Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

8784
HOUSE BILL NO.

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ISAGANI S. AMATONG

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This measure seeks to establish a separate Schools Division Office for all
basic education schools in the 3" District of Zamboanga del Norte, to be located
in the Municipality of Liloy, Province of Zamboanga del Norte.

Schools division offices are the primary support structure in school
operations. As such, they exercise direct administrative supervision over schools
and align their functions and activities toward addressing the urgent problems at
the school level.

At present, the Schools Division Office of Zamboanga del Norte, which has
jurisdiction over the basic education schools in the 3* District of Zamboanga del
Norte, is located in Dipolog City. However, the distance from Dipolog City to Leon
B. Postigo, the northernmost municipality under the 3" District of Zamboanga
del Norte, is approximately 105.8 kilometers, with average travel time of 2 hours
and 25 minutes. On the other hand, the distance from Dipolog City to Sibuco, the
southernmost municipality of the district, is approximately 283.7 kilometers, with
average travel time of 6 hours and 24 minutes. Not only is this great distance and
long travel physically taxing on teachers and principals who file documents and
report to the Division Office, it also wastes a lot of their valuable time which
would have otherwise been used for preparing their lessons, checking their
students’ works, and doing necessary works.

Moreover, for the school year 2020-2021, the Schools Division Office of
Zamboanga del Norte has jurisdiction over 753 schools, 8,609 teachers, and
1,893 non-teaching employees. Ideally, a Schools Division should only comprise
of 800 to 1000 teachers. This huge number of personnel under the existing
Divisions Office creates difficulty in communication of immediate standard
actions and memoranda.

It is also noteworthy that this proposal to create a separate Schools
Division Office in the Third District of Zamboanga del Norte came from the
existing Schools Division Office of Zamboanga del Norte itself. Thus, establishing
a separate schools division office for the schools in the 3* District of Zamboanga
del Norte will not only help the teachers and principals, but will also improve the
Department of Education’s desire to provide efficient, effective, and responsive
services to the constituents.
Cree |

ANE S. AMATONG

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is stly wAn


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

784
HOUSE BILL NO..

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE ISAGANI S. AMATONG

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF LILOY, PROVINCE OF
ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, A SEPARATE SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE
FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT OF ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE,
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SECTION 1.There is hereby established, under the supervision of the Department
of Education, a Schools Division Office in the Municipality of Liloy, Province of
Zamboanga del Norte. The Schools Division Office shall have jurisdiction over all
basic education schools in the Third District of Zamboanga del Norte.

The DepEd shall determine the staff complement and the qualification
standards of the personnel assigned in the Schools Division Office.

SEC. 2. The Secretary of Education shall immediately include in the
Department’s program the operationalization of the Schools Division Office of the
Third District of Zamboanga del Norte, the funding of which shall be included in
the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 3. Within sixty (60) days from the approval of this Act, the Secretary of
Education shall formulate and issue the rules and regulations implementing the
provisions of this Act.

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,