Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Queson City, Metro Manila

Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4

Introduced by Representatives Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez,
Andrew Julian K. Romualdez and Jude A. Acidre

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 6728, as amended by Republic Act No. 8545—collectively
known as the “Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in
Private Education Act” (E-GASTPE)—was enacted to provide financial support
to students and teachers in private educational institutions. However, more than
two decades since its passage, the educational landscape has significantly
evolved, rendering some of its provisions outdated and insufficient to address
current challenges.

Today, private educational institutions face mounting difficulties. Notably,
during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, enrollment in private
schools plummeted by 48%, highlighting the sector’s vulnerability. Even before
the pandemic, many students had already been transferring to public schools due
to the exodus of private school teachers—often lured by better compensation and
job security in the public sector. This shift has not only strained private schools
but has also placed immense pressure on the public school system, which must
absorb the growing number of transferees, often without commensurate
resources.

Given these circumstances, there is an urgent need to update and expand the scope
of E-GASTPE. A new legislative measure is imperative —one that is responsive
to the current realities, strengthens private education, and reinforces the
complementary roles of public and private institutions in delivering accessible,
quality basic education to all Filipino learners.


This bill was filed by Representatives Roman T. Romulo, Ruth Mariano-
Hemandez, Ron P. Salo, Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, and Jude A. Acidre, among
others, during the Nineteenth Congress and was approved on Third Reading, It
seeks to:

a

. Affirm the right to quality education — It recognizes the constitutional

mandate to make quality education accessible to all and acknowledges the
complementary roles of public and private schools in delivering this
mandate.

. Institutionalize and improve the voucher program — By codifying the

voucher program, the government aims to provide financial support to
students—especially the underprivileged—to enroll in private basic
education institutions when public schools are overcrowded or
inaccessible,

Create the Bureau of Private Education ~ A specialized bureau under the
Department of Education (DepEd) will be established to oversee and
regulate all matters related to private basic education, ensuring
accountability and effective management of assistance programs.

|. Ensure quality and equity - The bill sets quality assurance mechanisms,

performance evaluations, and tracer systems to ensure that both students
and schools meet national education standards. It also prioritizes financial
aid to vulnerable and underserved sectors.

. Support teachers and institutions — The bill provides for in-service

training, scholarships, and salary subsidies for private school teachers, and
capacity-building programs for institutions.

ion with the
investments

Align with national development goals ~ Through coordin
DepEd, NEDA, and DBM, the bill aims to ensure that publi
in private education lead to measurable educational outcomes.

.. Replace outdated laws — It repeals specific sections of RA 8545 and RA

6728 (laws on government assistance to students and teachers in private
education), updating them to respond to present-day challenges in the
education sector.

This bill addresses the long-standing and emerging challenges faced by private
basic education—such as enrollment decline, teacher migration, and resource
limitations—while reinforcing equity, quality assurance, and institutional


development. It promotes educational choice, empowers families, and alleviates
overcrowding in public schools, thereby fostering a balanced, efficient, and
inclusive education system.

Through timely and strategic government intervention, this bill aims to sustain
and uplift private education as a vital partner in nation-building, ensuring that no
Filipino learner is left behind.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly

sought.
ng Mh G. ROMUALDEZ
JUDE ¥ ACIDRE ANDREW JULIAN K. ROMUALDEZ


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives

Queson Citp, Metro Manila

‘Twentieth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4

Introduced by Representatives Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez,
Andrew Julian K. Romualdez and Jude A. Acidre

ANACT

ESTABLISHING THE PRIVATE BASIC EDUCATION VOUCHER
PROGRAM, PROVIDING FOR THE CREATION OF THE BUREAU OF
PRIVATE EDUCATION, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR,
REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTIONS 2, 3, 4(2), 4(3), 5, 6, 7,
12, 14, AND 15 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8545, OTHERWISE KNOWN.
AS THE “EXPANDED GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS
AND TEACHERS IN PRIVATE EDUCATION ACT”, WHICH
AMENDED REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6728, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
“GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN
PRIVATE EDUCATION ACT”

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Private
Basic Education Vouchers Assistance Act”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the declared policy of the State to
protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and
shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. As part of its
mandate, it is the State’s policy to establish and maintain a system of
scholarship grants, subsidies, and other incentives which shall be available to
deserving students, as determined by the guidelines, in both public and private
schools, especially to the underprivileged. Likewise, the State recognizes the
complementary roles of public and private educational institutions in the
educational system and the invaluable contribution that the private schools
have made and will make to education.


The State shall provide the mechanisms to augment the resources and
enhance the quality of private basic education, specifically promoting the
complementary roles of public and private schools and thus recognize the
government's priority of providing basic elementary and secondary education to
all Filipino students.

SEC. 3. Coverage. — This Act shall cover all private basic education
institutions that receive government assistance in the form of vouchers for
qualified students, teachers and schools. This covers all the years of basic
education.

The programs of assistance for students under this Act shall be extended
only to citizens of the Philippines.

SEC. 4. Criteria for Voucher Assistance. — The programs for voucher
assistance shall be based on a set of criteria which include among others, the
following:

(a) Criteria for Students. — The voucher assistance will be provided to students
from middle-income families, as determined by the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA), who attended public schools identified by the
Department of Education as congested or those living in areas with
congested public schools or without a nearby public school who wish to
enroll in private basic education schools.

Students who are most vulnerable and underprivileged shall receive
ahigher voucher amount as determined by the Basic Education Assistance
Council (BEAC).

(b) Criteria for Schools, ~ The participating private basic education schools
shall receive assistance based on Quality Assurance under Section 6 of this
Act, and the geographic spread and size of student enrollment, as likewise
determined by the BEAC, except schools with gaps in resources and
facilities which are located in geographically isolated and disadvantaged
and conflict-affected areas, or GIDCA schools. Private schools shall
undergo the process of recognition and periodic assessment to be able to
participate in the programs for voucher assistance.

SEC. 5. Empowering Student Choice, - The Department of Education
(DepEd) shall create a system that allows students and parents to select their
preferred schools from a registry of participating recognized schools, subject to
availability of slots.

The registry of participating recognized private basic educational
institutions shall include their schools’ information, such as location, number of
available slots, number of students per classroom and level, extra-curricular

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programs, current tuition fees, and top-up required in cases where the voucher
amount is less than the tuition fee, among others.

SEC. 6. Quality Assurance. - The DepEd shall establish, operate and
maintain a system and mechanism for monitoring program outcomes to ensure
accountability of participating recognized private basic educational institutions.
This covers the following areas:

(a) Improved Student Performance - Appropriate performance indicators to
determine the extent and outcome of the government assistance and
subsidies (GAS) programs including youth literacy rates, national and
international assessment scores, among others. For this purpose, the
National Achievement Tests and all national assessment examinations
generally given by the DepEd shall be administered to all eligible students
in all participating private basic education institutions;

(b) Improved Student Outcomes — Tracer system to collect and evaluate the
career and employment path of its graduates;

(c) School Performance - School performance data indicating the mean,
median and mode of the scores of the students in the national
examinations, and such other measures of quality education delivery; and

(d) Priority Subsidy for Underprivileged Students ~ Distribution of the GAS
programs while ensuring that funding is equitably allocated following the
order of priority groups.

SEC. 7. Other Forms of Assistance. - The following shall consist of
assistance to private basic education institutions and teachers participating in the
voucher program under this Act:

The forms of assistance granted to teachers in the participating recognized
private basic education schools include:

(a) In-service training fund for teachers in private basic education schools;

(b) Scholarships for qualified private basic education teachers enrolled in
quality graduate programs; and

(c) Participation in government-funded in-service training for basic education
teachers.

The DepEd may establish a program of assistance for the development of
qualified recognized private basic education schools to cover the following areas
of school operation:

(a) Institutional Development;


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(b) Organizational Development;
(c) Human Resource Development;

(4) Curriculum and Instructional Development;
(e) Research and Planning; and

(£) Facilities and School Improvement.

Consistent with Section 10 of Republic Act No. 10533, or the “Enhanced
Basic Education Act of 2013”, the DepEd, in consultation with the Department
of Budget and Management (DBM), may develop other forms of financial
arrangements and engage the services of private basic education schools based on
the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the educational
system.

SEC. 8. Basic Education Voucher Program. ~ Under the basic education
voucher program, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary students enrolled in
recognized private basic education schools charging school fees shall be provided
by the government with vouchers in such amount as may be determined by the
DepEd: Provided, That the amount shall not be less than the amount currently
provided by the DepEd: Provided, That the government shall disburse payment
of the vouchers to the schools concerned within sixty (60) days from the
submission of complete documents to the DepEd.

The budget for the basic education voucher program shall be equitably
allocated and distributed among all regions including the Bangsamoro
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) based on official data
sources including, but not limited to, congestion data and open seats, giving
priority to underprivileged students.

Pursuant to Section 2(V), Article V of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the
Bangsamoro Government shall exercise its authority over education for the areas
under the BARMM and will directly implement the same program to be charged
against their block grant. The DepEd shall provide technical assistance in the
implementation of the GAS programs, when necessary.

Schools participating in the basic education voucher program may increase
tuition on the condition that seventy percent (70%) of the amount of the tuition
increases shall go to the payment of salaries, wages, allowances, and other
statutory benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel, except administrators
who are principal stockholders of the school, and may be used to cover salary
increase as provided for in the collective bargaining agreements existing or in
force at the time when this Act is approved and made effective. At least twenty
percent (20%) of the tuition increases shall go to the improvement or
modernization of buildings, equipment, libraries, laboratories, gymnasia and
similar facilities and to the payment of other costs of operation. For this purpose,
schools shall maintain a separate record of accounts for all assistance received
from the government, any tuition increase, and the detailed disposition and use
thereof, which record shall be made available for periodic inspection as may be
determined by the DepEd.


SEC. 9. In-Service Training Fund or Inset Fund. ~ For the purpose of
improving the quality of teaching in private basic education, there is hereby
established in the DepEd an Inset Fund to provide for training programs for the
upgrading of knowledge and teaching competencies in critical subject areas and
for the modernization of teaching techniques and strategies, including training on
the use of computers and of other multi-media educational technologies to assist
instruction: Provided, That the amount of Inset Fund available to private basic
education shall not exceed that available to public basic education as per capita
basis: Provided, further, That the training programs shall be approved by the
DepEd.

SEC. 10. Teachers’ Salary Subsidy Fund. — A Teachers’ Salary Subsidy
Fund is hereby established in the DepEd to grant government subsidy to teachers
in recognized private basic education schools participating in the programs of
assistance under in this Act: Provided, That the government shall provide the
teachers with salary subsidy, to be determined by the DepEd: Provided, further,
That the government shall disburse payment within sixty (60) days after the close
of the school year upon submission of complete documents, including but not
limited to qualification and actual teaching service, to the DepEd: Provided,
furthermore, That the present allocation out of increases from tuition and other
income shall be maintained: Provided, finally, That the teacher’s salary subsidy
received by the teacher shall form part of the exclusions from taxable gross
income in accordance with Section 32(B)(7)(e) of the National Internal Revenue
Code 0f1997, as amended.

SEC. 11. Creation of the Bureau of Private Education. — The Bureau of
Private Education (BPE) under the DepEd shall be created to serve as the focal
office for the administration, supervision, and regulation of all matters relating to
private basic education institutions, including government assistance and
subsidies. It shall be headed by a Bureau Director.

It shall have the following powers and functions

(a) Monitor and assess the implementation of the private basic education
institutions of the policies, plans, and programs established by the DepED
as recommended by BPE;

(b)Set and enforce minimum standards for programs and institutions of
learning, subject to public hearing;

(c) Ensure that the activities, efforts, and performance of private basic
education institutions shall meet the high standards of excellence and
accountability;

(d)Administer and implement the policies and programs related to the
assistance and subsidies given by the government to students, teachers, and
schools in private education;

(e)Establish and support partnerships with individual private education
institutions to respond effectively to the pressing needs of students and
teachers, and to provide learning solutions to underserved communities;

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(f) Monitor and ensure compliance of private basic education institutions to
the promulgated rules and regulations of the DepEd in all matters
concerning private schools, including tuition fee increases; and

(g) Such other powers and functions as may be necessary for the effective and
efficient implementation of this Act.

SEC. 12. Program Administration and Implementation. - The BEAC
shall be responsible for policy guidance and direction, monitoring and evaluation
of new and existing programs while the Government Assistance and Subsidies
Service (GASS) under the BPE shall be responsible for the day-to-
day administration and implementation on the programs of assistance to private
basic education.

The BEAC shall be composed of the Secretary of the DepEd, as
Chairperson, and the Secretary of the National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) and the Secretary of the DBM, as members

The alternate representative of the Chairperson shall possess the rank of an
Undersecretary while the alternate representatives of the members shall possess
the rank of not less than an Assistant Secretary in order to secure a quorum.

The BEAC shall meet, from time to time, as the need arises, to assess the
effectivity of the programs under this Act and to propose to Congress other forms
of assistance to participating students and schools.

The GASS shall serve as the permanent secretariat for the implementation
of the GAS programs under this Act

The DepEd may engage the services of a third party co-implementor of the
GAS programs under this Act.

SEC. 13. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s
appropriation of the DepEd. Thereafter, such amount shall be included in the
annual General Appropriations Act

SEC. 14. Penalties. — In case of violation of this Act by a private school,
the DepEd may bar, after due process, such school from participating in or
benefiting from the programs of this Act, and from other programs of the DepEd,
without prejudice to administrative and criminal charges that may be filed against
the school or its responsible officers under existing laws.


SEC. 15. Transitory Provision. — Subject to the availability of funds, the
implementation of the provisions stipulated in this Act for the kindergarten and
elementary levels shall gradually commence in school year 2026-2027, as may
be determined by the DepEd.

SEC. 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within ninety (90) days
from the approval of this Act, the DepEd shall, in consultation with the NEDA,
the DBM, and other concerned stakeholders from the national associations of
private basic education institutions, promulgate the rules and regulations
implementing the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 17. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is held invalid
or unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared shall remain in full force
and effect.

SEC. 18. Repealing Clause. ~ Sections 2, 3, 4(2), 4(3), 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, and
15 of Republic Act No. 8545, or the “Expanded Government Assistance to
Students and Teachers in Private Education Act”, which amended Republic Act
No. 6728, or the “Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private
Education Act”, are hereby repealed. All other laws, decrees, orders and rules and
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 19. Effectivity. — Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the
implementing rules and regulations, this Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,