Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The education system relies heavily on the textbook and reading materials that it 
provides the students. Much of the basic knowledge that students learn comes from 
these learning aids. It is discouraging to read news articles about how textbooks from 
the Department of Education as used largely by the public education system are 
riddled with errors. In order to improve the education in the country, it is imperative 
that the materials being published for students' use are reviewed regularly and are 
up to quality standards. 
This bill seeks to improve the competencies of the educational materials in our public 
educational system by mandating that an educational curriculum should have 
continuity and stability by keeping the same for a period of at least 6 years. 
Consequently, in order to resolve errors in textbooks and related materials, and to 
ensure that they are up to quality standards, an annual review shall be conducted by 
the Department of Education in cooperation with the National Book Development 
Board. 
The approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
July 11, 2022
5:21 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
AN ACT 
MANDATING THE CONTINUITY OF EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM FOR A 
PERIOD OF AT LEAST SIX (6) YEARS AND ENSURING THE STABILITY OF 
THE CONSEQUENT TEXTBOOKS AND RELATED MATERIALS THROUGH AN 
ANNUAL REVIEW, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8047, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY ACT, AS 
AMENDED 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Section 2 of R.A. No. 8047, otherwise known as the Book Publishing 
Industry Development Act, is hereby amended by adding a paragraph to read as 
follows: 
“Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is recognized that the book publishing 
industry has a significant role in national development, considering that books 
which are its products are instrumental in the citizenry's intellectual, technical 
and cultural development — the basic social foundation for the economic and 
social growth of the country. Books are the most effective and economical tools 
for achieving educational growth, for imparting information and for recording, 
preserving, and dissemination the nation's cultural heritage. 
Accordingly, it is hereby declared a policy of the State to promote the continuing 
development of the book public industry, with the active participation of the private 
sector, to ensure an adequate supply of affordable, quality-produced books not only 
for the domestic but also for the exon market. For this purpose, the Government shall 
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formulate, adopt, and implement a National Book Policy and a corresponding 
National Book Development Plan that will serve as the enduring basis for fostering 
the progressive growth and viability of the book industry. 
 
TO ACHIEVE THE ABOVE-MENTIONED POLICY, IT IS HEREBY MANDATED 
THAT 
EDUCATIONAL 
CURRICULUM 
AND 
THE 
CONSEQUENT 
PREPARATION OF TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER RELATED EDUCATIONAL 
MATERIALS SHOULD HAVE CONTINUITY AND STABILITY, AND THAT THE 
SAME SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST SIX (6) 
YEARS.” 
 
SECTION 2. Section 10 of R.A. No. 8047 is hereby amended by adding a paragraph 
to read as follows: 
 
"Sec. 10. Public School and Textbook Publishing. — The DECS shall consult 
with the Board in prescribing the guidelines, rules and regulation in preparing 
the minimum learning competencies and/or prototypes and other specifications 
for books required by public elementary and secondary schools. 
The DECS shall confine itself to: 
 
a) preparing the minimum learning competencies, and/or prototypes and other 
specifications for books and/or manuscripts called for; 
b) testing, evaluating, selecting and approving the manuscripts or books to be 
submitted by the publishers for multiple adoption; 
c) promulgating with the participation and assistance of the Board rules and 
regulations for the private book publishers in the call, testing, evaluation, 
selection, approval, as well as production specification and acquisition of 
public-school textbooks; 
d) GUIDELINES, RULES AND REGULATIONS IN PREPARING THE 
MINIMUM LEARNING COMPETENCIES AND/OR PROTOTYPES AND 
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS FOR TEXTBOOK AND OTHER RELATED 
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS REQUIRED BY PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND 


 
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SECONDARY SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED FOR A PERIOD 
OF AT LEAST SIX (6) YEARS; 
e) SUBSEQUENT 
ANNUAL 
REVIEW, 
IN 
COORDINATION 
AND 
COOPERATION OF THE BOARD, OF THE TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER 
RELATED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AS MENTIONED ABOVE. 
 
The printing of public elementary and secondary school textbooks shall be done 
on a regional or provincial level, whenever economically feasible. 
 
The DECS shall within a period of not more than three (3) years from the 
effectivity of this Act phase out its elementary and secondary textbook publication 
and distribution functions and shall support the phasing in of private sector publishers 
to assume these functions here. For its part, the Board shall monitor and conduct an 
annual evaluation of the progress of the shift of functions from the DECS to the private 
sector." 
 
SECTION 3. The Department of Education (DepEd) in consultation with the National 
Book Development Board (NBDB) and with the active participation of the private 
publishers such as Philippine Book Federation (PhilBook), Philippine Education 
Publishers Association (PEPA) and the National Book Suppliers and Publishers 
Association of the Philippines (NBSAP) shall issue guidelines and prescribe rules and 
regulations within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act. A copy of such 
guidelines, rules and regulations shall be furnished the Congress of the Philippines 
through the respective Chairmen of the Committee on Education, Arts, Culture of 
both the Senate and the House of Representatives. 
 
SECTION 4. Separability Clause. — Should any provision herein be declared 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this 
 
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, orders, rules, and regulations 
or other issuances or parts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 


 
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SECTION 6. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect in fifteen (15) days after 
publication in the Official Gazette or in one (1) newspaper of general circulation in the 
Philippines. 
 
Approved,