FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
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) 
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SENATE 
S.B.No. 1429 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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Section 5, Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the State 
shall enhance the right of teachers to professional advancement. This is in 
recognition of the primary and vital role of our teachers in molding the values and 
character of the young generation of the country. 
Aside from educating our children, teachers are likewise the most reliable 
and dedicated public servants. They are being constantly called upon by officials of 
the local and national government to assist in various extra-curricular and civic 
activities which contribute to the welfare of the community and the country, most 
notable of which is when they perform their duties during election period. 
It has been an ensuing problem among our teachers, especially those in the 
rural and far-flung areas, that salaries in the form of checks are usually delayed and 
mistakes are committed in the form of unauthorized or excessive deductions, wrong 
computfltion of withholding tax and the like, which the teacher, due to the distance 
and tl)e bureaucracy surrounding a centralized payroll system under the present set-
up, will not usually contest or is even powerless to do so. 
This bill seeks to establish a Payroll Service Division Unit in each and every 
region to ensure that the processing, printing, and distribution of salary checks are 
made on time, with release of salary checks made not later than three (3) days before 
the end of the month. This practice shall promote transparency and accessibility in 
the education sector, thereby advancing the -right of teachers to professionalization 
and freedom. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S.B.No. 1429 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
AN ACT 
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REGIONALIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PAYROLL SYSTEM 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to enhance 
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the right of teachers to professional advancement, in recognition of their primary 
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role in educating the Filipino people, especially the youth. To this end, the State 
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shall ensure that teachers are afforded the expeditious distribution of their 
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compensation, and accorded the respect and protection of their rights and welfare as 
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a whole. 
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SEC. 2. Decentralization of the Department of Education Payroll System. -
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There is hereby established a Payroll Service Division (PSD) unit in every regional 
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office of the Department of Education to decentralize the payroll system of the 
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Department. 
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SEC. 3. Powers and Functions. - The Regional Payroll Service Division (PSD) 
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shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 
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a) Process, print and distribute the salary checks of pUblic elementary and 
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secondary school teachers including those of non-teaching personnel in the 
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. respective regions; 
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b) Adopt necessary measures to ensure the release of salary checks of teachers 
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and other personnel not later than three (3) days before every fifteenth and 
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thirtieth of every month for which salaries are due; 
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c) Ensure that newly-hired regular teachers and substitute teachers, including 
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those who are returning from leave without pay, are released not later than 
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seven (7) days from the date the documents for such claims are received; 
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d) Take all steps necessary to ensure that complaints from teachers for 
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unauthorized deductions, non-deductions, and other salary-related problems 
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are attended to within seven (7) days from receipt of such complaints; and 
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e) To furnish every teacher every time the salary check is released with a pay 
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slip, containing the following information: date of release of check, total 
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salary due to the teacher for a given period, total amount deducted, itemized 
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deductions and the amount being released. 
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SEC. 4. Composition of the Regional PSD. - The Regional PSD Unit shall be 
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headed by the chief of the Budget and Finance Division who shall perform in a 
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concurrent capacity, and shall be under the direct supervision of the Regional 
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Director. The members of the PSD staff shall be taken from other divisional offices, if 
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necessary. Personnel from the national PSD may be devolved to regional PSDs. 
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SEC. 5. Monitoring of PSDs. - The Office of the Secretary of Education shall 
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monitor the operation of regional PSDs particularly the quality of their services to 
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teachers. 
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SEC. 6. Penal Provision. - Any person who willfully violates or cause the 
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violation of any part of the provisions of this Act shall upon conviction be penalized 
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with a fine of Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,OOO.OO) andlor imprisonment of three 
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(3) months at the discretion of the court. 
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SEC 7. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the operationalization of 
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the Regional Payroll Service Division shall be included in the annual General 
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Appropriations Act: Provided, That initial funding for the same shall be charged 
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against the Department's current appropriation for the year. 
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SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of Education 
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shall formulate rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - If any section or provision of this Act is 
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declared 'unconstitutional or invalid, the other section or provisions hereof, which 
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are not affected thereby shall continue in full force and effect. 
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SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - All acts, decrees, orders, executive orders, 
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instructions, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions 
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of this Act hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC 11. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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