FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENt1flO 
S. No. _-'----__ 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santia~:LbVi'~1 ;;'. r 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article II provides: 
Section 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and 
technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism, nationalism, accelerate 
social progress, and promote total human liberation and development. 
The Administrative Code, P.D. No. 442, a.1c.a. the "Labor Code of the Philippines," and 
RA. No. 8187, a.k.a. "Paternity Leave Act of 1996," provide for instances when an employee 
can officially take a leave of absence with pay .. 
This bill seeks to allow employees to take a limited leave to participate in the academic 
school activities of their children or to participate in literacy training. This is in recognition of the 
fact that parents playa very important role in the advancement oftheir children's education. I 
1 This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
sEN1T;e 
S:No. 
~10 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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AN ACT 
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JUL 
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TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO TAKE SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT LEAVE TO 
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PARTICIPATE IN THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL ACTIVITIES OF THEIR CHILDREN OR TO 
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PARTICIPATE IN LITERACY TRAINING 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION I. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Time for Schools Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to give priority to 
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education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to promote total human liberation and 
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development. 
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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms: -For purposes of this Act, the term: 
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(A) "Family literacy program" means a program of services that are of sufficient intensity 
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in temlS of hours, and of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in a family and that 
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integrate all of the following activities: 
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(1) Interactive literacy activities between parents and their sons and daughters; 
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(2) Training for parents on how to be the primary teacher for their sons and 
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daughters and full partners in the education of their sons and daughters; 
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(3) Parent literacy training; and 
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(4) An age-appropriate education program for sons and daughters. 
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(B) "Literacy'" used with respect to an individual, means the ability of the individual to 
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speak, read, and write English, and complete and solve problems, at levels of proficiency 
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necessary -
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(I) To function on the job, in the family ofthe individual, and in society; 
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(2) To achieve the goals ofthe individual; and 
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(3) To develop the knowledge potential of the individual. 
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(C) "School" means an elementary school or secondary school, and a child care facility 
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operated by a provider who meets the applicable State or local government licensing, 
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certification, approval, or registration requirements, if any. 
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SECTION 4. Entitlement to School Leave. -
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(A) In General. - An eligible employee shall be entitled to a total of twenty-four (24) 
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hours of leave during any twelve (12)-month period to participate in an academic activity of a 
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school of a son or daughter of the employee, such as a parent-teacher conference or an interview 
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for a school, or to participate in literacy training under a family literacy program. 
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(B) Notice. - In any case in which the necessity for leave is foreseeable, the employee 
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shall provide the employing agency with not less than seven (7) days' notice, before the date of 
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leave is to take effect, of the employee's intention to take leave. If the necessity for the leave is 
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not foreseeable, the employee shall provide such notice as is practicable. 
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SECTION. 5. Penalties. - Any person, corporation, trust, firm, partnership, association or 
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entity found violating this Act or the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this Act shaH 
, 
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be punished by a fine not exceeding Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (P25,000.00) or imprisonment 
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of not less than thirty (30) days or more than six (6) months. If the violation is committed by a 
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corporation, trust or firm, partnership, association or any other entity, the penalty of 
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imprisonment shaH be imposed on the .entity's responsible officers, including, but not limited to, 
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the president, vice-president, chief executive officer, general manager, managing director or 
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partner directly responsible for the same. 
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SECTION 6. Non-Diminution Clause. -Nothing in this Act shall be construed to reduce 
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any existing benefits of any form granted under existing laws, decrees, executive orders, or any 
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contract, agreement or policy between employer and employee. 
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SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
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with, the provI'sion ofthis Act is hereby'repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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