NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
]
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'.V'-1'' - f -y „ r
4 'Ulir ot ti I ■' Ml*'
*22 JUL13 A10:48
SENATE
478
S.B. No.
ftHCEiiU.
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
MANDATING THE AUTOMATION OF A NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL
DATABASE
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution provides that "the State 
shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all 
levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to 
air. To this end, we seek the enactment of a law that will mandate the creation 
of a National Public School Database.
The primary purpose of this measure is to promote an easier and 
seamless access to education for the public by streamlining the enrolment 
process. The National Public School Database will serve as a mechanism to 
provide timely, relevant, and accurate information to school heads and 
teachers that will help them perform their administrative tasks more 
efficiently.
The National Public School Database also serves as a layer of protection


for the safe-keeping of learner records. Creating a database will provide a 
storage mechanism for the school records of the 24.1 million learners enrolled 
in public schools as of SY 2021-22.1 Documents are easily damaged and lost 
due to fragile storage, flood, fire, and other disasters. Storing learners’ school 
records in a database ensures that these important documents are preserved 
and easily accessible.
Finally, maintaining a national public school database will facilitate 
systematic monitoring of the records and progress of the learners that are 
vital in school assessment, planning, and setting of operational targets. Thus,
support for the immediate passage of this legislation i^,-earnestly sought.
1 Data from the Department of Education as of January 2022.
2


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
]
SENATE
478
S.B. No.
vv-r’:- 
Cf ll:r f' ■ •'’•■‘fi
*22 JUL13 A10:48
Rl-CE;1
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
MANDATING THE AUTOMATION OF A NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL
DATABASE
J5e it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the (ePublic School 
Database Act”.
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to establish 
and maintain a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education 
relevant to the goals of national development. Toward this end, the 
government shall ensure the promotion of efficient access to both elementary 
and secondary education for the public.
Sec. 3. Coverage. - This Act shall apply to public schools in both 
primary and secondary levels of the educational system.
Sec. 4. National Public School Database. - The Department of Education


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(DepEd) is hereby mandated to develop, operate, and maintain a National 
Public School Database that contains learner information, including but not 
limited to the following:
a) school grades;
b) personal data;
c) good moral record; and
d) improvement tracking.
Sec. 5. Database Access. - School administrators shall be given access 
to the National Public School Database containing learner records and other 
learner-specific data, such as exam scores, grade levels, attendance, and 
immunization records, for the following purposes:
a) recording biographical data for all learners;
b) handling admissions and discharges; and
c) transferring to other schools.
Sec. 6. Database Information Program. - The DepEd shall formulate a 
Database Information Program to train educational professionals in the 
development and maintenance of the information in the National Public 
School Database.
Sec. 7. Illegal Use of the Database. - No person shall use, access, or 
utilize the National Public School Database except for the purposes under Sec. 
5 of this Act.
The DepEd shall ensure the security and confidentiality of the 
information contained in the National Public School Database and that 
processing of information and access to the same is in accordance with the 
provisions of Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
Sec. 8. Penalties. - A penalty of imprisonment ranging from six (6) months 
to one (1) year or a fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000) but


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not more than Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000) or both, at the discretion of 
the court, shall be imposed on persons who knowingly and unlawfully alter, 
falsify or misuse learner information in the National Public School Database.
Sec. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days 
from the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd shall issue the rules and regulations 
implementing its provisions. The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) 
issued pursuant to this section shall take effect thirty (30) days after its 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid 
or unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared shall remain in force 
and effect.
Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, executive orders, 
presidential decrees, administrative orders, rules and regulations, issuances, 
or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
Sec. 12. Effectivity. - Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this 
Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette 
or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,