FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 1831 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill intends to prepare the Filipino youth to meet the technological 
challenges of the 21" Century - by promoting their scientific and technical literacy in 
the field of computer education. 
Under the proposed measure, the basics of computer applications and 
programming will be integrated in the school curriculum. A Board on Computer 
Education is created. Private sectors' participation is enlisted through the grant of 
fiscal incentives to private sector participants. A voucher system is institutionalized 
with respect to the country's nineteen (19) poorest provinces to make these 
provinces at par with the rest of the country in terms of computer literacy. 
Community linkages among the participants are likewise enjoined to hasten the 
nationwide upgrading of computer skills. 
Approval of this bill is, thus, fervently called for. 
MA NYVIL AR 9 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
, .  
Senate Bill No. x
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INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
TO INTEGRATE A COMPUTER EDUCATION PROGRAM 
INTO THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration and Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to 
promote functional computer literacy in all schools, at the earliest possible stage, 
and in a manner that is most efficient and effective in producing a population that is 
highly skilled in the creation, use and manipulation of computer software. In this 
regard, private sector initiative and participation shall always be encouraged to 
achieve this policy objective. 
SECTION 2. Board on Computer Education; Creation Power and Functions. 
- A  Board on Computer Education, hereafter referred to as Board, is hereby created 
to implement the provision of this Act and for this purpose shall have the following 
powers and shall exercise the following functions: 
(a) supervise the accreditation of the computer schools which will participate 
in the program; 
(b) assess and provide for the necessary training of the personnel of 
computer schools on methods of teaching; 
(c) prepare the curriculum for computer-aided logic math and science 
education in the elementary level; 
(d) monitor the performance of the computer schools; 
(e) evaluate the abilities of the students enrolled in the program; 
(f) issue and implement all rules and regulations provided for in this Act; 
and 
(9) exercise all other powers and functions which may be necessary to carry 
out the provisions of this Act 


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SECTION 3. Board Composition - The Board shall be composed of the 
following Members: 
One (1) representative from the Department of Education (DepEd) to be 
nominated by the Secretary of DepEd; 
One (1) representative from the Commission on Higher Education 
(CHED) to be nominated by the CHED Chairman; 
One (1) representative from the Department of Science and Technology 
to be nominated by the Secretary of Department of Science and 
Technology; 
One 
(1) 
representative from the duly accredited professional 
organizations of computer programmers and system analysts to be 
nominated by the recognized leadership of these organizations; 
One (1) representative from the National Economic Development 
Authority, to be nominated by the Secretary-General of the National 
Economic Development Authority; 
The representative from DepEd shall serve as the Chairman of the Board. 
The Chairman and the Members shall be appointed by the President of the 
Republic of the Philippines for a term of five (5) years and shall have the rank and 
compensation of a Bureau Director. 
SECTION 4. Promotion of the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Scheme and 
other Similar Arrangements. -The provision of Republic Act No. 6957, as amended, 
shall be applied to the construction, operation and servicing of computer education 
and its facilities, Provided, That any contractual arrangement that will be utilized for 
this purpose shall additionally provide for the following: 
(a) A training program for teachers not only on computer literacy but also on 
the maintenance and servicing of computer education facilities; and 
(b) An apprenticeship program for the interested students of the public 
school being serviced whereby they may be employed as apprentices for 
the education component of for the facilities maintenance component of 
computer education. 
The build-operate-transfer arrangement or any other similar arrangements 
provided for in Republic Act No. 6957, as amended, may be bidded out and 
awarded at the school district level, in accordance with the implementing rules and 
regulations to be issued by the Board. 
SECTION 5. 
Institutionalization of the Voucher System for Specialized 
Computer Education in the Nineteen (19) Poorest Provinces. - In addition, to 
whatever contractual arrangements which may be utilized under the provisions of 
Section 4 hereof, there shall be created a voucher system for specialized computer 
education in the country’s nineteen (19) poorest provinces whereby each of these 
provinces shall be given the amount of Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) 
each 
year from the annual budget allocated for the implementation of the specialized 
computer education program, or such amount as may be later provided by the law, 
to enroll in a computer school of his or her choice, to finish advanced and 
specialized computer courses such as, but not limited to, advanced programming, 


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computer aided design, hardware design, networking, or such other courses that 
may be identified by the Board. 
Each student shall be entitled to only one voucher. The Board shall issue the 
implementing rules and regulations to ensure that the students do not enroll in more 
than one school, or that enrollment figures reflect actual enrollment. Student found 
guilty of violating this one-voucher-per-student rule shall be subject to the penalties 
provided hereunder. 
SECTION 6. Accreditation of Computer Education Service Providers. - All 
entities shall participate in the activities described in Sections 4 and 5 hereof must 
be accredited by the Board as bona fide participants. The accreditation must be 
renewed for every. period of not less than one year but not more than five years. 
Accreditation shall be based on the following criteria: 
(a) The curriculum meets the standards provided for by the Board; 
(b) The quality of the computers and other peripherals to be provided and 
other physical infrastructure to be built, operated or used which must 
ensure quality of education and minimum health and safety standards; 
(c) The capability of the service provided instructors. The Board will issue 
minimum standards for evaluating teaching ability; and 
(d) With respect to renewal applications, the performance of the students on 
performance measures to be designed by the Board. 
Curriculum of Publicity-funded Computer Education. - The 
computer literacy program acknowledges the vital participation of the private sector 
in the scheme, but the curriculum shall be prepared by the Board. 
The curriculum should make use of computer-assisted education to teach 
elementary students the basic courses of math, science and logic. These courses 
will prepare the student for the demands of computer programming and system 
analysis, as well as strengthen the learning student receives from the formal 
education system. 
The Board will also prepare the curriculum for computer programming and 
popular software utilization, which will be taught at the high school level. 
SECTION 8. Monitoring and lncenfive on Performance. - Monitoring of the 
program shall be done to maintain the quality of education being given to the 
students. Performances measures shall include, but not limited to the following: 
SECTION 7. 
(a) periodic renewal accreditation or license to operate; 
(b) testing; 
(c) national competitions; and, 
(d) unannounced visits to participating schools. 
The Board shall formulate or commission the formulation of a performance 
index which will be used in assessing the performance of the participating schools. 
The latest result of the evaluation of all schools shall be published before the start of 
every school year. 
excellence among the service providers. 
SECTION 9. Tax-free Importation of Computer Hardware and Soffware. - All 
entities who have been accredited. or who have obtained contracts as DarticiDants in 
The Board shall formulate a system rewards and incentives to promote 
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the activities provided for in Sections 4 and 5 hereof shall be given fiscal incentives. 


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These incentives shall include the tax-free importation of all computer 
hardware, software, peripherals and documentary materials. 
However, these 
incentives shall last for a period of not more ten years from the effectivity of this Act. 
The Board shall issue the implementing rules and regulations for the 
availment of the incentives described herein. 
SECTION I O .  Phased lmplemenfafion. - The computer education program 
shall be implemented in phases to ensure that program and infrastructure 
requirements shall be met, to prepare the private sector for the demand for 
computer schools and equipment, and to prime-up the local demand for computer- 
literate workers. 
The implementations shall be done in accordance with the following 
objectives: 
the graduation, one year from the effectivity of this Act, of a corps of high 
school students who can manipulate the most popular computer 
application programs in the areas of word processing , database 
encoding and spreadsheets; 
the graduation, three years from the effectivity of this Act, of a corps of 
high school students who are not only literate in the applications 
described in paragraph (a) herein, but also in the basic programming and 
system analysis; an, 
the immediate use of computer-aided education which will compliment 
the academic instructions in math, science and logic. 
SECTION 11. Community Linkage. - Other software and computer 
programming may be taught by the schools and service providers under community 
link-up system whereby additional training on the use of special software can be 
paid for by interested business or manufacturing firms in the community. The 
business community will also be encouraged to expand and update their 
manufacturing procedures to achieve efficiency through computerization or 
computer-controlled processes. 
SECTION 12. Budget and Funding. - An initial of One Hundred Million 
Pesos (P100,000,000.00) 
to be disbursed from the earnings of the lotteries 
conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office is hereby appropriated for 
the payment of the services to be provided under Sections 4 and 5 of this Act as 
well as for the expenses related to the establishment and operation of the Board. 
Thereafter, the necessary for the continuous implementation of this Act shall be 
included in the yearly General Appropriations Act. 
The administrative expenses related to the implementation of this Act shall be 
both more than three percent (3%) of the annual appropriations for this Computer 
Education Program. 
SECTION 13. Penalties. -Any person found guilty of violating the provisions 
of Section 5 hereof shall be meted the following penalties: 
(a) The student shall pay the full cost of tuition, with interest thereon. The 
payment may be in cash or in its equivalent in terms of community 
service. 


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(b) The accreditation of the service providers found guilty of padding their 
enrollment figures, or for knowingly permitting a student to violate the 
provisions of Section 5 hereof, without prejudice to the payment of twice 
the amount of reimbursement resulting from the padded enrollment as 
fine. 
SECTION 14. Rules and Regulations. - Within forty-five (45) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Board shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act. 
SECTION 15. Separability Clause. - In the event that any provisions of this 
Act is declared unconstitutional, the validity of the other provisions shall not be 
affected by such declaration. 
SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and 
regulations, or portions thereof, inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
SECTION 17. Effectivity. - This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,