
(1) stimulate the development and expansion of family resource and support 
programs that are prevention oriented; 
(2) encourage early intervention of such programs with families to ameliorate 
problem situations before such situations become crises; and 
(3) assist parents in enhancing their children's development to assure that 
their children enter school prepared and ready to learn. 
SEC. 3. Definition. - As used in this Act, the term "family resource and 
support programs" means community-based services that offer sustained 
assistance to families at various stages in their development. Such services shall 
promote parental competencies and behaviors that will lead to the healthy and 
positive personal development of parents and children through-
(1) the provision of assistance to build family skills and assist parents in 
improving their capacities to be supportive and nurturing parents; 
(2) the provision of assistance to families to enable such families to use other 
formal and informal resources and opportunities for assistance that are 
available within the communities of such families; and 
(3) the creation of supportive networks to enhance the childbearing capacity 
of parents and assist in compensating for the increased social isolation 
and vulnerability of families. 


SEC. 4. Establishment of National Center on Family Resource and 
Support Programs. -
(a) Establishment. - The Secretary of Health shall establish, through 
grant or contract, a national center for the collection and provision of 
programmatic information and technical assistance that relates to all types of 
family resource and support programs. 
(b) Functions. - The national center established under subsection (a) 
shall serve as a national information, training, technical assistance and material 
development source for family resource and support programs. Such center 
shall-
1) establish a clearinghouse to develop and maintain a data base on 
all types of family resource and support programs; 
2) develop and maintain a system for disseminating information on all 
types of family resource and support programs and on the state of 
family resource and support program development, including 
information concerning the most effective model programs; 
3) develop and sponsor a variety of training institutes and curricula for 
family resource and support program staff, 
4) identify several model programs representing the various types of 
family resource and support programs to develop technical 
assistance materials and activities to assist other agencies in 
establishing family resource and support programs; and 
5) develop nationwide networks of family resource and support 
programs for the purpose of sharing and disseminating information. 
SEC. 5. Evaluation. - The Secretary of Health shall, through grants or 
contracts awarded or entered into with independent auditors, conduct evaluations 
and related activities, of family resource and support programs, including -
1) evaluations of on-going programs; 
2) process evaluations focusing on implementation strategies; and 
3) the development of simple evaluation models for use by local family 
resource 
4) and support programs. 
SEC. 6. Authorization of Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of 
this Act, it is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury 
such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year. 
SEC. 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 


SEC. S. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, 
modified or amended accordingly .. 
SEC. 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,