FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2581 
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'10 
NOV -8 P5 :39 
Introduced by SENATOR EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Among the main problems confronting (he educational system in the country 
today, aside from lack of adequate funds and low teacher salaries, are staffing problems 
in remote school sites, educational inequities in terms of access and quality of education 
and inadequate in-service training of teachers. 
These problems are found in other parts of the world and they have found that 
adopting emerging educational technologies in the education market place are effective in 
addressing these problems. Thus, Heller (1990) talks about the application of 
telecommunications technology to distance learning, which is live video teleconferencing 
in the business environment Another innovative delivery approach is the use of mobile 
automated learning labs or MALLS found in pilot areas of the U.S.A. Brooks and Perl 
(1990), on the other hand, underscore the increasing ability of interactive training systems 
and the development of multi-medialhyper media equipment that combines sound, 
pictures and full-motion video into computer software systems, 
There is no doubt that the effective adoption of these technologies will also 
revolutionize Philippine education as in the developed countries of the world, However, 
our country has limited resources in developing indigenous leading-edge educational 
technologies. We also need to be judicious in adopting these technologies, i.e. when they 
become more affordable. This will take place either because the costs would have 
dropped significantly or because of the recognition that benefits have expanded 
exponenti'ally or both, However, we should take care that we do not end up with obsolete, 
hand-me down educational technologies just because they are expensive or donated to 
us. 
This bill seeks the establishment of a Center for Leading Edge Educational 
Technologies (CLEET), which will bring together the academic, technological and 
economic forces that can advance the educational promise of affordable technologies. It 
will be dedicated to the development of the appropriate educational materials for use in 
these emerging technologies. To be able to do this, we need to train people to be CLEET 
experts and acquire a critical mass of equipment and software, centrally located in a high 
technology facility, 
The CLEET will be a partnership of the government and the private sector. Its 
thrust would be education and information technology combined, but its operations 
should have a heavier emphasis on the information technology aspects. 
The Board of Trustees will include, among others, the Secretary of the 
Department of Education (DepEd); Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education 
(CHED) ; the Chairman of the Technological Education and Skills Development 
Authority (TESDA); representatives of other government agencies and the academe. The 


CLEETs day-to-day operations will be managed by a director, who is also a member of 
the Board of Trustees. An Advisory Committee will assess the state of the country's 
education and education technology. 
The CLEET will be created to focus the collective resources of government and 
the private sector into a national force for innovation in education. Its initial capital 
endowment comes from the national government. Eventually, its funds will come from 
both the government and the private sector. Every year, the DepEd, CHED and TESDA 
will allocate a portion of their annual budget to the Center's support. 
Private sector support for the CLEET can be enlisted through membership by 
companies or organizations for a specific period of time. Their contribution to the 
CLEET can come in the form of fund, personnel and equipment, particularly at the initial 
stage. Program expenses can be raised from gifts, grants, endowments and funds raised 
from donors and the company member ships. 
, 
The CLEET will train educators, trainors and practitioners from across the nation 
to influence the directions of educational technology. The premise is that educational 
priorities should lead, rather than react to the development of affordable educational 
technologies. The goal is to assemble a high- technology facility for accessing leading-
edge hardware, software and materials and a core of leadership to determine these 
priorities and to bring technology to bear on them as appropriate. First priorities will be 
areas of manpower developments and the educational curricula that are of broad 
importance and that are amenable to the educational promise of technology. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly requested. 
~D~~RA 
Senator 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2581 
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(1ffflr~ uf il!e;)nt£f"lrtl 
'10 
NOV -8 P5 :39 
Introduced by SENATOR EDGARDO J. ANGARA 
AN ACT CREATING THE CENTER FOR LEADING-EDGE EDUCATIONAL 
TECHNOLOGIES, PROVIDING FOR ITS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, 
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AUTHORIZING THE APPROPRIATION OF 
FUNDS THEREOF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress 
assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Charter of the Center for 
2 
Leading-Edge Educational Technologies." 
3 
4 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy and Objectives. - It is hereby declared the policy 
5 
of the State to rationalize and integrate a comprehensive approach in bringing together 
6 
the academic, technological and economic forces which will initiate, promote, sponsor, 
7 
assist, pursue, support and conduct programs, projects and studies geared towards 
8 
training, research, development of the educational promise of affordable technologies and 
9 
other related sciences of fields of endeavor, 
10 
11 
SEC. 3. Center For Leading-Edge Educational Technologies; Creation and 
12 
Principal Place of Business (CLEEl). - To implement the State policy and pursue the 
l3 
objectives of this Act, there is hereby created a non-stock, non-profit, non sectoral and 
14 
non-political body corporate to be known as the Center for Leading-Edge Educational 
15 
Technologies or CLEET, hereinafter referred to as the Center, which shall be organized 
16 
and operated in the public interest, and to be jointly funded by both the government and 
17 
the private sector. 
18 
The Center shall have its principal place of business in Metro Manila, Philippines: 
19 
Provided, however, That the Center may, from time to time, establish and maintain 
20 
branches in or outside of the Philippines whenever such action is necessary or requisite in 
21 
the furtherance of its purposes and objectives. 
22 


1 
SEC. 4. Corporate Powers. - Aside from the general powers, rights, privileges 
2 
and attributes allowed or permitted by law, the Center shall have the Following powers 
3 
and functions: 
4 
(I) To design and develop training programs usmg leading-edge educational 
5 
technologies for knowledge transfer and skills training; 
6 1 
(2) To develop training programs using appropriate strategies and media to 
7 1 
, identified target audiences; 
8 
(3) To prepare and implement an accreditation and equivalency program using 
9 
leading-edge educational technologies for students from the informal and non-
10 
formal sectors to enter the mainstream of formal education or the world of 
11 
work in business and industry; 
12 
(4) To initiate and conduct seminars, publications, reports, workshops, 
13 
educational campaigns, conferences, conventions, fora and symposia on 
14 
matters, subjects and topics pertaining to or involving leading-edge 
15 
educational technologies significant to practitioners, teachers, students, and 
16 
private and public entities; 
17 
(5) To collect, compile, collate, evaluate, analyze and study activities, data and 
18 
materials pertaining to or involving leading-edge educational technologies and 
I 
19 ! 
to this end, to publish or disseminate information through researches, studies, 
20 
workshops, conferences, symposia or fora and other activities of the Center; 
21 
(6) To review general and specific/ disciplinary hardware/ courseware tools from 
22 
educational perspectives; 
23 I 
(7) To develop functional requirements for new educational/ training tools; 
24 : 
(8) To study the implications of technology for the areas of the curriculum; 
25 ! 
(9) To legitimize the role of instructional technology in the educational 
26 i 
community; 
27 i 
(10) 
To develop prototype tools, software and educational materials in response 
I 
28 I 
to identified needs; 
29 i 
(11) 
To facilitate collection and serve as clearing house ofiiterature on leading 
30 
edge educational technologies; 
31 
(12) 
To aid, assist or coordinate with any individual, corporation, association, 
32 
organization or entity, public or private, in the achievement, pursuit and 
I 
33 
1 
conduct of any or all of the foregoing activities and objectives; 
34 ' 
(13) 
To acquire, secure or obtain by purchase, lease, barter or any other legal 
35 
means of acquisition such real and personal properties as may be necessary 
36 
and proper to maintain its offices or facilities, or to carry out the programs or 
37 
projects initiated, sponsored or assisted by the Center; 
2 


I 
(14) 
To raise and maintain a fund with which to compensate its operating 
2 
management and staff and to finance the programs, projects or undertakings 
3 
which the Center have initiated, promoted or conducted; 
4 
(15) 
To receive and accept funds, real or personal properties in the form of 
5 
donations and/or grants in the furtherance of the purposes and objectives of 
6 
the Center; 
7 
(16) 
To invest the funds of the Center in such securities of investments as may 
8 
be deemed advisable in the furtherance of the objectives and the purpose of 
9 
the Center, and in connection thereto, to enter into any all kinds of contracts, 
10 
arrangements and undertaking, not contrary to or prohibited by law, with any 
II 
person, corporation, or entity; 
12 
(17) 
To borrow money or funds or obtain and/or arranged such credit or credit 
13 
accommodation as may be required or necessary for its operations, programs, 
14 
and projects and in connection thereto to secure the same by the pledge, 
15 
mortgage or other lawful arrangements and; 
16 
(18) 
To perform and engage in any and all acts, matters and things which may 
17 
be necessary, proper and convenient for the accomplishment or achievement 
18 
of the objectives and purposes of the Center. 
19 
20 
. SEC. 5. Board of Trustees. - The Center shall be governed and its activities shall 
21 
be directed, controlled and managed by a Board of Trustees which shall be composed of 
22 
thirteen (13) members. The members of the Board of Trustees, whom are to serve until 
23 
their successors are elected and qualified as provided by the by-laws of the Center, shall 
24 
be as follows: 
25 
(I) Secretary, Department of Education (DepED), Chairman of the Board; 
26 
(2) Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 
27 
(3) Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); 
28 
(4) Chairman, Commission on Higher Education (CHED); 
29 
(5) Chairman, Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA); 
30 
(6) President, National Public Broadcasting System; 
31 
(7) President, National Inter-University Forum on Education; 
32 
(8) Representative, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; 
33 
(9) Representative, Employers Confederation of the Philippines; 
34 
(10) 
Representative, Information Technology and Coordinating Council; 
35 
(1\) 
The Director of the Center, as provided for in Section 6 hereof. 
36 
3 


I 
In addition, the President of the Philippines shall appoint two (2) representatives 
2 
from the academe, who have gained reputations in the education community or academic 
3 
circles as outstanding educators. 
, 
4 
5 
. SEC. 6. Director. - There shall be a Director of the Center to be appointed by the 
6 
President of the Philippines for a term of four (4) years, and who, aside from being a 
7 
member of the Board of Trustees, shall be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the 
8 
Center. 
9 
10 
SEC. 7. Advisory Board. - There shalf be created an Advisory Board whose 
II 
function is to assess the current state of the country's education and education 
12 
technology, and recommend policies and measures that will enhance technology adoption 
13 
and technology transfer. 
14 
The members of the Advisory Board shall be appointed by the President of the 
15 
Philippines, and they shall come from both the academic community and the other field 
16 
of science and technology. They shall meet at least once every three months, and such 
17 
other time as may be requested by the President or as they may deem necessary. 
18 
19 
SEC. 8. Appropriations. - The Department of Education (DepED), the 
20 
Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills 
21 
Development Authority (TESDA) shall, every year, allocate a portion of their annual 
22 
budget for the support of the Center. 
23 
24 
SEC. 9. Tax Exemptions. - The provisions of existing laws to the contrary 
25 
notwithstanding, all gifts, grants, endowments, funds, and such other donations, personal 
26 
or real, from donors and company memberships shall be exempt from the donor's or 
27 
transfer tax. 
28 
29 
S~c. 10. Applicable Law. - The provisions of Batas Pambansa Bilang 
30 
Animnapu't Walo (B.P. BIg. 68), as amended, otherwise known as the Corporation Code 
31 
of the Philippines, not otherwise in conflict with this Act, shall apply in suppletory 
32 
manner. 
33 
34 
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. ~ Any provision of other laws inconsistent with this 
35 
Act is hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
36 
4 


1 
SEC. 12. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any part or provision of this 
2 
Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, any part or provision not affected thereby 
3 
shall remain in full force and effect. 
4 
5 
SEC. 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect upon its approval. 
6 
7 
Approved, 
5