Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

6417

House Bill No.,

Introduced by HON. MARIA FE R. ABUNDA
Representative, Lone District, Eastern Samar

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING DEPLOYMENT OF TEACHERS TO
THE BARRIOS

The rich geography of the Philippines, while serving as a great means for tourism and
natural resources, poses a great challenge to accessibility of sectors and services, most notably
in the country’s rural regions. Education is one such service that suffers from that
inaccessibility.

We are replete with stories of school-aged children crossing mountains and rivers just
to reach school. On the other hand, we are full with stories of teachers who travel to barrios so
the children do not have to. However, these teachers do so at great personal and professional
cost. Barrio teachers who volunteer themselves to far-flung areas risk their safety and health
without the benefit of career security, career progress, nor just compensation.

This bill seeks to provide “Teachers to the Barrio” with means more commensurate to
their efforts, By doing so, this bill will not only give these teachers their long-overdue and
much deserved recompense, but would as well encourage like-hearted individuals to engage in
teaching in the barrios.

More so, this bill will aid in the government’s effort to formalize and standardize
instruction brought to students in areas which are remote, far-flung, geographically isolated,
and/or generally hard to reach.

It must be noted that this bill still does recognize that further improvements must be
made to address the issue of inaccessibility of education. There are countless roads yet to be
built in order for us to reach barrio classrooms yet to be constructed.

This bill institutionalizing deployment of teachers to the barrios is but one step in the
continuous effort to close the gap in education among students all over the country.

[ARIA FE R. ABUNDA.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. Gy

Introduced by HON. MARIA FE R. ABUNDA
Representative, Lone District, Eastern Samar

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING DEPLOYMENT OF TEACHERS TO
THE BARRIOS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled:
Section 1. This Act shall be known as the “Teacher 1o the Barrios Act.”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. — In line with the standing policy of the State to
protect and promote the rights of all citizens to quality education at all levels and to take
appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all’, the State shall guarantee that it shall
continuously enable and assist the “Teacher to the Barrios” to provide their services in far-
flung areas

Section 3. Objective. — The general objective is to encourage teachers who commit
themselves to serve by conducting study sessions and formal basic education to residents in
areas which are remote, far-flung, geographically isolated, and/or generally hard to reach.

The specific objectives are:

a. to augment the teaching force and school infrastructure needed in the remote, far-
flung, geographically isolated, and/or generally hard to reach areas;

b. to provide items for additional employment for teachers in the government; and

c. to incentivize the efforts of the said teachers by granting compensation and benefits
particular to them.

Section 4. “Teacher to the Barrios” Program. — The Department of Education
(DepEd) is hereby mandated to create a program whereby select teachers, referred hereforth as
“Teacher to the Barrios” shall be deployed to remote, far-flung, geographically isolated, and/or
generally hard to reach areas to educate the local residentry with a module or system parallel

* Section 1, Article 14, 1987 Constitution


to that of a formal basic education in the form of study sessions, which may be conducted a
public community hall or a private hall.

Students who successfully finish education thru the “Zeacher to the Barrios” Program,
shall be considered as primary elementary graduates and shall qualify to enroll in junior high-
school or in a technical-vocational program

Section 5. “Teacher to the Barrios” Pool. The DepEd shall maintain a pool of teaching
force to be deployed at any time to remote, far-flung, geographically isolated, and/or generally
hard to reach areas. The minimum requirements for a “Teacher to the Barrios” shall be the
following:

a. Bachelor of Science in Education graduate;
b. Physically and mentally fit;
c. Certified to be of good moral character; and

d. Willing to work in remote, far-flung, geographically isolated, and/or generally hard
to reach areas for a full academic year.

Section 6. Compensation and Benefits of a “Teacher to the Barrios”. The “Teacher
to the Barrios” shall receive a basic salary as determined by DepEd, which shall be no lower
than that of an entry level public school elementary teacher's salary. In addition to the basic
salary, the “Teacher 1o the Barrios” shall be entitled to the following benefits:

a. Representation allowance;

b. Transportation allowance;

c. Hazard pay;

4d. Social benefits, including but not limited to PhilHealth, GSIS, Pagibig; and

€. Option to avail of scholarship benefits for postgraduate studies, provided that the
“Teacher to the Barrios has rendered a minimum of four years of service.

Section 7. Determination of Areas for Deployment. The DepEd District Supervisor,
in coordination with the Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Local Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD), shall determine the local communities, where a “Teacher
10 the Barrios” is needed shall be deployed

Section 8. Local Government Unit Participation. The LGUs may request for the
deployment of “Teacher to the Barrios” in the local communities/barangay within their
jurisdiction. A written request shall be submitted to the DepEd District Supervisor supported
by a resolution passed by the Sangguniang Bayan and approved by the Local Chief Executive.

The LGU may also provide community halls where the learning sessions can be held
during the entire program of the Teacher to the Barrios.


Section 9. Appropriations. The Secretary of the DepEd shall immediately include in
the DepEd program the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included in
the Annual General Appropriations Act

Section 10, Implementing Rules and Regulations. The DepEd District Supervisor, in
coordination with the LGU and the local counterpart of DSWD, shall promulgate and issue the
guidelines and implement rules and regulations for the proper implementation and execution
of this Act within sixty (60) days after the effectivity thereof.

Section 11. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and
regulations contrary or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

Section 12. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation

Approved,