TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
Oflicr o( ii;r - ■■ 
■;' r"
25 JUL 14 AH :57
SENATE
S. No. 530
RECEIVED U::
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
ALLOWING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THE FLEXIBILITY TO 
DETERMINE THE PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE 
BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 
5 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "ENHANCED 
BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013"
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Section 1, Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates 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." This constitutional 
mandate compels the State not only to guarantee access to education but also to 
ensure its quality, relevance, and responsiveness to the needs of Filipino learners.
Republic Act No. 10533, or the "Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013," sought 
to reform the Philippine education system by institutionalizing the K to 12 program 
and adopting pedagogical strategies such as the spiral progression approach. While 
the intent of spiral progression was to build cumulative learning across grade levels, 
its implementation has revealed serious challenges on the ground.
Feedback from educators, curriculum experts, and program implementers has 
shown that the spiral progression approach, particularly in Science and English, poses 
significant hurdles to content mastery and instructional coherence. Teachers trained 
in specific subject areas find it difficult to effectively deliver competencies that abruptly 
shift focus each quarter. Furthermore, some competencies are repeated across grade
1


levels without meaningful progression, resulting in gaps in foundational knowledge 
and poor retention among learners.1
The approach also fails to align seamlessly with the transitions from Junior to 
Senior High School and does not adequately support specialized programs such as 
those for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Moreover, the 
rigidity of a centralized pedagogical framework does not allow for sufficient localization 
or adaptation in contexts such as the Alternative Learning System (ALS) or Indigenous 
Peoples Education (IPEd), where learner needs and community contexts vary greatly.2
To address these systemic limitations, this proposed measure seeks to amend 
Section 5 of R.A. No. 10533 to allow the Department of Education (DepEd) the 
flexibility to determine the pedagogical approaches most suitable for the basic 
education curriculum. It further mandates the periodic review of the curriculum, at 
intervals not exceeding five years, to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness 
in achieving national education goals.
By providing DepEd with this flexibility, the bill empowers educators and local 
implementors to adopt context-sensitive and evidence-based teaching methods. It 
encourages the mastery of knowledge and skills by moving away from a one-size-fits- 
all approach and recognizing the complexity of teaching and learning, while equipping 
teachers with the tools and autonomy to deliver quality education tailored to the 
diverse realities of Filipino learners.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly 
sought.
LOREN LEGARDA
1 Second Congressional Commission on Education (2024). Miseducation: The failed system of Philippine 
education, EDCOMII Year One Report. Second Congressionai Commission on Education.
2 Second Congressional Commission on Education (2025). Fixing the Foundations: A matter of 
nationaisurvival, EDCOM II Year Two Report. Congress of the Philippines.


iOIflCC ot ti’!' L'r '
TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
S. No.
)
)
SENATE
530
25 JUL M AH -57
RECElVtO BY
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
ALLOWING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THE FLEXIBILITY TO 
DETERMINE THE PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE 
BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 
5 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "ENHANCED 
BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013"
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
1
Section 1. Section 5 of Republic Act No. 10533, otherwise known as
2
"Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013", is hereby amended to read as follows:
3
"Section 5. Curriculum Development - x x x
4
"x X X
5
"x X X
6
"x X X
7
"(a)
XXX
8
"(b)
XXX
9
"(c)
XXX
10
"(d)
XXX
11
"(e)
XXX
12
"(0
XXX
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"(g)
The curriculum shall [usc-the-spiral progression] EMPLOY
14
THE approach DEEMED MOST EFFECTIVE BY THE
15
DEPED to ensure mastery of knowledge and skills after each


1 
level, PROVIDED, THAT THE CURRICULUM SHALL BE
2 
SUBJECT TO PERIODIC REVIEW OF NOT LESS THAN
3 
ONCE EVERY FIVE (5) YEARS, TO DETERMINE ITS
4 
RELEVANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS IN ACHIEVING THE
5 
EDUCATIONAL GOALS FOLLOWING A SYSTEMATIC
6 
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS DETERMINED
7 
BYTHE DEPED; and
8 
"(h) XXX
9 
Sec. 2. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
10 
order, letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this
11 
Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
12 
Sec. 3. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
13 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,