Republic of the Philippines 
       HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Eighteenth Congress 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO._______ 
__________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Honorable Mark O. Go 
__________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In 2017, Baguio City became the first Philippine city to be inducted into the 
UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The city has been recognized by the global initiative for 
its crafts and folk arts expressions which do not only showcase indigenous talents, but also 
provide sustainable livelihood to many residents through the city’s local trade and creative 
tourism economy.  Culture and the arts are essential to the holistic development of our 
society, recognized by the very Constitution as a means to foster patriotism and nationalism, 
accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.  As such, it 
is important to inculcate in the youth the value of the arts, to give them an avenue for their 
creative pursuits, and to introduce them to the real world opportunities in the arts and the 
creative sector.  
Supporting creative industries is a concrete means towards achieving the 2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development, directly addressing many of its identified goals.  
Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable as part of the 
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focuses on inclusive and sustainable urbanization 
and the protection and safeguarding of the world’s cultural heritage.  The SDGs recognize 
that it is not only possible but indeed imperative that urban development should be pursued 
erstwhile preserving and promoting our culture and traditions.  According to UNESCO, there 
are currently 56 local institutions directly devoted to Baguio’s creative sector, totaling a gross 
receipt of US$1,113,258. The key towards developing the sector’s sustainability is ensuring 
intergenerational transfer of knowledge and skills and development of the creative sector 
through a formal academic institution with focus on the arts.  
Baguio is a cosmopolitan of people from all over Luzon, bringing with them their 
distinct local culture and heritage. While the city is well known for its strong tourism 
economy, with the local creative sector leading this particular industry, Baguio also hosts 
various technological parks and encourages a culture of innovation and modernization. The 
city is a cultural, technological, and academic hub in northern Luzon, which provides the 
optimal environment for young Filipinos to explore and cultivate their passion for the arts.     
May 20, 2021
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By creating the Baguio City High School for the Arts, the youth of Baguio and even 
those from neighboring areas, will have a place where their aptitude and skills in culture and 
the arts can be properly honed with the right environment, facilities, and curriculum. Through 
this specialized institution, free artistic and intellectual expression can foster with the 
guidance of trained professionals, and properly complemented with the necessary academic 
foundation so the students are still free and able to enter any field of study or profession they 
may choose upon graduation. Still, a high school for the arts will allow the youth to see the 
creative sector as a viable option for career and livelihood.  
Baguio is home to National Artists Benedicto Cabrera, better known as BenCab, and 
Eric Oteyza de Guia or Kidlat Tahimik.  But apart from renowned Filipino artists are many 
up-and-coming young artists from various fields of traditional and contemporary art who also 
hail from Baguio.  It is envisioned that from the ranks of the future graduates of the proposed 
high school will rise the next industry captains and National Artists who will proudly 
showcase the Filipino culture and talent to the international stage.   
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this significant measure is earnestly sought. 
MARK O. GO 


Republic of the Philippines 
       HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Eighteenth Congress 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO._______ 
__________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Honorable Mark O. Go 
__________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT 
CREATING A HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS IN THE CITY OF BAGUIO TO BE 
KNOWN AS THE BAGUIO CITY HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1.  Declaration of Policy. – It is a declared policy of the State to foster the 
preservation, enrichment, and dynamic evolution of a Filipino national culture based on the 
principle of unity in diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression. 
Towards this end, the State shall promote the sustained development of young 
Filipinos whose aptitude and skill in culture and the arts shall be properly encouraged and 
honed through education and specialized training programs. The State shall establish, 
maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education and training 
to encourage the artistic talent and cultural aptitude of the Filipino youth as well as support 
and promote the development of young artists nationwide. 
SEC. 2. Creation of the Baguio City High School for the Arts. - There is hereby 
created a high school for the arts in the City of Baguio to be known as the "Baguio City High 
School for the Arts", hereafter referred to as the "School".  
The School shall be administered and supervised by the Department of Education 
(DepEd), in close coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts 
(NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). The NCCA and CCP shall provide 
policy direction and technical assistance to the School through the DepEd CAR Regional 
Office and Schools Division Office of Baguio City. 
SEC. 3. Mandate. - The School shall implement a general secondary curriculum, as 
prescribed by the Republic Act No. 10533 or the "Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013", 
with special focus on the arts that shall aid in recognizing early the talent, skills and 
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exceptional giftedness of students, thereby ensuring the nurturance of artists of excellence 
and the preservation and promotion of Filipino heritage.   
SEC. 4.  School Director. - There shall be a School Director who shall serve as the 
Head and chief academic officer of the school. The functions, powers and duties shall be 
similar to the Office of the Principal of any high school in the Philippine education system. 
The School Director shall serve a term of five (5) years, render full-time work, and 
shall be eligible for reappointment to another term, who shall be appointed by the DepEd 
Secretary, subject to the guidelines and qualifications set forth in the implementing rules and 
regulations, upon the recommendation of a duly constituted Search Committee.  
A Search Committee shall be constituted by the DepEd Regional Director in 
consultation with the heads of the NCCA and CCP. It shall be formed immediately upon the 
approval of the implementing rules and regulations of this Act, and shall reconvene again 
within six (6) months before the expiration of the term of the School Director.  
The salary of the School Director shall be equivalent to Principal IV in accordance 
with the Revised Compensation and Position Classification System. 
SEC. 5.  Position Structure and Staffing Pattern. - The position structure and 
staffing pattern of the School shall be prescribed by the DepEd upon the recommendation of 
the School Director, subject to the approval of the Department of Budget and Management. 
SEC. 6.  School Fund. - All government appropriations for and other income 
generated by the School, as well as all legacies, gifts, donations, grants, endowments, 
contributions and other similar transfers of real and personal properties of all kinds received 
by the School, shall constitute the School Fund.  
The Fund shall be exclusively utilized for the School’s program for the arts, subject to 
the Commission on Audit (COA) rules and regulations. 
SEC. 7.  Authority to Solicit and Receive Donations and Grants. – The School 
Director, with the approval of the DepEd Regional Director and Schools Division 
Superintendent, may solicit, negotiate with, and received in trust from any public or private, 
domestic or foreign sources, legacies, gifts, donations, grants, endowments, contributions or 
other transfers of ownership and/or possession of real or personal properties of all kinds in 
favor and for the benefit of the School; Provided, That the School Director shall, in 
accordance with pertinent accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations, prescribe the 
necessary measures for the proper use, maintenance and safekeeping of said donations, 
grants, endowments, contributions or transfers and the compliance of the terms and 
conditions thereon, if any. 
SEC. 8.  Development Plan and Organizational Structure. - Within the period of 
one hundred twenty (120) days after the approval of this Act, and the approval of its 
implementing rules and regulations, the School shall accomplish the following: 
(a) Submit a five (5)-year development plan, including its corresponding budgetary 
program to the DepEd for corresponding recommendation to the DBM; and  


 
 
 
 
 
(b) Set up its organizational, administrative, as well as academic structure, including 
the appointment of the School officials, subject to the qualifications set forth in this 
Act. 
SEC. 9.  Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of the 
provisions of this Act shall be included in the annual appropriations of DepEd as contained in 
the General Appropriations Act.  
SEC. 10.  Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DepEd, in coordination with 
NCCA and CCP, shall issue within a period of ninety (90) days after the effectivity of this 
Act, the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.   
 
SEC. 11.  Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any portion or provision of this 
Act shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions not affected thereby 
shall continue to be in full force and effect.  
 
SEC. 12.  Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules 
and regulations, issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this 
Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 13.  Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.   
 
 
 
Approved.