Republic of the Phhippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HOusri BI'Li NO. 6 8 8 1
Introduced by Representative Eduardo Roa Rama Jr.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Under Section 1, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution, the State shall protect and
promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps
to make such education accessible to all. I-Iowcver, when the COVID-19 pandemic happened,
the policy to deliver quality education for all became increasingly chauenging. And it is
undeniable that the maralnalized students struggled the most.
As classr()oms around the country slowly reopened, it became even clearer that these
students had fallen even further behind. Unless this regression is reversed, learning poverty will
hold back our couiitry's ect>nomical and societal progress. Filipino children must be given a
chance to recover the education that they have lost. It is cjur task to alve them access to well-
designed reading materials, dialtal lcaming opportunities, and transformed education systems
that help preparc` them for future challenges.
This bill seeks to establish a leaning intervention program to reverse, or at least, contain
the effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on education. It seeks to provide for a program
to ensure that learners are provided optimal instructional time to ensure mastery of essential
competencies and make up for learning loss.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
EDUARDO ROA RAMA TR.
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Republic of the Philipr)ines
HOUSE 0F REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
HousE`:|~iiNo.6881
Introduced by Representative Eduardo Roa Rama Jr.
AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN ACADEMIC RECOVERY AND ACCESSIBLE
LEARNING (ARAL) PROGRAM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it eMacfed ky the  i eriate  and the I--Ioi!§e tif Rapre`5eatatiiieJ o`f the Pl)ilippines in Cong!resI  assembled:
1       SECTION 1. Short Title. -This Act shallbe known as the "ARAL program Act".
2       SECTION 2. Coverage. -This Act shall apply to the following learners under the Department
3       of Education @epEd): (a) those who did not enroll in school Year 2020 to 2021; @) those wh()
4       are lagging academically;  and  (c)  those who  are at and marginally above the minimum level of
5       mastery required in Language, Mathematics, and science.
6       SECTION 3. Declaration of policy and objectives. -It is the declared policy of the state to
7       protect  and  promote  the  right  of all  citizens  to  quality  education  at  all  levels  and  shall  take
8       appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.
9       Towards this end, the state shall endeavor to support learners by establishing a free and effective
10       national intervention program to provide learners who experienced leaming loss as a result (>f the
11       pandemic school closures, as well as other instances of loss ofknowledge and skills due to gaps or
12       discontinuities in a learner's education, with supplemental lessons to close leaming gaps and enable
13       them to catch up to the standards required in their respective grade levels.
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1      SECTION  4.  Establishment  of the  ARAL  Program.  -  The  ARAL  Program  is  hereby
2       establishecl to provide a learning intervention program which shah be grounded on the foll(]wing
3        areas:
4                      (a)         Well-systemized tutorial sessions which dem()nstrate higher achievement gains;
(b)        Well-designed remediation plans talored fit to the leaming needs ofleamers;
(c)         Careful assessment and evaluation of the progress of learners;
(d)        Well-chosen and trained remedial instruction facilitators;
(e)         Adequate provision of nutritional, social, emotional, and mental health support to
ensure the holistic well-being of learners, and for them to prosper academically,
build  resilience  against adversity,  and be  equipped with  skills  and  confidence  to
seek help for early intervention during their eclucational journey.
12       The program  shall  further ensure  that learners  shall be provided optimal instructional time to
13       ensure mastery of essential competencies and make up for learning loss.
14      SECTION  5.  Most Essential  Learning Competencies in  Language, Mathematics,  and
15       Science. -The ARAI, Program shall cover the most essential learning competencies under the K
16       to 12 Basic Education curriculum covering the subjects of Language and Mathematics f()r Grades
17        1 to 10,andscienceforGrades3to 10.
18       Reading, which  is  included  in  the  most  essential leaming compctencies  in Language,  shall  be
19       prioritized to develop the critical and analytical thinking skills of learners.
20       F`or Kindergarten learners, the ARAL program shall focus on building foundational skills aimed at
21       strengthening their literacy and numeracy competencies.
22      SECTION 6. Determination and Assessment ofLeamers under the ARAL program. -The
23       Learner Information system  quls)  of the DepEd shall be used to determine those who did not
24       enroll starting sY 2020-2021  for purposes of section 2 (a) of this Act.
25       The DepF,d shall determine the lcamers to be covered under section 2 a) based on the results (>f
26       the assessment to be administered prior to the start of the ARAI, Program.
27       To assess the progress ofleamcrs, appropriate assessments shall be regularly administered.
28       Priority shall be drven to learners from Kindergarten to Grade 6.
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1       SECTION  7.  Tutors  under  the  ARAL  Program.  -  Teachers  and  para-teachers  shall  be
2       responsible for tutofing learners under the ARAL program. Tertiary level students may volunteer
3       as tutors provided that they are at or above the 75th pcfcentile of their respective school cohorts
4       in the subject that they will be teaching and have passed a mock tutorial session to be administered
5       bytheDepEd.
6       The  tutors  shall  employ  a  step-based  approach  which  provides  corrective  feedback  on  each
7       question of problem faced by leamers. They shall be supportive and empathetic ()f their needs,
8       motivation,    and   behavior.    To    facilitate   positive   tutor-learner   relationships,    a   stronger
9       understanding  of the  leamers'  leaning needs,  and  greater  academic,  social,  and  motivational
10       outcomes, the ARAL program shall strive to pair a leaner or learners with the sane tutor for the
11       entire duration of the program.
12       For I)urposes of this Act, teachers refer to all persons engaged in teaching at the elementary and
13       secondary levels, whether on  full-time or part-time basis, including technical-vocational teachers
14       and all other persons performing supervisory or administrative functions, ()r both, in al schools
15       in the aforesaid levels and qualified to practice teaching under the existing laws. Para-teachers are
16       those who have taken the Licensure Examination for Teachers but were unable to qualify, and
17       have been issued by the Board for professional Teachers a special permit indicating their area of
18       assignment.
19       SECTION  8.  Capacity Building of Tutors.  -To  successfully improve leaming outcomes  as
20       envisioned by the  ARAlj  Program, tutors  shall receive  adequate  training focusing on effective
21       pedagoales, interpersonal slulls, social-emotional leaning, and cultural compctency, among others,
22       as may be deemednecessary.
23       SECTION  9.  Remuneration  of Teachers  and  Para-teachers  Who  Serve  as  Tutors.  -
24       Teachers who `serve as tutors shall be compensated subject to the pertinent provisions ofR.A. No.
25       4670 of the "Magma Cacta for Public School Teachers"  and the existing rules and regulations of
26       the  DepEd  and  the  Department  of Budget  and  Management  a)BM).  Said  compensation  for
27       teachers shall be granted, provided that they have already rendered the prescribed six (6) hours of
28       actual classr()om teaching, and the amount paid for the purpose shall not exceed the compensation
29       for two (2) hours based on the prime HoudyTcaching Rate consistent with DBM guidelines. I'ara~
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1       teachers who serve as tutors under this Act shall be compensated from the budget of the DepEd
2       or the special Education Fund of the I,ocal school Board of the local government unit  qGU)
3       where the schools of the learners are located.
4       SECTION.10. Incentives for pre-service Teachers. -Services rendered by pre-service teachers
5       who  serve as tutors shall be considered relevant teaching experience when applying for plantilla
6       po`sition in the DepEd, subject to relevant rules and regulations of the ciiTil service commission
7       and the Merit selection plan and hiing guidelines of the DepEd.
8       SECTION 11. Campaigns for Learners to Return to school. -The ARALprogram shall create
9       mass awareness campaigns on media and through community engagement to encourage learners
10       under section 2 (a) to re-enroll and return to school.
11       SECTION 12. Updated Learner Information system (LIS). -The DepEd shall update its LIS
12       which shall contain the following additional imf()rmation:
13                     a) Name and academic background of tutors;
14                     b)  Name,  grade  level,  and  school  of learners  and  their  corresponding pre-and  post-
15                           assessment scores in standardized measures of program effectiveness and grades in the
16                           subjects where they are doing remediation; and
17                     c)  Assessment  of leaner performance  on  tasks  and  activities  administered  duing the
18                             tutorial sessions.
19      SECTION   13.   Free   Access   to   AH   of  DepEd's   Learning   Management   Systems
20      Applications; Subsidized Data plans for Learners and Tutors. -Pubhc Telecommunications
21       Entities a'TEs) shall provide free access to all of DepEd exclusively hosted learning management
22       systems  applications  with   a  static  and  public  internet  protocol   (IP)   address.  The  leaning
23       management   systems   apphcations   shall   include  web-based   applications,   online   educational
24       platforms, diStal libraries, and  other online  knowledge  hubs exclusively h(>sted  by DepEd.  No
25       data charges shall also be incurred in the data downloaded from, or uploaded to, these applications.
26       Learners ancl tutors shall also be provided subsidized data plans by the DepEd for the use of these
27        applications.
28       As   used   in   this   Act,   (1)   PTEs   shall   refer   to   entities   duly   authorized   by   the   National
29       Telecommunications commission to provide user`s or other entities with data connection all()wing
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1       access to the internet; and (2) free access shall refer to the use ofall learningmanagement systems
2       applications without incufring any corresponding data charges.
3      SECTION  14.  Campaigns for Learners to Return to  School. - The  ARAL Progran  shall
4       create mass  awareness campaigns  on media and through community engagement to encourage
5       learners to re-enroll and return to school through the following stratetri5 es:
6(a)
7@)
8
9
10
11                         (c)
12                        (d)
13                        (e)
14
15                          (I)
Flexible enrollment dates;
Accessible physical or dialtal enrollment forms. Didrtal enrollment forms shall be
avahable on the website of the DepEd, while physical enrollment forms shall be
made  available  at  accessible locations  to  be  established in  schools  and barangay
halls;
Extension of deadlines for submission of required enrollment documents;
Presence of health and sanitation facilities;
I_i:stablishment of public health and safety protocols upon resumption of face-to-
face classes; and
Continuous implementation of school feeding programs.
16      SECTION 15.  Equivalent hiteracy Training Service Credits for Tertiary Level Students
17       Who Serve as Tutors. -Tertiary level students who serve as tutors under the ARAL Program for
18       a period of two  (2)  semesters  shall be given credits equivalent to their Literacy Training service
19       under the National service Training program, in accordance with R.A. No. 9163 or the "National
20       Service  Training Program  qusTP)  Act  of 2001".  Under  R.A.  No.  9163,  the  Literacy  Training
21       Service is a program designed to train students to become teachers ofliteracy and numeracy skills
22       to school children, out-()f-school youth, and other segments of society in need of their service.
23      SECTION  16.  Free Access  to AIl of DepEd's  Leaming Platforms;  Special Services  for
24       Learners and Tutors. -Public Telecommunications Entities ¢TEs) sham provide free access to
25       all of DepEd's  leaming platforms, including online  educational platforms, dialtal libraries, and
26       other online knowledge hubs without any additional financial burden on all learners and tutors.
27       No data charges shall also be incurred in the download of data from these sites and applications.
28       Learners and tutors shall also be provided subsidized data plans by the DepEd for the use of these
29       learning platforms.
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1      SECTION 17. Allotment of Air Time for Educational Tutorial programs. -Pursuant to RA
2       8370, otherwise known as "Children's Television Act of 1997", a portion of the daily t()tal all time
3       of each broadcasting network shall be allotted for educational tutorial sessions within the regular
4       programming of all network`s granted franchises or as a condition of renewal of broadcast licenses
5       hereinafter, to be included as part of the responsibility of the network in serving the public.
6       In  addition  to  the  most  essential  leaming  competencies  under  the  K  to  12  Basic  Fjducation
7       Curriculum  covering  the  subjects  of Language,  Mathematics,  and  Science,  the  programs  may
8       include  Storytening,  Wel]ness,  Mother  Tongue-Based  Multilingual  Education,  FjdukaLsyon   sa
9       Pagpapakatao, and Health for a c()mprehensive learning experience for all learners.
10       SECTION  18.  Parental  Involvement  -  Schools  shall  develop  linkages  and  maintain  regular
11       communication with the parents of the learners, as well as their parent substitutes as defined under
12       R.A.  No.11908  or  "The  Parent  Effectiveness  Service  Progm:n Act".  The  parents  and  parent-
13       substitutes, being a primary rest>urce and essential support in the education of their children, shall
14       enhance their parental roles by assistingtheir children through home leaning activities and making
15       significant contributions in their educational development at home.
16       SECTION 19. Implementing Agencies. -The DepEd shall coordinate with the commission
17       on Higher Education (CITED), Technical Education and skills Development Authority atESDA),
18       Department  of  Information  and  Communications  Technology  (DIC'I),  Department  of  the
19       Interior and Local  Government  @ILG), and  other  stakeholders  in the  implementation  of the
20       provisions ofthisAct.
21       SECTION  20.  Local  Government  Support.-  The  DepEd,  in  collaboration  with  the  LGU
22       concerned,  shall  provide  a  safe  learning  environment  for  face-to-face  tutorials  Sving  due
23       consideration to accessibility, cost-effectiveness and health-safety risk. They may also collaborate
24       on other matters  for the implementation ()f the ARAI, Program, such  as the promotion of the
25       prt>gram to potential tutors in higher education institutions, identification and referral of potential
26       tutors to DepEd, and encouragement of parents and parent-substitutes to include their children
27       in the ARAL program. The initiatives of an LGu in implementing learning recovery strateales may
28       be added as one of the performance indicators under the criterion on Programs for Sustainable
29       Education under section 7 (e) ofR.A. No.11292 or "The seal of Good I.,ocal Gt>vemance Act of
30        2019".
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1       SECTION 21. Tax Incentives -Any donation, contribution, or grant, in cash or in kind, made
2       by individuals of organizations, public or private,local or foreign, to the ARAL program through
3       the DepEd, shall be exempt from the donor's tax and the cost of which shall be considered as an
4       allowable deduction from the gross income of the donor in accordance with the provisions of the
5       National lnternal Revenue code of 1997, as amended, and Bureau of lnternal Revenue Rules and
6       Regulations.
7       SECTION 22. Mandatory Review and Impact Evaluation. -An annual evaluation shall be
8       designed to conect comparable data for the purpose of determining the impact of the program.
9       The impact evaluation report shall be submitted to congress not later than six (6) months after
10       the end of every school year ofimplementation.
11       SECTION 23. Joint congressional oversight committee. -There is hereby created a Joint
12       Congressional oversight committee to oversee, monitc>r and evaluate the implementation of this
13       Act. The oversight committee shah be composed of five (5) members each from the senate and
14       from  the  House  of Representatives,  including  the  Chairpersons  of the  Committees  on  Basic
15       Education and Finance of the senate, and the chaixpersons of the committees on Basic Education
16       and  Culture  and  Appropriations  of  the  I+ouse  of  Representatives.  The  membership  of  the
17       Oversight committee for every chamber shall have at least one (1) minority member. The other
18       two (2) members each from the senate and the Ilouse of Representatives shau be designated by
19       the senate president and the speaker of the House of Representatives, fcspectively.
20       SECTION 24. Appropriations. -The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall
21       be charged against those authorized in the current appropriations of the DepEd. Thereafter, the
22       amount  necessary  for  its  continuous  implementation  shall  be  included  in  the  annual  General
23       Appropriations Act.
24       SECTION 25.  IRR.  - Within  sixty  (60)  days  from  the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd, in
25       consultation with the  CHED, TESDA, DICT, DILG, and other relevant government agencies
26       and   private   stakeholders,   shall   issue   the   necessary   rules   and   regulations   for   its   effective
27       implementation. The rules and regulations issued pursuant to tl]is section shall take effect thirty
28       (30) days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
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1       SECTION 26. Separability clause. -If any provisioii or part of this Act is declared invalid or
2       unconstitutional,  the  remaining provisions  or parts  not  affected  shall remain  in  full  force  and
3        effect.
4       SECTION  27.  Repealing  Clause.  -  All  other  laws,  executive  orders,  presidential  decrees,
5       administrative  orders,  rules  and  regulations,  issuances,  or  parts  thereof  inconsistent  with  or
6       contrary t() the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
7       SECTION 28. Effectivity. -Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR, this Act shall take
8       effect fifteen  (15) days after its pubhcation in the official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
9       circulation.
10        Appr(>ved.
9