Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

iene, 003

. No.

Introduced by HONORABLE JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article 2 Section 17 of the Constitution states:

“SEC. 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and
technology, arts, culture and sports to foster patriotism nationalism, accelerate
social progress and promote total human liberation and development. *

Brain drain is a common phenomenon over the last several decades. It involves many of
our teachers who go abroad to seek greener pastures. As a result, we continue to lose teachers
in our schools and unnecessarily increase the burden of teaching the ever growing number of
our students to the teachers that actually stay. However, this phenomenon does not only occur
from our country to overseas. It is also happening from our rural schools to urban cities,

Substandard facilities and even more substandard communities make for additional burdens to
‘our teachers who teach in rural areas.

Many of our teachers find it really hard to realistically make a career teaching in these
communities much less thrive in them. As such there is little incentive for the highly qualified
teachers to go and stay in rural schools. As legislators, we must acknowledge the higher level of
challenge presented in those areas and provide better incentives to highly qualified teachers. It
is not only our duty to provide education to our children in those areas, but also to provide high

quality education, that they may be able to develop into good citizens that will help their
communities and our country.

Initially, we need to establish an incentive program that will entice our highly qualified
teachers to stay. A competitive program of grants to qualified provinces will not only motivate
the provinces to develop their programs for the rural community but likewise allow us’ to focus
the limited resources to the provinces that is in the position to make use of the funds best

This bill seeks to establish a program that will provide financial assistance to qualified
provinces in order to create an incentive system for highly qualified teachers who shall commit
to stay and teach for at least three years.

Approval of this bill is sought.

JUAN EDGARDO “S@NNY” M. ANGARA
Representative
Lone District, Province of Aurora


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

H.B.No,__ 903

Introduced by Honorable JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” M. ANGARA

AN ACT
TO ESTABLISH A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS TO RETAIN HIGHLY
QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Rural Teacher Retention
Act of 2010.”

SEC. 2. Definition. - The purpose of this Act the term -

a) “Child with a disability” means a minor who has a physical, mental or medical impairment
resulting from anatomical, physiological, or neurological conditions that prevent the
exercise of a normal bodily function or that substantially impair cognitive function, and
include but is not limited to, impairments requiring the use of an artificial device to move,
walk, see, hear or breathe, such as a wheelchair, braces, crutches, respirator, or other
supportive equipment, or use of a guide dog or other guiding device, and which renders

such person incapable of adequately providing for his or her own health and personal
care.

b) "Department" means the Department of Education
¢) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Education

SEC. 3. Grant. - The Secretary shall carry out a 5-year pilot program under which the
Secretary awards grants, on a competitive basis, to not more than 10 different provinces, to
enable them to award salary bonuses to highly qualified teachers or highly qualified special

education teachers who teach, or commit to teach, for at least 3 academic years in such
institution.

SEC. 4, Basis. - The Secretary shall award grants under this section on the basis of the
heeds of rural local educational agencies within a province for recruiting and retaining highly
qualified teachers or highly qualified special education teachers.


SEC. 5. Consideration of Needs. - In determining the needs of rural local educational
agencies for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and highly qualified special
education teachers under Section 5, the Secretary shall consider 1 or more of the following:

a) The impact on a rural local educational agency of low-income students who are served
by the rural local educational agency.

b) The impact on a rural local educational agency of children with a disability who are
served by the rural local educational agency.

©) The long-term plans of a province to improve the recruitment and retention of highly
qualified teachers and highly qualified special education teachers in rural local
‘educational agencies within the province.

SEC. 6. Application. A province that desires to receive a grant under this section shall
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such
information as the Secretary may require. The application shall contain a plan for the proposed

distribution and use of the grant funds among rural local educational agencies within the
province.

SEC.7. Use of Funds. Grant funds under this section shall be used to provide salary
bonuses for highly qualified teachers or highly qualified special education teachers who teach,
‘or commit to teach, for at least 3 academic years, in an elementary school or secondary school
served by the same rural local educational agency.

SEC. 8. Study. The Secretary shall carry out a study of each project that is funded under
this Act. The study shall track and assess the implementation and effectiveness of each project.

SEC. 9. Report.

a) ANNUAL REPORTS FROM PROVINCES- Each province receiving a grant under this
Act shall submit an annual report to the Secretary regarding each project within the State
that is funded under this Act. The report shall contain such information as the Secretary
determines necessary to evaluate the project.

b) REPORT TO CONGRESS- The Secretary shalt submit a report on the study described
in Section 8 to the appropriate committees in the Senate and in the House of
Representatives within 5 years from the effectivity of this Act.

1. the number of rural local educational agencies assisted under this Act;
a. the characteristics of such rural local educational agencies with respect to the
considerations of needs described in section 4(c):

2. the number and demographic characteristics of teacher receiving bonuses under this
Act;


3. the impact of the bonuses provided under this Act on the ability of rural local
educational agencies assisted under this Act to recruit and retain highly qualified
teachers and highly qualified special education teachers; and

4, such other information and analysis as the Secretary determines necessary to
evaluate the projects.

SEC. 10. Appropriations. The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this
‘Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the Department of Education under the
current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its full
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as a distinct and
separate item

SEC. 11. Separability Clause. If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting.

SEC 12. Repealing Clause. Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order,
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent with the
provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SEC. 13. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,