Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

42
HOUSE BILL NO. __

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

There is no political unit deemed more important in our society than the basic
body of individuals who are bound by ties of blood and law — the family.

It is every person's immediate source of love, security and support. It is the
first school that teaches good manners, discipline, and values. It is a powerful force
that shapes one’s character as he gradually transitions from solely being a member
of his family to being a player in less familiar and more complicated social and
political settings. Indeed, the role of families in producing high-functioning, law-
abiding, and socially adept citizens cannot be overemphasized. The State must
hereby exercise all powers necessary to protect and strengthen this institution.

This bill proposes the establishment of community family resource and
support programs tasked to offer sustained assistance to families, specifically to the
parents. This Representation acknowledges that while parents may be expected to
perform their parental obligations with much love and ease, we likewise admit that no
two families are alike. Many are faced with unique challenges that hinder their
development of a stable and happy home. For these cases, the State shall set up an
agency with trained professionals and sufficient resources to extend intervention
and/or support in the grassroots, well within the reach of our subject families.

Furthermore, a National Center on Family Resource and Support Programs
shall be created under the leadership of the Secretary of the Department of Health
(DOH) for the effective monitoring and evaluation of community family resource and
support centers nationwide.

In view of the foregoing premises, the passage of this bill is eamestly sought.

Luis IN| RAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.


Republic of the Philippines:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. BY

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL CENTER FOR INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE RELATING TO ALL TYPES OF FAMILY RESOURCE AND
SUPPORT PROGRAMS

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Family Resource Act.”

SECTION 2. Purpose.

Its the purpose of this Act to —

1. stimulate the development and expansion of family resource and support
programs that are prevention oriented;

2. encourage early intervention of such programs with families to ameliorate
problem situations before such situations become crises; and

3. assist parents in enhancing their children’s development to assure that their
children enter school prepared and ready to lea.

SECTION 3. Definition. As used in this Act, the term “family resource and support
programs” means community-based services that offer sustained assistance to
families at various stages in their development. Such services shall promote parental
competencies and behaviors that will lead to the healthy and positive personal
development of parents and children through —

1. the provision of assistance to build family skills and assist parents in
improving their capacities to be supportive and nurturing parents;


2. the provision of assistance to families to enable such families to use other
formal and informal resources and opportunities for assistance that are
available within the communities of such families; and

3. the creation of supportive networks to enhance the childbearing capacity of
parents and assist in compensating for the increased social isolation and
vulnerability of families.

SECTION 4. Establishment of National Center on Family Resource and Support
Programs —

a) Establishment. — The Secretary of Health shall establish, through grant or
contract, a national center for the collection and provision of programmatic
information and technical assistance that relates to all types of family resource
and support programs.

b) Functions. - The national center established under subsection (a) shall serve
as a national information, training, technical assistance and material
development source for family resource and support programs. Such center
shall —

1) establish a clearing house to develop and maintain a database on all
types of family resource and support programs;

2) develop and maintain a system for disseminating information on all
types of family resource and support programs and on the state of
family resource and support program development, including
information concerning the most effective model programs;

3) develop and sponsor a variety of training institutes and curricula for
family resource and support program staff,

4) identify several model programs representing the various types of
family resource and support programs to develop technical assistance
materials and activities to assist other agencies in establishing family
resource and support programs; and

5) develop nationwide networks of family resource and support programs
for the purpose of sharing and disseminating information.

SECTION 5. Evaluation. - The Secretary of Health shall, through grants or
contracts awarded or entered into with independent auditors, conduct evaluations
and related activities of family resource and support programs including —

1) evaluations of on-going programs;
2) process evaluations focusing on implementation strategies; and

3) the development of simple evaluation models for use by local family resource
4) and support programs.


SECTION 6. Authorization of Appropriations. — To carry out the provisions of this
Act, it is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury such sums
as may be necessary for each fiscal year.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. — \f any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected
‘shall remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary
to or consistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or
amended accordingly.

SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,