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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. __________ 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Representative JOEY SARTE SALCEDA 
__________________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT, 
PROMOTING A BASELINE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Philippines implemented a national reform of its education system in June 2012, 
when basic education was increased from 10 to 12 years. This reform demanded significant 
investment school facilities to accommodate the expanded student population. As early as 
2014, the education budget was increased to 4.3% of the country’s gross domestic product. By 
2018, however, when the Philippines participated in the Programme for International Student 
Assessment (PISA), the assessment found that “expenditure per student in the Philippines was 
the lowest amongst all PISA-participating countries/economies – and 90% lower than the 
OECD average.” 
While the Philippines expands its government revenues to accommodate the growing 
need for government programs, including education, there is a clear need to address what 
Figueroa, Lee, and Lim (2015) refer to as “disparities” in public school facilities in the country, 
even with limited public resources. These improvements are especially necessary in light of 
the country’s present education outcomes. 
There is thus a need to spend public resources more efficiently, and conduct a sort of 
“triage” of the country’s need for improved school facilities. 
Studies like that of Figueroa et al, find “congestion and underutilization of facilities not 
only in public high schools but also in public elementary schools,” and “that the ratio of 
classrooms, toilets and seats in clusters of the northern provinces are consistently in excess 
while the clusters of provinces around the highly populated capital, the eastern seaboard and 
the south are consistently deficient.” 
The disparities outline the need for data-driven but human-centered approaches to 
deciding where to allocate resources among public schools, based on a minimum standard of 
conduciveness that must be met in all schools. 
July 1, 2022 
8:00 am
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The longer these disparities are allowed to persist, the longer facility-deficient schools 
will suffer from a reduced quality of life on campus.  
The relationship between education and learner objectives and the quality of school 
facilities is well established. A literature review of sanitation in schools performed by Jasper, 
Le, and Bartram (2012) shows that better access to these facilities increase school attendance 
and promote children’s health. Roberts (2009) showed the correlation between school facilities 
and learning outcomes when school facilities are measured in terms of educational functions. 
In view of the urgent need to effectively and efficiently allocate precious public 
resources on facilities that will truly elevate the quality of life and the learning outcomes in 
schools-in-need, the approval of this measure is urgently sought. 
JOEY SARTE SALCEDA 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No._______ 
Introduced by Representative JOEY SARTE SALCEDA 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT, 
PROMOTING A BASELINE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Building Better Schools Act.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Principles. – The State shall promote improved learning outcomes 
through the promotion of learning environments that are conducive to intellectual and 
psychosocial development. The State shall ensure that places of learning are safe, secure, and 
well-maintained. 
Towards these ends, the State shall formulate a comprehensive plan for developing and 
maintaining education infrastructure grounded on learner and teacher experience. The State 
shall also set a basic standard of quality of life in schools to ensure that all public schools meet 
at least minimum conditions for a school environment conducive for learning. 
SEC. 3. National Education Infrastructure Audit (NEIA). – There shall be conducted 
annually a National Education Infrastructure Audit, to: 
1) Assess the state of all structures in schools;
2) Note the presence or absence, and conditions of basic school facilities;
3) Assess the delivery of locally and nationally funded structures in schools;
4) Recommend schools structures for repair or condemnation;
5) Establish metrics to perform the NEIA
SEC. 4. Administration of the NEIA. – The NEIA shall be overseen jointly by the Department 
of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Audit (COA). The Department of Education 
shall assign an office within the department as NEIA National Secretariat.  
COA and DepEd shall jointly issue the metrics for the NEIA. 
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Each school division and the COA counterpart shall create a NEIA team to conduct the 
audit in all schools within the division. A division-level report shall be issued upon the 
conclusion of the audit. 
 
The National Secretariat shall compile division-level audits, formulate, with the COA, 
a national level report specifying schools and divisions in most need of intervention. 
 
SEC. 5. National Education Infrastructure Plan. – There shall be formulated annually, based 
on the results of the NEIA, a National Education Infrastructure Plan (NEIP), which shall be 
submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and to Congress. The NEIP 
shall be used to inform the formulation of the National Expenditure Plan. 
 
The NEIP shall promote equitable, gender-sensitive facilities which are conducive to 
all students and teachers, including differently-abled individuals. The NEIP shall strive to meet 
a basic standard of quality of life in schools, as determined by the DepEd, in consultation with 
teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders. 
 
SEC. 6. Budget Prioritization. – As far as practicable, schools in most need of intervention as 
identified by the NEIA shall be prioritized in the allocation of budget resources for school 
improvements.  
 
SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Department of Education, the 
Commission on Audit, and the Department of Budget and Management shall jointly 
promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this Act, within thirty 
(30) days upon its effectivity. 
 
SEC. 8. Separability Clause. – If any portion or provision of this Act is subsequently declared 
invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall remain 
in full force and effect. 
 
SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. – All other laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
presidential proclamations, issuances, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are contrary 
to or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or 
modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 10. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,