Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH (16") CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

5878

HOUSE BILL NO,

Introduced by: Representative Jose L. Atienza, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE,

Education in our country is perceived as a valuable gift from parents to their
children and the kind of education they receive from our educational system greatly
contributes to their future success. The Department of Education, Culture, and
Sports (DECS) was reorganized in 2001 as the Department of Education (DepEd)
and since then, the learning of our Philippine culture and arts has not been as in-
depth as before. Aside from culture and the arts, the sports development in the
youth has also devolved into minor participation during school intramurals and
similar events.

This has also contributed to the current Filipino youth’s estrangement from
our cultural dances, traditional music, arts and crafts, Our artists have also found it
difficult to showcase their works now because there is no interest from the biggest
segment of the Philippine Population, the youth. The number of professionals in the
field of the culture and the arts - traditional dancers, traditional musicians, painters,
sculptors, and poets, has dwindled. Furthermore, government support for our
artists in the form of much-needed funding is almost non-existent. They are able to
continue in their craft and in showcasing the Filipino cultural arts through the
support of philanthropists.

Likewise, the state of sports in this country is very disappointing. We do not
fare well in international competitions. Most of our medals come from individual
sporting disciplines such as boxing, bowling, billiards, and ice-skating. It should not
be a surprise then that we have not been winning medals in team sports because
since the DECS devolved into the DepEd, the proper teaching of team sports to
young students, is no longer a priority in the majority of schools.


This bill seeks the restoration of the original functions of the DepEd back to
the Department of Education, Culture and Sports as it used to be. With the
realization of this measure, we shall have properly guided the youth towards the
conservation of our rich history and heritage, the promotion of arts and culture, the
strengthening of their minds and bodies, and molding them into the leaders and
custodians of our country’s future.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this legislative measure is earnestly
sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH (16"") CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5878

Introduced by: Representative Jose L. Atienza, Jr.

AN ACT
STRENGTHENING THE CULTURAL AND SPORTS TRAINING OF THE FILIPINO
YOUTH BY RE-ORGANIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DEPED) INTO
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, AND SPORTS (DECS),
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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 “Department of
Education, Culture, and Sports Act of 2015.”

SECTION 2, Declaration of State Policies. This Act shall be anchored on the
following provisions from the 1987 Philippine Constitution:

(a) Section 13 of Article II states that “the State recognizes the vital role of
the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical,
moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the
youth, patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in
public and civic affairs”;

(b) Section 17 of Article II states that “the State shall give priority to
education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster
patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total
human liberation and development’;

(c) Section 15 of Article XIV states that “arts and letters shall enjoy the
patronage of the State. The State shall conserve, promote, and popularize


the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as
artistic creations”;

(d) Section 18 of Article XIV states that “the State shall ensure equal access to
cultural opportunities through the educational system, public or private
cultural entities, scholarships, grants and other incentives, and
community cultural centers, and other public venues”; and

(e) Paragraph (2) of Section 19 of Article XIV states that “all educational
institutions shall undertake regular sports activities throughout the
country in cooperation with athletic clubs and other sectors,”

SECTION 3. Renaming of the Department of Education. This Act shall
enable the Department of Education to revert to its previous and more
complete name, the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS),
which reflects a renewed and a more comprehensive approach of the
department to the total development of the Filipino Youth.
Section 6 of RA 9155 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 6. Governance. - The Department of Education, Culture and
Sports shall be vested with authority, accountability and responsibility for
ensuring access to, promoting equity in, and improving the quality of basic
education WITH AN EQUAL FOCUS ON Arts, Culture, and Sports.

SECTION 4. Bureau of Physical Education and School Sports (BPESS) ~
Section 9 of RA 9155 entitled “Abolition of the Bureau of Physical Education
and School Sports” is hereby repealed and again re-established under the
Department of Education, Culture, and Sports. The majority of the needed
personnel for the BPESS shall be outsourced from the Philippine Sports
Commission.

SECTION 5. Functions of the BPESS. The Bureau of Physical Education and
School Sports shall have the following function:

a. Develop the general fitness of elementary and high school students
through sports education;

b. Promote social and cultural integration through the revival of indigenous
games;

c. Identify and nurture sports talents and promote excellence in sports,
traditional games and other physical activities;

d. Ensure that every school will be teaching at least eight (8) kinds of sports
to have diversity and to allow young students to find the perfect sports
for them;


e. Ensure that all schools shall participate and send student representatives
to district-level sports fest or fun games;

f. Conduct workshops for teachers on Sports Education and Sports Science;

g. Perform other functions as may be provided by law.

SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). - The present
Department of Education, shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days after
its effectivity. The IRR for the re-establishment of the BPESS shall be
formulated by the Department in consultation with the Philippine Sports
Commission (PSC);

SECTION 7. Appropriations. The necessary funds for the operations of
these two bureaus shall be annually allocated in the General Appropriations
Act under the budget of the incoming Department of Education, Culture, and
Sports;

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and
regulations or other issuances or parts therefor inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed and modified accordingly.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause - If any clause, sentence, paragraph or part
of this Act shall be adjudge by any Court of competent jurisdiction to be
invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder of
this Act, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence,
paragraph or part therefor directly involved.

SECTION 10. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days

following the completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette or in
a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

Approved.