Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In 2002, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology reported that 2,042 children were 
held in facilities under its jurisdiction throughout the country. The list of crimes against persons 
committed by children includes murder, parricide, physical injuries, and rape. 
Also in 2002, the Department of Social Welfare and Development saved 222 children in 
conflict with the law, most of whom are boys between 14 and 17 years old who have attained at 
least an elementary education. 
Aggressive behavior in early childhood is the single best predictor of aggression in later 
life. In the U.S., studies have shown that children who experienced violence as victims or 
witnesses are at increased risk of becoming violent themselves. For instance, children who had 
been victims of violence within their families were twenty four percent (24%) more likely to 
report violent behavior as adolescents, and adolesc'ents who had grown up in families where 
partner violence occurred were twenty-one percent (21%) more likely to report violent 
delinquency than individuals not exposed to violence. 
In the US., research has demonstrated that aggression is primarily a learned behavior that 
develops through observation, imitation, and direct experience. Early childhood offers a critical 
period for overcoming risk for violent behavior and providing support for prosocial behavior. 
Primary prevention can be effective. When preschool teachers teach young children interpersonal 
problem-solving skills and other forms of conflict resolution, children are less likely to 
demonstrate problem behaviors. Violence prevention programs for very 'young children yield a 
multitude of benefits - by providing health and stability to the individual child and the child's 
family, and by reducing expenditures for medical care, special education, and involvement with 
the judicial system. 


This bill seeks to provide training in violence prevention to professionals and educators 
who work with children.* 
' This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 


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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO PROVIDE TRAINING ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION 
TO PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK WITH CHILDREN 
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 “Violence Prevention 
Training for Early Childhood Educators Act of 2007.’’ 
SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. -As iised in this Act, the term: 
(A) “At-risk children” means children who have been affected by violence through direct 
exposure to abuse, other domestic violence, or violence in the community. 
(B) “Early childhood education training program” means a program that - 
(1) Trains individuals to work with young children in early child development 
programs or elementary schools; 
(2) Provides professional development to individuals working in early child 
development programs or elementary schools; 
(3) Provides training to become an early childhood education teacher, an 
elementary school teacher, a school counselor, or a child care provider; and 
(4) Leads to a bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree, a certificate for working 
with young children, such as a Child Psychology degree or an equivalent credential, or, in 
the case of an individual with such a degree - certificate, or credential. 
(C) “Violence prevention” means: 
(1) Preventing violent behavior in children; 
(2) Identifying and preventing violent behavior in at-risk children; or 
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(3) Identifying and ameliorating violent behavior in children who act out 
violently. 
@) “School” means a public elementary school. 
(E) “Students” mean public elementary students. 
(F) “DepEd” means the Department of Education. 
(G) “Secretary” means the DepEd Secretary. 
SECTION 3. Program Authorized. - 
(A) Grant Authority. - The DepEd is authorized to award grants to public elementary 
schools that carry out early childhood education training programs and have applications 
approved under section 4 to enable the school to provide violence prevention training as part of 
the early childhood education training program. 
(B) Amount. -The Secretary shall determine the amount of grant under this Act. 
(C) Duration. - The Secretary shall award a grant under this Act for a period of not 
less than 3 years and not more than 5 years. 
SECTION 4. Application. - 
(A) Application Required. - Each school desiring a grant under this Act shall submit to 
the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information 
as the Secretary may require. 
(B) Contents. - Each application shall - 
(1) Describe the violence prevention training activities and services for which 
assistance is sought; 
(2) Contain a comprehensive plan for the activities and services, including a 
description of: 
(a) The goals of the violence prevention training program; 
(b) The profile of the teachers, counselors, and other child care providers; 
(c) The curriculum and training described in the plan; and 
(d) The methods for assessing the success of the violence prevention 
training program. 
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(3) Contain an assurance that the school has the capacity to implement the plan; 
and 
@) Contain an assurance that the plan was developed in consultation with the 
government andor private agencies or non-government organizations that will assist the 
school in carrying out the plan. 
SECTION 5. Selection Priorities. - The Secretary shall give priority to awarding grants 
to schools carrying out violence prevention programs that include one or more of the following 
components: 
(A) Preparation to engage in family support, such as parent education, service referral, 
and literacy training. 
(B) Preparation to engage in community outreach or collaboration with other services in 
the community. 
(C) Preparation to use conflict resolution training with at-risk children. 
(D) Preparation to work in economically disadvantaged communities. 
(E) Recruitment of economically disadvantaged students. 
(F) Carrying out programs of demonstrated effectiveness in the type of training for which 
assistance is sought. 
SECTION 6. Appropriations. - Such sums as may be necessary to cany out this program 
are hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DepEd Secretary is hereby 
authorized and directed to adopt a system to implement and carry out the provisions of this Act, 
The DepEd shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate rules and 
regulations, including those of disciplinary nature, to carry out and enforce the provisions of this 
Act. 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision shall remain valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - 
Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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