REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No.

Introduced by HON. KRISTINE ALEXIE B. TUTOR
Third District, Bohol

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Department of Education (DepEd), formerly known as the DECS or the Department of
Education, Culture and Sports, was formerly tasked with publishing of books in the Philippines.
However, upon the enactment of Republic Act No. 8047 or “The Book Publishing Industry
Development Act”, said function was eventually removed from DECS and was relegated to the
private sector to encourage their participation and promote the development of the book
publishing industry.

The enactment of RA 8047 in 1994 effectively limited the role of DepEd to merely prescribing
the guidelines, rules, and regulations in preparing the minimum learning competencies, and/or
prototypes and other specifications for books required by public elementary and secondary
schools.

Recently, the Commission on Audit called the attention of DepEd with regard the existence of
error-filled learning materials being used in public schools. COA ordered DepEd to evaluate
the errors in their leaming materials and to act immediately in rectifying these mistakes.
However, RA 8047 does not specify nor specifically provide or give authority to DepEd to
correct errors. Moreover, RA 8047 do not have provisions with regard to textbook errors, how
this case will be dealt with as well as identifying or penalizing those responsible or accountable.

This proposed “Educational Textbooks Accuracy and Veracity Act” seeks to address this
problem and improve the system and process that produces the country’s textbooks for basic
‘education to ensure the distribution of quality textbooks sans the inaccuracies, factual errors,
and lapses.

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This bill tasks the Board with issuing specific rules and regulations on educational textbook
publishing, to include: (1) the imposition of administrative penalties; (2) standards and
procedures on reviewing textbooks and manuscripts; and (3) mechanisms for the correction of
content as regards factual errors, inaccuracies, and flaws, but excluding editorial style.

Likewise, this bill gives the National Book Development Board two additional mandates:
(1) establishment of a public library with reliable and publicly-accessible wi-fi of
at least 100 megabits per second in every city and municipality nationwide as part of a
National Public Library Development Program to be implemented in phases over a period

of seven (7) fiscal years; and

(2) conduct annual book fairs in the one hundred (100) most populous cities and
municipalities of the country to promote reading and improve learning competencies.

Considering all the foregoing, swift passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

KRISTINE XIE B. TUTOR
Representative, Bohol 3" District


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 5308

Introduced by HON. KRISTINE ALEXIE B. TUTOR
Third District, Bohol

AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT 8047, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BOOK
PUBLISHING INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT ACT, ENSURING THE FACTUAL
ACCURACY AND VERACITY OF TEXTBOOKS PUBLISHED AND USED FROM
KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 12 IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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 “EDUCATIONAL
TEXTBOOKS ACCURACY AND VERACITY ACT.”

Section 2. Amendments to Republic Act 8047. All references to the Department of
Education, Culture and Sports in Republic Act 8047, otherwise known as the Book Publishing
Industry Development Act, are hereby changed to “Department of Education”.
Furthermore, Sections 10 and 11 of R.A. 8047 are hereby amended to read as follows:
Sec. 10, EDUCATIONAL Textbook Publishing. — The DEPED shall consult
with the Board in prescribing the guidelines, rules and regulations in preparing the
minimum learning competencies and/or prototypes and other specifications for books
required by public elementary and secondary schools.
‘The DEPED shall confine itself to:

(@) preparing the minimum learning competencies, and/or prototypes and other
specifications for books and/or manuscripts called for:

(b) testing; evaluating, selecting and approving the manuscripts or books to be
submitted by the publishers for multiple adoption;

(©) providing assistance in the distribution of textbooks to the public school systems;



(D) REVIEWING TEXTBOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS, VERIFYING THE
FACTUAL AND CONTEXTUAL ACCURACY OF THEIR CONTENT,
MAKING NECESSARY CORRECTION OF ERRORS IN FACTS AND
CONTEXTS BEFORE THE MANUSCRIPTS ARE PUBLISHED, AS WELL AS
IMPROVEMENTS IN WORD USAGE, CONSTRUCTION, AND
PRESENTATION, ALL IN OPEN CONSULTATION WITH THE AUTHORS
AND PUBLISHERS CONVENED BY OFFICIALS OF THE BOARD; and

(E) promulgating, with the participation and assistance of the Board, rules and
regulations for the private book publishers in the call, testing, CORRECTION OF
FACTUAL ERRORS, INACCURACIES AND FLAWS, evaluation, selection,
approval, as well as production specification and acquisition of public school textbooks.

‘The printing of public elementary and secondary school textbooks shall be done on a
regional or provincial level, whenever economically feasible.

The DEPED shall within a period of not more than three (3) years from the effectivity
of this Act phase out its elementary and secondary textbook publication and distribution
functions and shall support the phasing in of private sector publishers to assume these
functions here. For its part, the Board shall monitor and conduct an annual evaluation
of the progress of the shift of functions from the DEPED to the private sector.

Sec. 11. Participation of Private Publishers in the Public School Textbook Program. —
Guided by the KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 12 (K TO 12) BASIC
EDUCATION PROGRAM, ITS CURRICULUM, learning competencies, and other
specifications prepared by the DEPED, publishers shall develop and submit to the
DEPED those syllabi and/or prototypes and manuscripts or books intended for use in
the public schools for testing, evaluation, selection and endorsement of DEPED FOR
APPROVAL OF THE BOARD.

Upon approval of the manuscripts or books, publishers shall produce and supply the
textbooks as ordered by the DEPED FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Section 3. Additional Mandates of the National Book Development Board. The
Board shall, within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, issue specific rules and
regulations on educational textbook publishing, to include: (1) the imposition of administrative
penalties; (2) standards and procedures on reviewing textbooks and manuscripts; and (3)
mechanisms for correction of content as regards factual errors, inaccuracies, and flaws, but
excluding editorial style.

The Board shall establish a public library, with reliable and publicly-accessible wifi of at least
100 megabits per second, in every city and municipality nationwide as part of a National Public

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Library Development Program to be implemented in phases over a period of seven (7) fiscal
years.

The Board shall conduct annual book fairs in the one hundred (100) most populous cities and
municipalities of the country to promote reading and improve learning competencies.

Section 4. Appropriations. Funding for the additional mandates to the DepEd and the
Board specified in this Act shall be included in the annual general appropriations.

Sec. 5. Separability. - If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall continue to be in full force
and effect.

Sec. 6. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, and administrative orders or
parts thereof inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed or amended
accordingly.

Sec. 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the online version of the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general
circulation or with established intemet website presence.

Approved,