EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Third Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 2477
RECEIVED
FILED
t>ME
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING SUPPORT MECHANISMS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL 
TEACHERS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN MATTERS OF STUDENT 
DISCIPLINE AND MECHANISMS FOR CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 
AND PROVIDING FOR THEIR PROTECTION IN CASES RELATED
THERETO
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article XIV, Section 2 (1) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the 
State shall "establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated 
system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society”.
Children spend at least a third of their day in school under the guidance and 
supervision of school personnel. The hours that they spend attending classes and 
school activities become the very tools with which the foundation of their future is 
built.
Schools, as an integral part of our system of education, are considered as second 
homes of students where they are nurtured and reared to become reliable and well- 
grounded members of the society. As such, school personnel who come in direct 
contact with students, especially the teachers, step in the shoes of second parents and 
take on the responsibility of shaping and molding educated, successful and 
compassionate Filipino youth.


With this important role as second parents, these personnel are expected to 
instill in the students not only knowledge that they will need when they venture out 
into the real world, but also the values that will mold their character.
In rearing students as partners of their parents and guardians, school personnel 
cannot be expected to just stand idly by without instilling discipline upon them 
especially when they commit transgressions. This is especially true with teachers who 
are not only tasked to teach them, but also instill in them life lessons to help raise good 
and law-abiding citizens. In doing so, teachers are expected to be able to enforce 
disciplinary action when students violate the rules and regulations of the school, as 
well as when they misbehave. When students show disrespect to school personnel, 
guests or fellow students, interventions must be made with the purpose of teaching 
them how to properly behave the next time, as well as to serve as a deterrent for the 
possibility of reoffending. The effectiveness of a teacher to exercise authority over 
students in loco parentis depends on his/her ability to manage the classroom and 
correct improper behavior.
The doctrine of in loco parentis is laid down in Article 218 of the Family Code, 
which states that “[t]he school, its administrators and teachers, or the individual entity 
or institution engaged in child care shall have special parental authority and 
responsibility over the minor child while under their custody instruction or custody”, 
and further bolsters the role of teachers in ensuring that students are disciplined and 
are kept in check. Article 349 of the Civil Code even includes teachers and professors 
in the list of persons exercising Substitute Parental Authority. This means that the law 
itself recognizes that teachers are empowered to ensure the students’ good behavior in 
school and during school-sanctioned activities. If teachers and school personnel are 
made liable under Article 2180 of the New Civil Code for damages caused by their 
pupils and students or apprentices while they remain under their custody, logic 
dictates that they also be allowed to act accordingly and within the bounds of law to 
prevent incidents which could cause damages without the fear of being chastised or 
punished.
With the advent of technology and social media, teachers, along with other 
school personnel, have become vulnerable to attacks and malicious and false


accusations. Back in 2019, it can be recalled that one teacher was even pressured to 
quit her job and give up her license on national television for millions of people to 
witness. The video eventually became viral, and made her an easy target for internet 
trolling and bashing.1
Incidents similar to the aforementioned are what this measure intends to 
prevent. We can no longer allow our teachers to be subjected to similar attacks that 
threaten their role in raising the youth of this nation. They cannot be expected to help 
bring up and look after students with the risk of being humiliated for merely doing 
their job. We have to acknowledge that in discharging their functions, they cannot be 
intimidated by the possibility of being subjected to false and malicious accusations.
This bill aims to protect the teachers and other school personnel from the 
dangers of false and malicious accusations that have the tendency to not only threaten 
the teaching process and our education system, but as well as destroy the image and 
reputation of teachers and personnel. For even when they would eventually be 
exonerated, their career will already have been permanently blighted by these 
allegations which will remain within the records, and may even be shared over and 
over again despite already proving their innocence.
While the protection of children must always be upheld, the scales of justice 
also dictate that teachers and school personnel must be clothed with the same mantle 
of protection. In case of demonstrably false and malicious imputations or assertions 
especially, teachers and school personnel suffer the wrath even years after the words 
are uttered and made public. For this reason, due process must always be afforded to 
them. And as they exercise their mandate, they must be afforded with enough power 
to discipline the students within the bounds of law without the fear of becoming prey 
to the wrath of trial by publicity.
This is the Senate counterpart of House Bill No. 220 filed during the 18th 
Congress by Rep. France Castro, Rep. Carlos Zarate, Rep. Ferdinand Gaite, Rep. 
Eufemia Cullamat, Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Rep. Sarah Jane Elago.
1 CNN Philippines. (23 November 2019} DepEd probes teacher urged by Raffy TulfO to give up her Job on TV. Retrieved 11 November 2022, 
Irom htips://cnnphillpplnes-com/new5/2019/ll/23/deped-teachef-raffv-tulfo.html


In view of the foregoing, approval of this proposed measure is most earnestly
sought.
^ ^ 
^ y e.
IlEELAM. DE LIMA


I'AON
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHIUPPINES ) 
Third Regular Session 
)
RECEIVEO
SENATE 
S. No. 2477
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING SUPPORT MECHANISMS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL 
TEACHERS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN MATTERS OF STUDENT 
DISCIPLINE AND MECHANISMS FOR CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 
AND PROVIDING FOR THEIR PROTECTION IN CASES RELATED
THERETO
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled.
1 
Section i. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Classroom Management
2 
Support and Protection for Teachers Act”.
3 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - In all actions relating to children, the State shall
4 
accord special protection to children from all forms of abuse, exploitation, cruelty, and
5 
other conditions prejudicial to their development. Furthermore, the State has the duty
6 
to establish and maintain a complete and adequate system of public basic education
7 
geared towards the holistic development of a child.
8 
These policies are understood to encompass the State's responsibility to provide
9 
appropriate instruction and guidance to students about school discipline, their duties
10 
and responsibilities with respect to their peers, to their teachers and other persons of
11 
authority, to members of their community, and to society.
12 
To this end, the State shall institutionalize measures to implement in all public
13 
schools clearly defined regulations on appropriate student behavior towards other


1 
students, teachers, and school staff and personnel, during classes, and within and
2 
outside school premises.
3 
The State is also hereby bound to establish and maintain support systems,
4 
including training on classroom management and child discipline, as well as legal
5 
assistance, for teachers and school staff and personnel, who come in daily direct
6 
contact with students, and thus find themselves in situations that could expose them
7 
to false accusations of child abuse in the course of the discharge of their duties.
8 
It is hereby also declared that the State shall promote and improve the working
9 
conditions of public school teachers and other school personnel, which are understood
10 
to determine whether or not the physical and emotional environments of children and
11 
teachers are conducive to learning and teaching.
12 
Sec. 3. Coverage. - This Act shall be applicable to all teaching personnel of all
13 
public school institutions, including non-teaching personnel who stand in direct
14 
contact with students in the course of the discharge of their duties.
15 
Sec. 4. C/assroo?7j Management Guidelines. - The Department of Education
16 
(DepEd) shall formulate guidelines for classroom management for teachers and school
17 
personnel. Said guidelines shall include the following:
18 
(1) The rules and regulations to be observed by teaching and non-
19 
teaching personnel who interact directly with students in the
20 
course of the discharge of their duties, with respect to students,
21 
whenever inside the premises of public schools, or even outside in
22 
case of school-sanctioned activities;
23 
(2) The rights and responsibilities of teaching and non-teaching
24 
personnel who interact directly with students, with respect to
25 
student discipline and classroom management, to the end of
26 
fostering a positive school climate and safe environment
27 
conducive to instruction and learning.
28 
School administrators and teachers exercise special 
parental
29 
authority over their students while under their supervision,
30 
instruction and custody. As such, the Guidelines to be produced by


1 
the DepEd shall recognize their authority in the schools and in
2 
school-sanctioned events, and the need to conduct their classes in
3 
an organized manner that is conducive to learning. It is likewise
4 
recognized that the teachers have the authority to ensure that their
5 
students behave, respond and treat their teachers and classmates
6 
in a respectful manner. They have the right to call out disorderly
7 
or disrespectful behavior, and deal with the same consistent with
8 
the law and the Guidelines to be implemented;
9 
(3) Permissible, appropriate, and effective responses and
10 
interventions that will address violations of school rules and
11 
regulations to be administered by teachers, the school head, and
12 
other school staff and personnel; and
13 
(4) A clear description of the disciplinary procedure and clear
14 
designation of the authorities competent to investigate, propose,
15 
and apply the responses and interventions.
16 
Sec. 5. Acts Not Considered as Child Abuse. - Any act committed by teaching
17 
and non-teaching personnel who stand in direct contact with students in the course of
18 
the discharge of their duties pursuant to the Guidelines, provided they are within the
19 
bounds of law, good morals, good customs, public order and public policy, shall not be
20 
deemed as child abuse, cruelty, and exploitation as prohibited by Republic Act No.
21 
7610, otherwise known as the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse,
22 
Exploitation and Discrimination Act.”
23 
Sec. 6. Consultation with Stakeholders. - Students, parents, teachers, other
24 
school personnel, and the community, represented by their respective organizations,
25 
as well as professionals in child behavior and social work, shall each have meaningful
26 
involvement in the formulation of the Guidelines.
27 
Sec. 7. Information Dissemination of the Guidelines. - The DepEd shall provide
28 
explanations, training, and workshops in order to familiarize teachers, students and
29 
families with the Guidelines, explain the expectations of various sectors involved, and
30 
describe the various preventive and positive responses and interventions that may be
31 
used.


1 
At the beginning of each school year, copies of the Guidelines shall be provided
2 
to each student as well as their parents or legal guardians.
3 
Sec. 8. Training of Teachers and School Personnel on the Guidelines. — All
4 
public school teachers and school personnel shall receive trainings and instructions
5 
related to the specific contents of the Guidelines.
6 
Sec. g. Professional Development Relating to Student Discipline and
7 
Classroom Management - The DepEd shall provide teachers the appropriate pre-
8 
service and in-service training on child behavior and psychology, classroom
9 
management techniques, positive discipline, and other related fields, as well as the
10 
Guidelines under Section 4 and Section 5 of this Act and the scope of their duties and
11 
responsibilities with respect to student discipline and classroom management.
12 
Sec. 10. Support Personnel. - The DepEd, with the Department of Budget and
13 
Management (DBM), shall also ensure that there is a sufficient number of items for
14 
guidance counselors, who will serve as support personnel to teachers and school
15 
administrators in matters of student discipline.
16 
For purposes of this Act, the DepEd shall endeavor to meet the recommended
17 
ratios of guidance counselors to students in public elementary' and high schools.
18 
Sec. 11. Other Support Mechanisms for Student Discipline and Classroom
19 
Management. - The DepEd shall provide such other mechanisms necessary to
20 
capacitate its teachers and other personnel on matters regarding child behavior and
21 
psychology, classroom management techniques, positive discipline, and other related
22 
fields. These measures shall include but not be limited to the conduct of periodic
23 
seminars and formulation of primers and other explanatory materials.
24 
Sec. 12. Protection to Teachers and School Personnel in Charges Related to
25 
Student Discipline and Classroom Management. - In all cases related to student
26 
discipline and classroom management, including criminal and administrative charges
27 
of child abuse, the DepEd shall extend to its teachers and other personnel the
28 
necessary protection, including but not limited to legal assistance and representation.


1 
The DepEd shall ensure that respondents, in all stages of the disciplinary
2 
proceedings, are amply represented by the accredited union, or registered union,
3 
where there is no existing accredited union, of teachers or non-teaching employees, as
4 
the case may be.
5 
Violation of this Section is a violation of due process and shall render the
6 
proceedings void, and all responsible persons administratively, civilly, and criminally
7 
liable.
8 
Sec. 13. Confidentiality of Identity of Parties and Proceedings under this Act.
9 
- No person, whether public or private and whether a party to the case or otherwise,
10 
shall publicize a case during its pendency. In no case shall the identity of complainants
11 
and respondents, or any information that may reasonably identify them, be disclosed
12 
to the public during the pendency of the proceedings.
13 
Violation of this Section shall subject the person to the appropriate
14 
administrative, civil, criminal, and other liabilities.
15 
The DepEd shall issue guidelines for the media with regard to the handling of
16 
cases within the contemplation of this Act.
17 
Sec. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from
18 
the effective date of this Act, the DepEd, in coordination with other implementing
19 
agencies, shall promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the implementation
20 
of this Act. The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) provided for under this Act
21 
shall be reviewed periodically, and revised, if necessary.
22 
Sec. 15. Separability Clause. - Should any prorision of this Act be found
23 
unconstitutional by a court of law, such provision shall be severed from the remainder
24 
of this Act, and such action shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining
25 
provisions of this Act.
26 
Sec. 16. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, letters of instruction,
27 
resolutions, orders or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this
28 
Act are hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.


1 
Sec. 17. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
2 
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,