FIFTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES —)
FIRST REGULAR SESSION )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

1067

House Bill No.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Constitution, Article 15, Section 1 provides:

“The State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the
nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively
promote its total development.”

Fundamental changes in the demographics and economics of family
life in the country over the past 20 years have had a profound effect on
children and their parents.

As the number of women working outside the home has been steadily
increasing, there is a need to support community-based family resource and
support programs that promote healthy child development and increase
parental competency. Investment in promoting the development of family
resource and support programs will reap long-term benefits for individual
families and the nation as a whole.

This bill seeks to establish a national center for information and

technical assistance relating to all types of family resource and support
programs, hence, immediate approval hereof is earnestly recommended

RUFUS B. Rt JGUEZ

uf

MAXIMO B. RODRIGUEZ, JR.


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES —)
FIRST REGULAR SESSION )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus 8. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B, Rodriguez, Jr.

1067

House Bill No.

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.”

SEC 2. Purpose. - It is 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 learn.

SEC 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

(8) 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.

SEC 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 clearinghouse to develop and maintain a data base
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.

SEC 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

SEC 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.

SEC 7. Separability Clause. - If 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.

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contrary to or inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed,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

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

Approved.