SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
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S.NO. 1129 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall protect and promote 
the right of all the citizens of our country to quality education at all levels. However, despite this 
provision and numerous other laws that seek to promote good quality education, our country still 
lags behind our neighbors in Asia when it comes to providing good quality education. 
Recent surveys indicate that there has been a decline in the academic performance of Filipino 
school children particularly in the field of science and mathematics. This decline may be due to 
the high teacher-student ratio, poor facilities, lack of textbooks, or lack of expertise or 
knowledge ofteachers with the subjects they are teaching. 
In line with our Constitutional provision on good quality education, this bill seeks to create an 
Academic Excellence Foundation which shall promote academic excellence in public and private 
schools all over the country through public-private entity partnerships. The Foundation shall 
develop programs that shall push for the advancement of the concept of academic excellence. 
In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is e 
t. 
Senator 
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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. NO. 112;) 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
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ESTABLISHING THE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION TO PROMOT~ 
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Academic Excellence Act of 2013. " 
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SEC. 2. The Academic Excellence Foundation. - There is hereby created the Philippine 
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Academic Excellence Foundation whose purpose shall be to promote academic excellence in 
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public and private schools all over the country through public-private entity partnerships. The 
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foundation shall be a non-profit organization. The board of directors of the foundation and 
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foundation activities shall be under the direction ofthe Department of Education (DepEd). 
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SEC. 3. Board of Directors of the Foundation. - The board of directors of the foundation 
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shall consist of the Secretary of DepEd and twenty (20) other members to be appointed by the 
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President. Of the twenty (20) members appointed by the President, eight (8) shall represent a 
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variety of education groups and twelve (12) shall represent a variety of business groups. The 
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members of the board of directors shall select one member to serve as chair. The DepEd 
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Secretary shall serve as secretary for the board of directors and provide administrative support to 
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the foundation. An executive committee of the foundation board, composed of the board officers 
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and chairs of board committees, may only advise and make recommendations to the foundation 
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board. 
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SEC. 4. Programs oj the Foundation. - The foundation may develop programs 
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that advance the concept of educational excellence. These may include, but are not 
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(a) recognition programs and awards for students demonstrating academic 
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excellence; 
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(b) summer institute programs for students with special talents; 
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( c) recognition programs for teachers, administrators, and others who contribute 
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to academic excellence; 
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(d) summer mentorship programs with business and industry for students with 
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special career interests and high academic achievements; 
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(e) President's awards ceremonies and special campaigns to promote awareness 
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and expectation for academic achievement; 
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(1) an academic league to provide organized challenges requiring cooperation and 
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competition for public and private pupils in elementary and secondary 
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schools; 
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(g) systemic transformation initiatives and assistance and training to community 
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teams to increase school performance in the country's education institutions 
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through strategic quality planning for continuous improvement, empowerment 
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of multiple stakeholders, validation of results via customer-supplier 
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relationships, and a total system approach based on best practices in key 
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process areas; and 
(h) activities to measure customer satisfaction for delivery of services to 
education institutions in order to plan for and implement continuous 
improvement. 
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To the extent possible, the foundation shall make these programs available to 
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students in all parts of the country. 
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SEC. S. Powers and Duties of the Foundation. - The foundation may: 
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(1) establish and collect membership fees; 
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(2) publish brochures or booklets relating to the purposes of the foundation and 
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collect reasonable fees for the publications thereof; 
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(3) receive money, grants, and in-kind goods or services from non-governmental 
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sources for the purposes of the foundation; 
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(4) contract with consultants; 
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(5) expend money for awards and other forms of recognition and appreciation; 
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and 
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(6) detennine procedures and expenditures for awards and recognitions to 
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teachers, students, donors, and other people who are not employees of the executive 
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branch. 
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SEC 6. Contracts. - The foundation board shall review and approve each contract 
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of the board. Eitch contract of the foundation board shall be subject to the same review 
9' and approval procedures as a contract of the Department of Education. 
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SEC. 7. Foundation Staff. - (a) The foundation board with review by the DepED 
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Secretary shall appoint the executive director and other staff who shall perform duties 
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and have responsibilities solely related to the foundation. 
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(b) As part of the annual plan of work, the foundation, with review by the DepEd 
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Secretary, may appoint up to three (3) employees. The employees appointed under this 
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paragraph shaH not be considered an employee of the government. The employees shall 
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be supervised by the executive director. 
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SEC. 8. 'Private Sources of Funds. - The foundation shall seek private resources 
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to supplement the available public money. Individuals, businesses, and other 
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organizations may contribute to the foundation in any manner specified by the board of 
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directors. All money received shall be administered by the board of directors. 
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SEC. 9. Report. - The board of directors of the foundation shall submit an annual 
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report to the Secretary of the Department of Education. on the progress of its activities. 
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The annual report shall contain a financial report for the preceding year, including all 
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receipts and expenditures of the foundation. 
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SEC. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provisions, or part hereof, is held invalid 
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or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall 
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remain valid and subsisting. 
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SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
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regulations inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed, amended or modified 
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accordingly. 
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SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. • This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
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following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national 
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newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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