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

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BiLLNo._ 1794

Introduced by Rep. BERNADETTE HERRERA-DY

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill advances a dynamic implementation of the good conduct allowance under
Article 97, Chapter II of the Revised Penal Code. It unequivocally recognizes as “good
conduct” the demonstrated courage, willingness and the ability of a prisoner to increase
his knowledge, develop his skills and strengthen his moral values while under detention

The potential benefits from this bill are as follows:

1. Increasing literacy and skills standards and strengthening moral values of
prisoners will facilitate their reintegration into mainstream society as reformed and
productive citizens.

2. The grant to prisoners of good conduct time allowance for participating in
literacy, skills and values development programs will result in the reduction of their
incarceration period. This translates to a decrease in the over-all cost of correction

thru jail decongestion

3. With increasing literacy among prisoners, a jail management system responsive
to current needs and problems can be implemented to forestall, jailbreaks, riots and
other destabilizing activities.

4. The duty of the State to provide elementary and high school education to its
citizens, for free, is fulfilled.


Itis a fact that many prisoners are unschooled or are illiterates which may be
contributory to their transgression of the law. Ignorance costs more than education
according to an imminent educator and no better proof of this could be found than in jails

where tangible returns on time and monetary investments are wanting.

As an incentive to parallel the rigors and the bliss of increasing knowledge,
developing skills and strengthening moral values while under detention, the grant of good
conduct time allowance for prisoners who participate in the literacy, skills and moral
development programs is made mandatory. A prisoner's “good conduct” deserves
recompense under the law.

Life is still worth the living and must go on even if, for prisoners, it is lived
temporarily behind bars. Living in ignorance is perpetually living in prison, sans the bars,
hence, the premium on educational and character-building endeavors. If only for the
moral and economic considerations it advocates, this bill deserves our unanimous support
and immediate approval.

BERNADETTE HERRERA-DY


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

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BILLNo._1794

Introduced by Rep. BERNADETTE HERRERA-DY

AN ACT
GRANTING MANDATORY GOOD CONDUCT ALLOWANCE TO
PRISONERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN LITERACY, SKILLS AND
VALUES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS.

SECTION 1. Any prisoner who has earned or is making satisfactory progress
towards earning a post-graduate or a college degree or a certificate of completion of a
vocational or skills or values development course or a high school diploma or an
elementary grades certificate shall be granted time credit towards the service of his
sentence. The credit shall not exceed fifteen days for every month of study time.

Prisoners who may be utilized to teach courses or subjects or to engage in skills or
values development shall also receive such time credit at the rate of fifteen days
maximum for every month of mentoring service rendered to fellow prisoners.

SECTION 2. Good conduct allowances earned through the literacy, skills and
values development programs for prisoners shall be computed at the end of each
calendar year, unless earlier required.

SECTION 3. The literacy, skills and values development programs for prisoners
shall be implemented in coordination with the Department of Education.

SECTION 4. Within sixty days from the approval of this Act, the Secretary of Justice
shall promulgate a classification system for the good conduct time allowance under such


rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement this Act.

SECTION 5. All laws, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are contrary to
or are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect after fifteen days from its publication in three

national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,