SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) GEGEI VED
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES —)
First Regular Session ) pave, 08 AUG 2016

TIME: ay yvonn
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REGISTRATION UNIT
BILLS AND INDEX SERVICE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HENG,.209 7

Introduced by Representative Vilma Santos-
6th District of Batangas

AN ACT.
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE GRANT OF A TEACHING SUPPLIES ALLOWANCE FOR
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Explanatory Note

For the fiscal year 2016, the Department of Education (DepEd) got the biggest share in the
national budget pie with P41 billion out of the P3.002 trillion appropriation. This amount is intended
to fully address the shortage in classrooms, teachers and textbooks to enhance the implementation of
the K to 12 program and other reforms in our educational system. Amid these envisioned funding
support, little is yet providedfor the benefits received by teache

The salaries of our public school teachers are unquestionably not commensurate with the
volume of work and responsibility entrusted to them. Aside from spending for their personal and family
needs, te also have to shell out some more money from their own pockets for the materials they
use in teaching, This is on top of the current P1,500 annual teaching supplies allowance they receive
from theFY 2016DepEd budget. In spite of the increasing budget allocationthat the Department enjoys,
thecash allowance they provide to teachers just translates to a 7-peso subsidy per day, which is
relatively insufficient in assisting classroom teachers to deliver informative lectures and stimulating
class discussions to the country’s 20.9 million! public school students.

Republic Act No. 4670 otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers
mandates that the salaries of public school teachers “shall be such as to insure teachers a reasonable
standard of life for themselves and their families, "Unfortunately, the 8 of public school teachers
are currently bound by the Salary Standardization Law (SSL), hence, compensation increaseswould first
need Congressional approval and be subject to comparisons with the qualifications, skills and
difficulties of other positions in the government. Thus, one of the urgent ways to respond to the clamor
of our public school teachers for much needed support is to grant them with additional benefits in the
form of cash allowances which would not be subject to the SSL.

‘This bill, therefore,institutionalizes the grant of a Teaching Supplies Allowance for the
743,288°public school teachers and at the same time increases the cash allowance currently
appropriated in the DepEd budget by 100% from P1,500 to P3,000 per teacher per school year. In order
to come up with a deficit neutral measure, this bill proposes to initially source the additional funds
fromthe savings of the National Government and thereafter, from the government's share in the
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation income.

Teachers should be given priority attention, they being contributors to the mental development
and the formation of moral and ethical values of our students. With this additional allowance, the burden
‘on public school teachers will be alleviated and their working conditions will certainly improve.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly seught.
fais

/ 2
VILMA SANTOS-RECTO

® Number of students enrolled from Kindergarten to High School as of SY 2015-2016, Source: Department of Education
FY 2016 data. Source: LBRMO, 2016 GAA



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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES — )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
wi ne,_2597

Introduced by Representative Vilma Santos-Recto
6th District of Batangas

AN ACT.
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE GRANT OF A TEACHING SUPPLIES ALLOWANCE FOR
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
mbled:

SECTION 1. Title. ~ This Act shall be known as the "Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2016”.
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. ~ It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to promote and

improve the economic status of teachers and assist them in providing quality education to their students,

SEC. 3. Teaching Supplies Allowance. ~ A Teaching Supplies Allowance for the purchase of
chalks, erasers, forms, and other classroom supplies and materials in the amount of P3,000 per teacher

per school year is hereby authorized.

SEC, 4.Coverage, ~ The grant of the cash allowance authorized in this Act shall be limited to
teachers who are engaged in actual classroom teaching in public basic education,

SE
the General Appropriations Act for the grant of the Te

Funding, = An amount of Three thousand pesos (P3,000) shall be annually appropriated in

hat in the

ing Supplies Allowance:Provided
first year of effectivity of this Act, the amount of One thousand pesos (P1,000) shall be charged against

the current appropriations of the DepEd for the purpose, while, the amount of Two thousand pesos

(P2,000) shall be charged against any available funds and/or savings of the National Government.
Thereafter, the amount of One thousand pesos (P1,000) shall be appropriated from theDepEd budgetand
the amount of Two thousand pesos (P2,000) shall be sourced from the fifty (50%) percent share of the
Government in the aggregate gross earnings of the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) after
deducting the five (5%) percent Franchise Tax.

SEC. 6. Periodic Review for Increases, — The Secretary of Education is hereby mandated to
conduct a periodic review of the Teaching Supplies Allowance, taking into account the current prices of
classroom supplies, and, if warranted, recommend the necessary increase in the amount of the
allowance.

SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, decrees, resolutions, orders or ordinances, rules and

regulations or parts thereo! cent with this Act, are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 8. Effectivity Clause, - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette 0

Approved,

at Ieast two (2) newspapers of general circulation,