I 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 17 provides that: 
SEC. 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and 
technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and 
nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human 
liberation and development. 
Education is always a priority among the Filipino families. Major part of each families' 
budget go to education. However, with poverty, more and more children drop out from school 
and fail to get the basic education that they need to do well in life. As a result, there is an 
increasing concern about the growing number of illiterate Filipinos. 
To help solve this problem, there are many non-government organizations that offer their 
help in reaching out to our needy brethren and provide basic education to those who can afford it. 
Many of them have spearheaded invaluable initiatives to ensure that everyone will have the 
necessary skills to he productive members of our society. In order to maximize these efforts, we 
should establish a national coordinating organization that will allow sharing of knowledge, 
experience and resources among different organizations. 
This bill seeks to establish a National Institute of Literacy whose task include research 
and formulation and implementation of literacy programs that will ensure that the nationwide 
efforts are properly coordinated and the best practices are uniformly implemented. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY 
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 “National Institute for Literacy 
Act.” 
SECTION 2. Purpose. -The purpose of this section is to establish a National Institute for 
Literacy that- 
A. provides national leadership regarding literacy; 
B. coordinates literacy services and policy; and 
C. serves as a national resource for literacy programs by- 
1. providing the best and most current information available in the area of 
phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension 
to all educational institutions that provides literacy development program; and 
2. supporting the creation of new ways to offer services of proven effectiveness. 
SECTION 3. Establishment. - There is established the National Institute for Literacy (in 
this section referred to as the “Institute”). 
The Institute shall be administered under the terms of an interagency agreement entered 
into by the Secretary of Education with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Health (in 
this section referred to as the “Interagency Group”). The Interagency Group may include in the 
Institute any research and development center, institute, or clearinghouse established within the 
Department of Education, the Department of Labor, or the Department of Health the purpose of 
which is determined by the Interagency Group to be related to the purpose of the Institute 
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SECTION 4. Oflices, - The Institute shall have offices separate from the offices of the 
Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health. 
SECTION 5. Recommendations. - The Interagency Group shall consider the 
recommendations of the National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board (in this section referred 
to as the “Board”) established in this Act in planning the goals of the Institute and in the 
implementation of any programs to achieve the goals. If the Board’s recommendations are not 
followed, the Interagency Group shall provide a written explanation to the Board concerning 
actions the Interagency Group takes that are inconsistent with the Board’s recommendations, 
including the reasons for not following the Board’s recommendations with respect to the actions. 
The Board may also request a meeting of the Interagency Group to discuss the Board‘s 
recommendations. 
SECTION 6.’ Daily Operations. - The daily operations of the Institute shall be 
administered by the Director of the Institute. 
SECTION 7. Duties. - In order to provide leadership for the improvement and expansion 
of the system for delivery of literacy services, the Institute is authorized-- 
A. to establish a national electronic data base of information that disseminates 
information to the broadest possible audience within the literacy and basic skills field, 
and that includes- 
1. effective practices in the provision of literacy and basic skills instruction, 
including instruction in phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and 
reading comprehension, and the integration of literacy and basic skills 
instruction with occupational skills training; 
2. public and private literacy and basic skills programs, and national, and local 
policies, affecting the provision of literacy services at the national, and local 
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levels; 
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3. opportunities for technical assistance, meetings, conferences, and other 
opportunities that lead to the improvement of literacy and basic skills services; 
and 
4. a communication network for literacy programs, providers, social service 
agencies, and students; 
B. to coordinate support €or the provision of literacy and basic skills services across 
government agencies and at the national and local levels; 
C. to coordinate the support of reliable and replicable research and development on 
literacy and basic skills in families across government agencies and to carry out basic 
and applied research and development on topics that are not being investigated by 
other organizations or agencies, such as the special literacy needs of individuals with 
learning disabilities; 
D. to collect and disseminate information on methods of advancing literacy that show 
great promise, including phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and 
reading comprehension; 
E. to provide policy and technical assistance to national and local entities for the 
improvement of policy and programs relating to literacy; 
F. to fund a network of literacy resource centers to assist national and local public and 
private nonprofit efforts to improve literacy by- 
1. encouraging the coordination of literacy services; 
2. enhancing the capacity of national and local organizations to provide literacy 
services; and 
3. serving as a link between the Institute and providers of literacy activities for 
the purpose of sharing information, data, research, expertise, and literacy 
resources; 
G. to coordinate and share information with national organizations and associations that 
are interested in literacy and workforce investment activities; 
H. to advise the legislative and executive departments and agencies regarding the 
development of policy with respect to literacy and basic skills; and 
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I. to undertake other activities that lead to the improvement of the country’s literacy 
delivery system and that complement other such efforts being undertaken by public 
and private agencies and organizations. 
SECTION 8. Priority. - The Institute shall give priority lo adults and individuals with 
disabilities in the performance of its duties as provided in this Act. 
SECTION 9. Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. - The Institute may award 
grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, individuals, public or private 
institutions, agencies, organizations, or consortia of such institutions, agencies, or organizations 
to carry out the activities of the Institute. 
SECTION 10. Literacy Leadership. - The Institute, in consultation with the Board, may 
award fellowships, with such stipends and allowances that the Director considers necessary, to 
outstanding individuals pursuing careers in literacy in the areas of instruction, management, 
research, or innovation. 
Fellowships awarded under this section shall be used, under the auspices of the Institute, 
to engage in research, education, training, technical assistance, or other activities to advance the 
field of literacy, including the training of volunteer literacy providers at the national, or local 
level. 
SECTION 11. Interns and volunteers. - The Institute, in consultation with the Board, 
may award paid and unpaid internships to individuals seeking to assist the Institute in carrying 
out its mission. Subject to applicable labor laws, the Institute may accept and use voluntary and 
uncompensated services as the Institute determines necessary. 
SECTION 12. National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board. -There shall be a National 
Institute for Literacy Advisory Board (in this section referred to as the “Board”), which shall 
consist of 10 individuals appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. 
SECTION 13. Composition. - The Board shall be comprised of individuals who are not 
otherwise public officers or employees and who are representative of entities such as- 
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A. literacy organizations and providers of literacy services, including nonprofit 
providers, providers of English literacy programs and services, social service 
organizations, and eligible providers receiving assistance under this subtitle; 
B. businesses that have demonstrated interest in literacy programs; 
C. literacy students, including literacy students with disabilities; 
D. experts in the area of literacy research; 
E. local governments; and 
F. representatives of employees, including representatives of labor organizations. 
SECTION 14. Duties ofthe Board. -The Board shall - 
A. make recommendations concerning the appointment of the Director and staff of the 
Institute; 
B. provide independent advice on the operation of the Institute; and 
C. receive reports from the Interagency Group and the Director. 
SECTION 15. Appointment of Board Members. - Each member of the Board shall be 
appointed for a term of 3 years, except that the initial terms for members may be 1,2, or 3 years 
in order to establish a rotation in which one-third of the members are selected each year. Any 
such member may be appointed for not more than 2 consecutive terms. 
Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for 
which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that 
term. A member may serve after the expiration of that member's term until a successor has taken 
office. 
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SECTION 16. Quorum. - A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a 
quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings. Any recommendation of the Board may be 
passed only by a majority of the Board's members present. 
SECTION 17. Election ofofficers oftke Board. -The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson 
of the Board shall be elected by the members of the Board. The term of office of the Chairperson 
and Vice Chairperson shall be 2 years. 
SECTION 18. Meetings. - The Board shall meet at the call of the Chairperson or a 
majority of the members of the Board. 
SECTION 19. G@s, Bequests and Devices. - The Institute may accept, administer, and 
use gifts or donations of services, money, or property, whether real or personal, tangible or 
intangible. 
The Board shall establish written rules setting forth the criteria to be used by the Institute 
in determining whether the acceptance of contributions of services, money, or property whether 
real or personal, tangible or intangible, would reflect unfavorably upon the ability of the Institute 
or any employee to carry out the responsibilities of the Institute or employee, or official duties, in 
a fair and objective manner, or would compromise the integrity or the appearance of the 
integrity of the Institute's programs or any official involved in those programs. 
SECTION 20. Report. - The Institute shall submit a report annually to the appropriate 
committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each report submitted under this 
section shall include- 
A. a comprehensive and detailed description of the Institute's operations, activities, 
financial condition, and accomplishments in the field of literacy for the period 
covered by the report; 
B. a description of how plans for lhe operation of the Institute for the succeeding fiscal 
year will facilitate achievement of the goals of the Institute and the goals of the 
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literacy programs within the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and 
the Department of Health; and 
C. any additional minority, or dissenting views submitted by members of the Board. 
SECTION 21. Appropriations. -The amount necessary for the initial implementation of 
this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the Department of Education under the 
current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its full 
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as a distinct and 
separate item. 
SECTION 22. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not othenvise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 23. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 24. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
/apm02192009 
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