Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 1800

Introduced by Honorable GAVINI “Apol” C. PANCHO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

A suitable school site is one that best serves educational activities and
enables the optimum utilization of resources. It should be climate change
adaptive and a safe place from all kinds of hazards, natural and man-made.

The geographic location of the Philippines makes it vulnerable to a
wide variety of natural phenomena such as typhoons/cyclones, floods,
earthquakes, and other hazards. According to the 2013 German Watch
Climate Risk Index, the Philippines is the 4" most vulnerable country to the
damaging effect of climate change. The Climate Change Act of 2009
mandates that the state will enhance adaptive capacity and resilience of
communities to climate change.

Flooding is the nation’s most common natural disaster. Some floods
develop slowly during an extended period of rain or in a warming trend
followed by a heavy downpour. Flash floods can occur quickly, without any
visible sign of rain. There are problems in the implementation of flood control
projects, one of which is due to budget constraint. We have improved and
upgraded various national, municipal and barangay roads but the sites or
grounds were schools are located were left behind in the path of
development. These school grounds are the second home of our nation’s
young generation.

The bill seeks to institutionalize the upgrading of all public school sites
making it adaptive to all kinds of disasters and creating a safe environment
for all learners, mentors, officials and staff of every school in the country.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

‘SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 1800

Introduced by Honorable GAVINI “Apol” C. PANCHO

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE UPGRADING AND INTEGRATING DISASTER
RISK REDUCTION MEASURES IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL SITES,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled.

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “SCHOOLS SAFETY ACT OF
2013”.

SEC. 2. It is hereby declared a policy of the State to promote the right
of every Filipino to education. It recognizes the people's need for a quality,
affordable, safe and climate change adaptive educational environment for
their intellectual, physical and social nourishment.

SEC. 3. The Department of Education shall, upon consultation with the
Department of Budget and Management and the Department of Public Works
and Highways, promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to ensure the
needed upgrading of the school site and be a disaster risk reduction compliant
institution for the safety of all public school children and all teaching and non-
teaching personnel.

SEC. 4. The appropriation necessary for the implementation of this Act
for the year 2013 shall be sourced from the unobligated budget allocations of
DepEd, DPWH and DBM under the current General Appropriations Act.
Thereafter, such amount as necessary for the continued implementation of
this Act shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after completion of
its publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,