SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
) 
) 
First Regular Session 
SEN~T.!;\ 
S.No. 
1~50 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 17 states: 
13 AlIi -8 P 2 :45 
SEC. 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and 
teclmology, arts, culture and sports to foster patriotism nationalism, accelerate 
social progress and promote total human liberation and development. 
Brain drain is a common phenomenon over the last several decades. It involves many of 
our teachers who go abroad to seek greener pastures. As a result, we continue to lose teachers in 
our schools and urmecessarily increase the burden of teaching the ever growing number of our 
students to the teachers that actually stay. However, this phenomenon does not only occur from 
our country to overseas. It is also happening from our rural schools to urban cities. Substandard 
facilities make for additional burdens to our teachers who teach in rural areas. 
Many of our teachers find it really hard to realistically make a career in teaching in these 
communities much less thrive in them. As such, there is little incentive for the highly qualified 
teachers to go and stay in rural schools. As legislators, we must acknowledge the higher level of 
challenge presented in those areas and provide better incentives to highly qualified teachers. It is 
not only our duty to provide education to our children in those areas, but also to provide high 
quality education, that they may be able to develop into good citizens that will help their 
communities and our country. 
Initially, we need to establish an incentive program that will entice our highly qualified 
teachers to stay. A competitive program of grants to qualified provinces will not only motivate 
the provinces to develop their programs for the rural community but likewise allow us to focus 
the limited resources to the provinces that is in the position to make use of the funds best. 
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This bill seeks to establish a program that will provide financial assistance to qualified 
provinces in order to create an incentive system for highly qualified teachers who shall commit 
to stay and teach for at least three years.' 
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MIRIAM D TSOR 
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• This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session. 
2 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
... 
'.~, 
: 
'-~ 
SEN1!~50 
S.No. ___ _ 
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ftBCrW;Cf) 8'i.==f '. 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
I 
AN ACT 
2 
ESTABLISHING COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS TO RETAIN HIGHLY QUALIFIED 
.} 
TEACHERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Rural Teacher Retention 
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Act." 
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SECTION 2. Grant. - The Secretary of Education shall carry out a five (5)-year pilot 
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program under which the Secretary awards grants, on a competitive basis, to not more than ten 
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(10) different provinces, to enable them to award salary bonuses to highly qualified teachers or 
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highly qualified special education teachers who teach, or commit to teach, for at least three (3) 
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academic years in such institution. 
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The Secretary shall award grants under this section on the basis of the needs of rural local 
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educational agencies within a province for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers or 
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highly qualified special education teachers. 
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SECTION 3. Consideration of Needs. -
In determining the needs of rural local 
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educational agencies for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and highly qualified 
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special education teachers, the Secretary shall consider one (1) or more of the following: 
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A. 
The impact on a rural local educational agency of low-income students who are 
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served by the rural local educational agency. 
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B. 
The impact on a rural local educational agency of children with a disability who 
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are served by the rural local educational agency. 
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C. 
The long-term plans of a province to improve the recruitment and retention of 
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highly qualified teachers and highly qualified special education teachers in rural local 
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educational agencies within the province. 
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SECTION 4. Application. - A province that desires to receive a grant under this Act shall 
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submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
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information as the Secretary may require. The application shall contain a plan for the proposed 
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distribution and use of the grant funds among rural local educational agencies within the 
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province. 
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SECTION 5. Use of Funds. - Grant funds under this Act shall be used to provide salary 
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bonuses, allowances, and continuing education and training for highly qualified teachers or 
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highly qualified special education teachers who teach, or commit to teach, for at least three (3) 
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academic years, in an elementary school or secondary school served by the same rural local 
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educational agency. 
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SECTION 6. Report. -
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A. 
ANNUAL REPORTS FROM PROVINCES- Each province receiving a grant 
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under this Act shall submit an annual report to the Secretary regarding each project within the 
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province that is funded under this Act. The report shall contain such information as the Secretary 
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determines necessary to evaluate the project. 
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B. 
REPORT TO CONGRESS- The Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate 
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committees in the Senate and in the House of Representatives within five (5) years from the 
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effectivity ofthis Act, on the following: 
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1. the number of rural local educational agencies assisted under this Act; 
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2. the characteristics of such rural local educational agencies with respect to the 
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considerations of needs described in section 3; 
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3. the number and demographic characteristics of teachers recelvmg salary 
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bonuses, allowances, and continuing education and training under this Act; 
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4. the impact of the bonuses provided under this Act on the ability of rural local 
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educational agencies assisted tmder this Act to recruit and retain highly 
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qualified teachers and highly qualified special education teachers; and 
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5. such other information and analysis as the Secretary determines necessary to 
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evaluate the projects. 
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SECTION 7. Appropriations. -The amount necessary for the initial implementation of 
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this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the Department of Education under the 
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current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its full 
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implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as a distinct and 
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separate item. 
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SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
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with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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