REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. 7666

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State shall protect and promote
the right of all the citizens of our country to quality education at all levels. However, despite this
provision and numerous other laws that seek to promote good quality education, our country still
lags behind our neighbors in Asia when it comes to providing good quality education.

Recent surveys indicate that there has been a decline in the academic performance of Filipino
school children particularly in the field of science and mathematics. This decline may be due to
the high teacher-student ratio, poor facilities, lack of textbooks, or lack of expertise or
knowledge of teachers with the subjects they are teaching.

In line with our Constitutional provision on good quality education, this bill seeks to create an
Academic Excellence Foundation which shall promote academic excellence in public and private
schools all over the country through public-private entity partnerships. The Foundation shall
develop programs that shall push for the advancement of the concept of academic excellence.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

IC. ALEJANO
Representative
Magdalo Para sa Pilipino Party-List


REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. "7666

Introduced by MAGDALO Party-List Representative
HON. GARY C. ALEJANO

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION TO PROMOTE
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

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 "Academic Excellence Act of
2018."

SEC. 2. The Academic Excellence Foundation. - There is hereby created the Philippine
Academic Excellence Foundation whose purpose shall be to promote academic excellence in
public and private schools all over the country through public-private entity partnerships. The
foundation shall be a non-profit organization. The board of directors of the foundation and
foundation activities shall be under the direction of the Department of Education (DepEd).

SEC. 3. Board of Directors of the Foundation. - The board of directors of the
foundation shall consist of the Secretary of DepEd and twenty (20) other members to be
appointed by the President. Of the twenty (20) members appointed by the President, eight (8)
shall represent a variety of education groups and twelve (12) shall represent a variety of business
groups. The members of the board of directors shall select one member to serve as chair. The
DepEd Secretary shall serve as secretary for the board of directors and provide administrative
support to the foundation. An executive committee of the foundation board, composed of the
board officers and chairs of board committees, may only advise and make recommendations to
the foundation board.

SEC. 4. Programs of the Foundation. - The foundation may develop programs that will
advance the concept of educational excellence. These may include, but are not limited to:

(a) recognition programs and awards for students demonstrating academic
excellence;

(b) summer institute programs for students with special talents;

(©) recognition programs for teachers, administrators, and others who contribute to
academic excellence;

(4) summer mentorship programs with business and industry for students with special
career interests and high academic achievements;

(c) President's awards ceremonies and special campaigns to promote awareness and
expectation for academic achievement;


(® an academic league to provide organized challenges requiring cooperation and
competition for public and private pupils in elementary and secondary schools;

(g) systemic transformation initiatives and assistance and training to community
teams to increase school performance in the country's education institutions
through strategic quality planning for continuous improvement, empowerment of
multiple stakeholders, validation of results via customer-supplier relationships,
and a total system approach based on best practices in key process areas; and

(h) activities to measure customer satisfaction for delivery of services to education
institutions in order to plan for and implement continuous improvement.

To the extent possible, the foundation shall make these programs available to students in
all parts of the country.

SEC. 5. Powers and Duties of the Foundation. - The foundation may:
(1) establish and collect membership fees;

(2) publish brochures or booklets relating to the purposes of the foundation and
collect reasonable fees for the publications thereof;

(3) receive money, grants, and in-kind goods or services from non-governmental
sources for the purposes of the foundation;

(4) contract with consultants;
(5) expend money for awards and other forms of recognition and appreciation; and

(6) determine procedures and expenditures for awards and recognitions to teachers,
students, donors, and other people who are not employees of the executive
branch.

SEC 6. Contracts. - The foundation board shall review and approve each contract of the
board. Each contract of the foundation board shall be subject to the same review and approval
procedures as a contract of the Department of Education.

SEC. 7. Foundation Staff. —

(a) The foundation board with review by the DepED Secretary shall appoint the
executive director and other staff who shall perform duties and have
responsibilities solely related to the foundation.

(b) As part of the annual plan of work, the foundation, with review by the DepEd
Secretary, may appoint up to three (3) employees. The employees appointed
under this paragraph shall not be considered an employee of the government. The
employees shall be supervised by the executive director.

SEC. 8. Private Sources of Funds. - The foundation shall seek private resources to
supplement the available public money. Individuals, businesses, and other organizations may
contribute to the foundation in any manner specified by the board of directors. All money
received shall be administered by the board of directors.

SEC. 9. Report. - The board of directors of the foundation shall submit an annual report
to the Secretary of the Department of Education on the progress of its activities. The annual
report shall contain a financial report for the preceding year, including all receipts and
expenditures of the foundation.


BS omvauauwne

SEC. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provisions or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting.

SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations
inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its

complete publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,