Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 338

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill is a refilling of House Bill No. 231 which was approved by
the 14" Congress of the House of Representatives on 02 September 2008
and was transmitted to and received by the Senate on 16 September
2008.

This bill seeks to establish an information and communications
technology high school in the capital town of Pili, Province of Camarines
Sur, to be known as the Computer Science High School of Bicolandia.

This high school is a pioneering concept designed to introduce a
unique cyber-oriented curriculum at the secondary level following the
trend in other countries where new types of high schools with futuristics
at their very core are being established. While the basic high school
requirements shall be maintained, its curriculum will be tweaked such that
its lessons are based on futurism, with emphasis on use and application of
new knowledge and skills such as that in the field of information and
communications technology. Its students would therefore learn in a new
career environment before going off to college.

If this school is approved and promoted as a pilot educational
institution at the secondary level, the Department of Education shall
enrich pre-college education as never before done and may even pave the
way for other types of futuristic high schools that have other specialized
orientations, which starts from freshman year through senior year, thus
inculcating in its students a more advanced foundation in new knowledge
and skills, such as that in the field of information and communications
technology.

The said high school will be a model school in addition to the
Proposed specialized high schools for the Province of Camarines Sur, that
are focused on arts and culture, sports, science, and agro-industrial
applications. They are intended to provide students in the secondary
level access to practical and useful knowledge and skills that will not only


help them create an early career path even while they are still at the
secondary school level and thereby become economically productive
citizens at an early age, but also develop the knowledge and culture base
of the nation to be globally competitive in manpower skills.

Section 24, Article II (Declaration of Principles and State Policies) of
the 1987 Constitution states that, “The State shall recognize the vital role
of communication and information in nation-building.” In today’s high-
tech business as well as social environment, knowledge and skills in the
said field is a definite advantage, and can be used to build a career upon.

Therefore, in order to accelerate the availability of this special
knowledge and skills to the youth, it is necessary to integrate the same
with the regular secondary courses, thereby attaining two objectives at
the least possible time and at relatively lesser cost to the government and
its educational institutions. Students will be provided both basic
secondary education and, at the same time, training in information and
communication technology upon which they could build further education
and eventually, a potentially lucrative career.

The establishment therefore of an information and communications
technology high school will implement the constitutionally mandated
policy that the State shall recognize the vital role of information and
communication technology as and instrument for nation-building and will
complement national programs and priorities in the development of the
computer science industry, as well as economic development, through
manpower skills education.

Considering the merits of this Bill, its early approval is eafnestly
requested.

Ww i
LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE

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ESTABLISHING THE ICT HS OF BICOLANE


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 338

AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS.
TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL IN THE CAPITAL TOWN OF PILI,
PROVINCE OF CAMARINES SUR, TO BE KNOWN AS THE
COMPUTER SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL OF BICOLANDIA AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SecTION 1. Establishment of an Information and
Communications Technology High School. - There is hereby
established, under the supervision of the Department of Education, an
information and communications technology high school in the capital
town of Pili, Province of Camarines Sur to be known as the Computer
Science High School of Bicolandia.

Sec. 2. Appropriations. - The Secretary of Education shall
immediately include in the Department’s program the operationalization
of the Computer Science High School of Bicolandia, the funding of which
shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Sec. 3. Implementation. - The Secretary of Education shall issue
such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes

of this Act.


1 Sec. 4. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
2 after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Approved,