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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
-04 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 15, Section 1 provides: 
“The State recognizes the Filipino family as the 
Accordingly, it shall strengthen 
foundation of the nation. 
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 and of two earner families 
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. 
LUISA ‘‘LOI” P. ~JERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


“ I  
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
”04 JU~J 
1 
OF THE PHILIPPLNES 
) 
First Regular Session 
I 
Introduced by Senator LUISA “LOP’ P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
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 the Hmse of Representutives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Family Resource Act.” 
Section 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. 
Section 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; 
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(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 
(3) 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. 
Section 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) identifj 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. 
Section 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 
and support programs. 
Section 6. Authorization ofappropriations. - 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. 
Section 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. 
Section 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. 
Section 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
G%L/precy disk 2Blipino family 
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