Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No__751

Introduced by Representative Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This House Bill was previously filed in the Seventeenth Congress as House
Bill 09021. It was approved by the House on May 20, 2019 and was transmitted
to the Senate on May 21, 2019. The sine die adjournment of the 17" Congress
preceded the House Bill’s approval in the Upper House.

Education is a vital component of national development. In recognition of
the right of all citizens to quality education, the 1987 Constitution, under Article
XIV Section 2, mandates the State to “establish, maintain, and support a
complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of
the people and society.” For the City of Canlaon, the establishment of a separate
schools division office is a sine qua non requirement to fulfill this constitutional
mandate.

The proposed bill heeds the request of the Sanggunian Panlungsod of
Canlaon City, embodied in their Resolution No. 110, Series of 2016. The
establishment of a separate schools division office aims to facilitate the
supervision of the Department of Education of the schools in Canlaon City. It
also aims to bolster the effectiveness and efficiency of the management and
operations of the schools in the division. Its establishment is a step to ensure that
the schools in the locality will be in full compliance with the existing standards
for quality education. This will ultimately promote the academic performance of
students through the improved supervision of Canlaon’s educational institutions.


Canlaon City is one hundred sixty-six (166) kilometers from Dumaguete
City where the division office of the Department of Education is located. The
travel time between the two cities is estimated to be five (5) hours by bus. Given
this factual circumstance, the effective instructional and field supervision of the
schools has been difficult to achieve.

The desired efficiency in the administration of DepEd services to the public
will be made possible through the enactment of this measure. Its approval will
increase the DepEd’s capacity to conduct instructional supervision to check the
compliance and implementation of curriculum requirements.

In accordance with the State’s policy of providing quality education for its
citizens, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No._751

Introduced by Representative Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A SEPARATE SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE
IN THE CITY OF CANLAON, PROVINCE OF NEGROS ORIENTAL

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

SECTION 1. A separate Schools Division Office of the Department of
Education is hereby established in Canlaon City. The Schools Division Office
shall be headed by a division superintendent who must possess the necessary
qualifications required by the Department of Education. The division
superintendent shall have authority, accountability and responsibility as vested
by law.

The staff complement of the Schools Division Office in Canlaon City must
also possess the necessary qualifications required by the Department of
Education. The salaries of the supervisors, principals, teachers and other
operational expenses of the primary, intermediate, high schools and other public
schools in the city shall be borne by the National Government: Provided, That the
powers and duties of the local government as contained in the Local Government
Code in support of the schools shall not be abridged, curtailed or diminished.

SECTION 2. Section 86 of Republic Act No. 3445, otherwise known as
“An Act Creating the City of Canlaon” is hereby amended to read as follows:


“Section 86. The Bureau of Public Schools. — The Director of Public
Schools shaii exercise the same jurisdiction and powers in the city as
elsewhere in the Philippines) THE CITY SHALL HAVE A
SEPARATE SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE AND THE DIVISION
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS FOR THE CITY OF
CANLAON SHALL HAVE ALL THE POWERS AND DUTIES IN
RESPECT TO THE SCHOOLS OF THE CITY AS ARE VESTED
IN DIVISION SUPERINTENDENTS IN RESPECT TO SCHOOLS
OF THEIR DIVISIONS.

A ity school board of six members, two of whom shall be women and
who shall serve without salary, shall be selected and removed in the same
manner, and shall have the same powers and duties, as local school
boards in the municipalities.

The municipal board shall have the same powers in respect to the
establishment of school as are conferred by law on municipal councils.

SECTION 3. The Secretary of Education shall immediately include in the
Department's program the operationalization of the Schools Division Office in
Canlaon City. The funding needed for the establishment, operation, and
maintenance of the Division Office shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SECTION 4. All other laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and
regulations and other issuances inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. The Secretary of Education shall issue the rules necessary to
carry out the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,