THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) S.S 
Third Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Lacson 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Since the creation of what is now known as the Department of Education (DepEd), 
the procurement of textbooks for elementary and secondary public schools has been highly 
centralized and was entrusted to one single office, Le. The Property and Procurement 
Division. 
This highly centralized procurement of books has resulted in the delay of delivery 
of books to the provinces, cities or municipalities, particularly those in the far-flung areas. 
Also, there are reports that books and other educational materials were left stocked in 
warehouses to deteriorate instead of being used by our elementary and secondary students. 
Moreover, centralized procurement has resulted in the purchase of books not adaptable or 
suited to the region or province. 
It must be stressed that a centralized procurement of textbooks and other 
educational materials is highly susceptible to abuse by scrupulous publishers. This in turn 
could result in a monopoly to the detriment of small and medium publishers particularly 
those in the regions, provinces, cities or municipalities. 
R.A. No. 8047 or the Book Publishing Industry Act was enacted on June 7, 1995. 
This law included the provisions on the regionalization of the printing of public, 
elementary and secondary school textbooks. Unfortunately, eleven (1 1) years after the 
passage of the law, the DepEd failed to implement the same for reasons of lack of clear 
enabling law and mechanisms. 
Along this light, this bill seeks among others to: 
a) 
Decentralize the textbook procurement program of the DepEd by establishing a 
Regional Textbook Procurement Services Unit (RTPSU) in every regional 


office of the Department including the Autonomous Region in Muslim 
Mindanao (ARMM). 
The RTPSU shall test, evaluate, select and approve the manuscripts or books to 
be submitted by publishers for multiple adoptions. 
b) 
c) 
Decentralization of Textbook Printing 
With the enactment of this bill it is envisioned that the desired ratio of 1:l or 1 
book per student per subject area be achieved, and that books as well as other required 
instructional materials would reach the elementary and secondary students on time. 
Finally, with the immediate enactment of this bill, it is also hoped that the required 
textbooks would not only be delivered without delay but will likewise meet the standard of 
quality required and pertinent to each region. 
In view thereof, approval of this bill is urgently sought. 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) S.S 
Third Regular Session 
) 
S. No. 
Introduced by Senator Lacson 
AN ACT 
DECENTRALIZING THE TEXTBOOK PROCUREMENT PROGRAM OF THE 
DEPARTMENT OF 
EDUCATION (DepEd) 
CREATING 
A 
REGIONAL 
TEXTBOOK PROCUREMENT SERVICES UNIT (RTPSU) IN ALL REGIONAL 
OFFICES INCLUDING THE AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO 
(ARMM) AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 10 OF R.A. NO. 8047 
OTHERWISE 
KNOWN 
AS 
THE 
BOOK 
PUBLISHING 
INDUSTRY 
DEVELOPMENT ACT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Decentralization of the Textbook Procurement Program. - The 
Textbook Procurement Program of the Department of Education (DepEd) shall be 
decentralized by establishing a Regional Textbook Procurement Services Unit (RTPSU) in 
every regional office of the Department including the Autonomous Region in Muslim 
Mindanao (ARMM). 
SEC. 2. Duties and Responsibilities. - The RTPSU shall have the following duties 
and responsibilities: 
a) Preparing the minimum learning competencies, and/or prototypes and other 
specifications for the book and/or manuscript called for; 
b) Testing, evaluating, selecting and approving the manuscript or books to be 
submitted by publishers for multiple adoption; 
c) Providing assistance in the distribution of textbooks to lhe public school 
systems; and 


d) Promulgating with the participation and assistance of the National Book 
Development Board (NBDB) rules and regulations for the private book 
publisher in the call, testing evaluation, selection, approval, as well as 
production specification and acquisition of public school textbooks. 
SEC. 3. Decentralization of Textbook Printing. - The printing of public elementary 
and secondary textbooks shall be done on a regional basis and whenever economically 
feasible by congressional district or province. 
SEC. 4. Multiple Adoption. - The DepEd shall ensure that the policy of multiple 
adoption of textbooks and other instructional materials be implemented to encourage the 
free flow of information and the deregulation of book publishing. 
SEC. 5. Manpower Complement. - The RTPSU shall be headed by the chief of the 
Property and Procurement Division who shall perform this function in a concurrent 
capacity, and shall be under the direct supervision of the Regional Director. The members 
of the RTPSU shall be taken from other division offices, if necessary. Personnel from the 
Central Office PPD (CO-PPD) may be detailed to the RTPSUs during the transition period. 
SEC. 6. Appropriations. - The Secretary of Education and the Regional Secretary 
of Education of the ARMM shall immediately include in their respective agency’s 
programs the establishment and operation of the RTPSUs, the initial funding of which 
shall be charged against their current year’s appropriations and thereafter in the annual 
General Appropriations Act. 
SEC. 7. Function of the O@ce of the Secrefary of the DepEd. - The Office of the 
Secretary of the DepEd shall monitor the operation of the RTPSUs with respect to the 
quality of services of participating private publishers as well as the utilization of funds 
allocated to the respective RTPSUs. 
SEC. 8. Penal Clause - Any person who willfully violates or cause the violation of 
any provision of this Act shall, upon conviction, be penalized with a fine of Twenty 
thousand pesos (P20,OOO.OO) and/or imprisonment of not less than three months but not 
more than one year or both depending upon the discretion of the court. 
SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. Section of 10 R.A. No. 8047, otherwise known as the 
“Book Publishing Industry Development Act” is hereby repealed. All other laws, decrees, 


rules, regulatory and other administrative issuances or provisions thereof, which are 
contrary to or inconsistent herewith are hereby repcaled or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 10. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation 
Approved,