PRESEN
"RECEIVED

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No.__7667

—————

Introduced by Representative Roman T. Romulo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 6728, as amended by Republic Act No. 8545, otherwise known
as the “Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private
Education Act” or E-GASTPE, has been successful in aiding students and teachers in
their financial needs, to enable the students continue their education and the teachers
to further develop their professional skills.

Nevertheless, there is a need to expand the coverage of E-GASTPE and include
as beneficiaries elementary students and teachers in private schools. Many families
Prefer to enroll their children in small and medium private schools due to the increasing
Number of students in public elementary schools. However, due to the ongoing
Pandemic brought about by COVID-19, several households have significantly decreased,
if not totally lost, their source of income and now cannot afford to send their children in
Private schools while trying to continue to provide for the basic necessities of their
family.


This bill seeks to help these families while supporting the Department of
Education in declogging and decreasing the overcrowded classrooms in public
elementary schools in order to accomplish the mandate of the Constitution to make
quality education accessible to all

For these reasons, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

B-eY

ROMAN T. ROMULO
Lone District of Pasig City


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bill No,__ 7667

Introduced by Representative Roman T. Romulo

ood

AN ACT PROPOSING FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO PARAGRAPH 3 OF SECTION
3, SECTIONS 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 AND 14, RA 6728, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN PRIVATE
EDUCATION ACT, AS AMENDED BY RA 8545, TO INCLUDE STUDENTS AND
TEACHERS IN PRIVATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

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

SECTION. 1. Paragraph 3 of Section 3, Sections 4, 5, 6, 7 and 14 of Republic Act No.
6728, otherwise known as the “Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in
Private Education Act," as amended by Republic Act No. 8545, are hereby amended to
read as follows:

“SEC. 3. Criteria for Assistance. — The programs for assistance
shall be based on a set of criteria which shall include, among
others, tuition fees charged by the schools, the socioeconomic
needs of each region giving priority to the Social Reform Agenda
(SRA) provinces, overall performance of the schools, the
academic qualifications and the financial needs of the students
and the teachers and the financial needs of the schools, as well
as the geographic spread and size of student population.

SFP 18 2020


XXX

“Preference shall be given to students belonging to low and
jiddle-income fi sed on the data provided

the Philippine Stati: Authority, [WHOSE FAMILY
INCOME IS NOT MORE THAN SEVENTY-TWO THOUSAND
PESOS (P72,000.00)] or such amounts of the family income
of the student as may be determined by the respective
councils, as defined hereinafter.

XXX

SEC. 4. Forms of Assistance. - Assistance to private education
shall consist of assistance to students and assistance to
teachers.

“The following are forms of assistance to students in private
education:

“(1) Tuition fee supplements for students in private
elementary and high schools, including students in vocational
and technical courses;

“(2) Elementary and High School Textbook Assistance Fund:
Provided, That the textbook assistance per student in private
elementary and high schools shall be determined by the
council and shali not exceed what students in public
elementary and high schools are provided on a per student
basis under a comprehensive textbook program of the
Secondary Education Development Program (SEDP): Provided,
further, That the textbook assistance shall be granted only to
beneficiaries of tuition fee supplements and educational service
contracting scheme provided in this Act;

“(3) Expansion of the existing Educational Service Contracting
(ESC) Scheme;

“(4) The voucher system of the Private Education Student
Financial Assistance Program (PESFA);

“(5) Scholarship grants to students graduating as valedictorians
and salutatorians from elementary and secondary schools;


“(6) Tuition fee supplements to students in private colleges and
universities; and

(7) Education Loan Fund.

“The following are forms of assistance to teachers and faculty
in private education:

“(1) In-service training fund for teachers in private
elementary and high schools; and

(2) College Faculty Development Fund.

“SEC. 5. Tuition Fee Supplements for Students in Private
Elementary and High Schools. — (1) Financial Assistance for
tuition for students in private elementary and high schools
shall be provided by the government through a voucher system
in the following manner:

“(@) For students enrolled in schools charging an amount as
may be determined by the State Assistance Council, the
government shall provide them with a voucher in such an
amount as may be determined by the council: Provided, That
the government shall reimburse the vouchers from the schools
concerned within one hundred twenty (120) days from the
close of the registration period.

“(2) Assistance under paragraph (1), subparagraph (a) shall be
guaranteed to all private elementary and high schools
participating in the program for a number of slots as of the
effectivity of this Act as the total number of students who
availed of tuition fee supplements for the school year 2020-
2024 [1997-1998]: Provided, That the State Assistance Council
may in subsequent years determine additional slots and/or
additional participating elementary and high schools as may be
deemed necessary.

“SEC. 6. Elementary and High School Textbook Assistance
Fund. — There shall be established in the Department of
Education[, CULTURE AND SPORTS (DECS)] (DepEd) an
Elementary and High School Textbook Assistance Fund, so
that assistance on a per student basis shall be given to students
enrolled in private schools exclusively for the purchase of
elementary and high school textbooks, in support of the


implementation of Republic Act mi otherwi:
known as the “Enhanced Basic Education 013"
[SECONDARY EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT. PROGRAM):
Provided, that the textbook assistance per student in private
elementary and high schools are Provided on a per student
basis: Provided, further, That the textbook assistance shall be
granted only to beneficiaries of tuition fee supplements and
educational service contracting scheme Provided in this Act.

“SEC. 7. Expansion of the Existing Educational Service
Contracting (ESC) Scheme. - (a) The Department of
Education[, CULTURE AND SPORTS (DECS)] (DepEd) shall
continue to enter into contracts with private schools whereby
the government shall shoulder the tuition and other fees of
elementary and high schoo! students who shall enroll in
private elementary and high schools under this Program.

“(b) The Department shall also enter into contracts with private
schools in communities where there are no public el

and high schoois, in which case the Department shall shoulder
the tuition and other fees of students who shall enroll in said
private schools.

“(© The amount of assistance to be given by the government
under this section shall not exceed that determined as the per

student cost in public elementary and high schools.

“(d) The Department shall fully pay the subsidized amount to
Participating schools not later than one hundred eighty (180)
days from the close of the registration period,

“(e) The amount of assistance shall be allocated and distributed
among the seventeen (17) [SIXTEEN (16)] regions in
Proportion to the total population as well as the elementary
and high school age population for the first year: Provided,
That starting school year 2024 [1998], an equalization scheme
shall be implemented by the State Assistance Council,

“(f) The amount of assistance to private elementary and high
schools participating in the program shall be guaranteed for a
number of slots as of the effectivity of this Act as the number of
students availing of educational service contracting assistance
for school year 2020-2021 [1997-1998]: Provided, That the
State Assistance Council may, in subsequent years determine


additional slots and/or additional Participating private
elementary and high schools as may be deemed necessary.

XXX

“SEC. 12. In-service Training Fund (Inset Fund). - For the
Purpose of improving the quality of teaching in private
elementary and secondary education, there is hereby
established in the Department of Education[, CULTURE AND
SPORTS] an Inset Fund to provide for the upgrading of
knowledge and teaching competencies in critical subject areas
and for the modernization of teaching techniques and
strategies, including training in the use of computers and of
other multi-media educational technologies to assist instruction:
Provided, That the Inset Fund available to private elementary
2nd secondary education shall not exceed that available to

public elementary and secondary education on a per capita
basis.

XXX

“SEC. 14. Teachers’ Salary Subsidy Fund. — A Teachers’ Salary
Subsidy Fund is hereby established in the DepEd [DECS] to
grant government subsidy to teachers in private elementary
and_junior_and_ senior high schools Participating in the
programs of assistance provided in this Act: Provided, That the
total monthly salary which includes the subsidy to be received
by such private elementary and high school teachers shall not
be more than eighty percent (80%) of the salary of his
counterpart in the public sector: Provided, further, That the
amount of monthly subsidy shall not exceed the amount of any
monthly salary increase that teachers in public elementary
and junior and senior high schools shall after the effectivity
of this Act hereinafter receive: Provided, further, That private
elementary and junior and senior high school teachers
qualified to receive subsidy under this act are duly licensed by
the Professional Regulation Commission: Provided, further, That
the government shall provide them with a voucher for the
salary subsidy which shall be reimbursed directly to the
teachers within sixty (60) days after the close of the school
year upon submission of proof of qualification and actual
teaching service in a participating private elementary and
junior_and senior high school: Provided, further, That the
Present allocation out of increases from tuition and other


income shall be maintained: Provided, finally, That in case of
insufficiency of funds, priority shall be given to married teachers
supporting a family.”

SEC. 2. Separability Clause. — Should any provision of this Act be declared invalid, the
remaining provisions shall continue to be valid and subsisting.

SEC. 3. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended, repealed or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 4. Effectivity Clause. ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen days following its
Publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,