Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No._0544

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Filipino children up to six (6) years of age deserve the best care and attention at
the family and community levels. Towards this end, Republic Act No. 6972 was enacted in
1990 which mandates the establishment a day care center in every barangay.

Day Care Centers provides support programs that ensure total development and
protection of children. Day Care workers provide intellectual and mental stimulation to the
children, as well as supervised wholesome recreation, with a balanced program of
supervised play, mental stimulation activities, and group activities. They are utilized to
assist in the care of children and provide consultative services for medical, educational, and
other needs of the children.

Twenty-six (26) years after its passage, out of 42,026 barangays in the country,
4,570 barangays had yet to establish their own day care center. Moreover, many of the day
care centers existing in the country are in very deplorable conditions. Most of these Centers
are in need of renovation or rehabilitation.

Lack of funds has been the perennial problem in our day care system. The
government has not been able to provide enough resources (ie., building, materials,
medicines, children books, tables and chairs) and nutrition to support the ever increasing
number children in the day care program.

The present budgetary allocation of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development and the LGUs cannot address the deficiency in the day care program due to
other priorities.

This bill seeks to address pressing problems in the implementation of day care
program nationwide ie., shortages of center, day care materials and equipments, dilapidated
centers and others by providing for a one-time appropriations to address such deficiencies.

In light of the foregoing, passage of this bill is urgently sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 0544

Introduced by Rep. Witfride Mark M. Ewerga

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR DAY CARE CENTERS REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM, CREATING DAY CARE CENTERS REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT
FUND, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION. 1. Title - This Act shall be known as “Day Care Centers Rehabilitation
and Improvement Act of 2019”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to
defend the right of children to assistance, including proper care and nutrition, and to provide
them with special protection against all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other
conditions prejudicial to their development. Filipino children up to six (6) years of age deserve
the best care and attention at the family and community levels. Towards this end, the State
shall endeavor to provide Filipino children in every barangay facilities that are adequate, safe
and conducive to enable the children achieve their holistic development. Accordingly, the State
shall ensure a continuing effort towards rehabilitation and improvement of all day care centers
nationwide.

SEC. 3. Objective. - There shall be established a comprehensive and continuing

Day Care Centers Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, hereinafter referred to as the
“Program” which shall have the following objectives:

(a) To address the inadequacy of day care centers in the country;

(b) To rehabilitate /improve and renovate dilapidated centers;

(c) To improve the delivery of day care services;

(d) To foster an environment in the center conducive for barangay level total

development and protection of children.


SEC. 4. Day Care Rehabilitation and Improvement Council. - There is hereby
created a Day Care Rehabilitation and Improvement Council in the Department of Social
Welfare and Development which shall be headed by the Department Secretary as
Chairperson and representatives of various national leagues in the provinces, cities and
municipalities as member.

The council shall formulate and adopt a comprehensive program and guidelines to
resolve the shortages of day care Centers, its rehabilitation and improvement of centers,
deficiencies in day care materials, equipments and furniture and fixtures.

SEC. 5. Day Care Rehabilitation and Improvement Fund. - There is hereby
created a trust fund, to be known as Day Care Rehabilitation and Improvement Fund for
which the sum of Fifty Billion Pesos (P50,000,000,000.00) shall be appropriated. The total
amount allocated herein shall be used exclusively for the construction, rehabilitation
and/or repair, renovation of day care centers in the country, the procurement of day care
materials, equipment, furniture and fixtures pursuant to the program and guidelines as
determined by the Council.

Provided, that all unexpected balance, after the completion of the work and/or
procurement authorized for each fiscal year, shall at once revert to the National Treasury
to the credit of the appropriation provided for under this Act and shall not be withdrawn
from it nor expended except for the purpose indicated herein. Such unexpended balance
for any fiscal year shall be added to the appropriation for the next fiscal year and expended
accordingly.

SEC. 6. Bidding. - Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, funds
allocated under the provision of this Act shall be executed through public bidding in
accordance with the existing government rules and regulations.

SEC. 7. Appropriation.- The amount needed to implement this Act shall be
included in the General Appropriations Act of the year.

SEC. 8. Separability. - Should any provision of this Act be found
unconstitutional by a court of law, such provision shall be severed from the remainder
of this Act, and such action shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining
provisions of this Act.

SEC. 9. Effectivity.- This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in any two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

APPROVED,