Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 2468

Submitted by the Committee on Busic Education and Culture and the Comminee on
Appropriations on 2.0 NOV 201

Re House Bill No.

Recommending its approval in substitution of House Bill No. 6197

Sponsors: Representatives Ocampo. Limkaichong. Almario. and Piamonte

Mr, Speaker:

The Committee on Basic Kducation and Culture and the Committee on Appropriations to
which was referred House Bill No, 6197 introduced by Reps. Escudero, Angara. Ocampo.
Almario and Yap (S). entitled:

“AN ACT
RECOGNIZING THE EARLY YEARS FROM ZERO (0) TO AGE FOUR (4)
AS THE FIRST CRUCIAL STAGE OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
STRENGTHENING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL, AND RENAMING THE DAY CARE CENTER AS CHILD
DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”

have considered the same and recommend that the attached House Bill No. 6694
entitled:

“AN ACT.

RECOGNIZING TUE AGE FROM ZERO (0) TO EIGHT (8) YEARS AS THE
FIRST CRUCIAL STAGE OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND
STRENGTHENING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT
SYSTEM, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES”

be approved in substitution of House Bill No, 6197 with Reps. Escudero. Angara. Ocampo.
Almario. Yap (S). Piamonte, Castto (J). Cojuangeo (K). Sy-Alvarado, Dalog, Asilo. Gonzalez


Ub). Flores. Pancho, liagan, !-agdameo. Gunigundo. Banal. Sarmiento (M). Villarica, Garin (3.
Laeson-Noel, Guanlae. Rodriguez (R). Ramos Jr.. Vorres-Gomez, Arquiza and Limkaichong 3s

authors thereor.

Respectfully submitted,

= a
—~j JOCELYN sl CHONG RO; NN OCAMPO

Chairperson | Chateperson

Comminee on Appropriations Committee on Basie Education and Culture

THE HONORABLE SPEAKER
HOL SE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
QUEZON CITY


sou

Republic of the Philippines:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No. 8694
(In substitution of House Bill No. 6197)

Introduced by Representatives Salvador H. Escudero Ill, Juan Edgardo M. Angara.
Rosenda Ann Ocampo, Thelma Z. Almario, Mariano U, Piamonte, Jr., Jane T
Castro, Kimi S. Cojuangco, Ma. Victoria R. Sy-Alvarado, Maximo B, Dalog, Benjamin
DR Asilo Femmando V Gonzalez, Florencio T. Flores, Jr., Pedro M. Pancho.
Luzviminda C. flagan, Monique Yazmin Q. Lagdameo. Magtanggol T. Gunigundo |,
Susan A. Yap, Jorge John B. Banal. Jr,. Mel Senen S, Sarmiento, Linabelle Ruth R.
Villarica, Sharon &, Garin, Josephine Veronique R. Lacson-Noel, Agapito H.
Guanlao, Rufus B. Rodriguez, Deogracias B. Ramos, Jr., Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez,
Godofredo V. Arquiza and Jocelyn 8. Limkaichong

AN ACT
RECOGNIZING THE AGE FROM ZERO (0) TO EIGHT (8) YEARS AS THE FIRST
CRUCIAL STAGE OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGTHENING
THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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 "Early Years Act
(EYA) of 2012",

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State
to promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with
full recognition of the nature of childhood and as well as the need to provide
developmentally appropriate experiences to address their needs; and to support
parents in their roles as primary caregivers and as their children’s first teachers
Further, the State hereby recognizes the age from zero (0) to eight (8) years as the
first crucial stage of educational development of which the age from zero (0) to four
(4) years shall be the responsibility of the Early Childhood Care and Development
(ECCD) Council. Therefore. the responsibility to help develop children in the
formative years between age five (5) to eight (8) years shall be with the Department
of Education (DepEd).


1
3
4

The State shall institutionalize a National System for Early Childhood Care
and Development (ECCD) that is comprehensive, integrative and sustainable. that
involves multi-sectoral and inter-agency collaboration at the national and local levels
among government; among service providers, families and communities, and among
the public and private sectors, nongovemment organizations; professional
associations, and academic institutions.

This System shall promote the inclusion of children with special needs.
provide for reasonable accommodation and accessible environments for children
with disabilities and advocate respect for cultural and linguistic diversity, including
the use of Filipino Sign Language as the visual language of the deaf community. It
shall be anchored on complementary strategies for ECCD that include service
delivery for children from age zero (0) to four (4) years, educating parents and
caregivers, encouraging the active involvement of parents and communities in ECCD
Programs, raising awareness about the important efforts that improve the quality of
life for young children and families

SEC. 3. Objectives. - The National ECCD System shall pursue the following
objectives

2) To achieve improved infant and child survival rates by ensuring that adequate
health and nutrition programs are accessible to young children and their

Parents, from the prenatal period throughout the early childhood years;

») To enhance the physical-moter, socio-emotional, cognitive, language,
psychological and spiritual development of young children;

°)

To facilitate a smooth transition from care and education provided at home to
community or school-based setting and to kindergarten;

i)

To ensure that young children are adequately prepared for the formal learning
system that begins at kindergarten

e)

To establish an efficient system for early identification, prevention, referral and
intervention for the wide range of children with special needs from age zero
(0) to four (4) years:

f) To upgrade and update the capabilities of service providers and their
supervisors to comply with quality standards for various ECCD programs:

g) To reinforce the role of parents and other caregivers as the primary caregivers
and educators of their children especially from age zero (0) to four (4) years;


8

10

h) To enhance and sustain the efforts of communities to promote ECCD
programs and ensure that special support is provided for poor, disadvantaged
and linguistic minority communities:

i) To improve the quality standards of public and private ECCD programs
through, but not limited to, a registration and credential system for ECCD
service providers and facilities

}) To ensure that the education of persons, and in particular children, who are
blind, deaf, or deafblind. are conducted in the most appropriate languages,
modes and means of communication for the individual, and in environments
which maximize academic and social development.

k)

To employ teachers, including teachers with disabilities, who are qualified in
sign language and/or braille, and to train professionals and staff who work at
all levels of education

SEC. 4. Definitions. - The following terms are defined as follows:

Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) System shall refer to the full
range of health, nutrition, early education and social services development
programs that provide for the basic holistic needs of young children from age
zero (0) to four (4) years; and to promote their optimum growth and
development.

These programs shall include:

1) Center-based programs, such as the day care service established
under Republic Act No. 6972. otherwise known as the “Barangay —
Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act’. and
hereinafter referred to as the child development service, community or
church-based early childhood education programs initiated by
nongovernment organizations or people's organizations, workplace-
related child care and education programs, child-minding centers,
health centers and stations: and

2)

Home-based programs, such as the neighborhood-based play groups,
family child care programs. parent education and home. visiting
programs.

b) ECCD Service Providers shall include the various professionals,
paraprofessionals and volunteer caregivers who are directly responsible for
the care and education of young children from age zero (0) to four (4) years


6

°)

d

)

through the various centers’ and homeé-based- programs: They shall include.
but shall not be limited to. day care workers hereinafter referred to as child
development workers, child development teachers, teacher-aides, rural health
midwives, social workers, community health workers, barangay nutrition
scholars, parent effectiveness service volunteers. and family day care
providers :

ECCD Curriculum shall refer to the developmentally-appropriate educational
objectives and . practices, ‘programs of. activities, “organized learning
experiences, recommended learning materials and appropriate assessment
for children from age zero (0) to four (4) years that are implemented by
service providers through center and home-based programs. It shall consist of
national program goals and guidelines, instructional objectives, and content
outlines that are age-appropriate. individually appropriate and cutturally-
relevant,

Parent Education shall refer to the various formal and altemative means of

providing parents with information. skills, and support systems to assist them
in their roles as their children's primary caregivers and educators. These
include public and private parent education programs linked to center. home
and media-based child care and education programs,

SEC. S. System Framework and Components. -— The ECCD System shall

ensure that the National ECCD Program is implemented in accordance with quality
standards for accreditation and for this purpose there shall be established a National
ECCD Monitoring & Evaluation Framework. The ECCD System shail include the
following components:

a) ECCD Curriculum. - The curriculum shall focus on children's total

b)

°)

development and takes into account age, individual and socio-cultural
appropriateness. It shall promote the delivery of complementary and
integrative services for health, nutrition, early childhood education. sanitation
and cutural activities. It shall use the child's first language as the medium of
instruction;

Parent Education and Involvement, Advocacy and Mobilization of
Communities, — This component shail harness and develop parents’ strengths
as providers of ECCD programs at home, as active partners of other
stakeholders, as advocates for community concerns that affect children, and
as pillars of support for local and national ECCD programs through community
organization efforts;

Human Resource Development Program. - The program shall establish
mechanisms for the systematic professionalization of ECCD service providers

4


6

through enrolment in educational program in site-based or distance education
modes. through pre-service or in-service training including continuing
education programs, whereby a registration and credential system shall be
developed in the ECCD System

d) ECCD Management. - This component shall consist of a continuing process
of planning, implementation. supervision, financial management, monitoring,
evaluation and reporting to persons concerned and shall encourage the
active involvement of and tuild the capabilities of service providers. parents
and local government officials to sustain the program.

SEC. 6. Expanding the ECCD System. - The National ECCD System shall
henceforth apply to all provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays as may be
determined by the ECCD Council to achieve universal ECCD coverage for all
children from age zero (0) to four (4) years

SEC. 7. Implementing Arrangements and Operational Structures. — The
implementation of the National ECCD System shall be the responsibility of the ECCD
Council

a) Responsibilities of the ECCO Council - The ECCD Council shalt be
responsible for establishing national standards, developing policies and
programs, ensuring compliance thereof, providing technical assistance and
support to the ECCD service providers in consultation with coordinating
committees at the provincial, city, municipal and barangay levels.

The Department of Education (DepED). the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH). the National
Nutrition Council (NNC) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines
(ULAP) shall meet in an annual workshop to prepare work and financial plans
that will coordinate their technical assistance and support for the National
ECCD program. They shall observed existing implementing guidelines that
ensure consistency in integrated service delivery within the National ECCD
System, as follows

1) The DepED shall recognize the National ECCD Program as the
foundation of the leaming continuum and shall promote it for all
children from age zero (0) to four (4) years:

2) The DepED, DSWD, DOH and NNC shall provide continuing
professional development program support, supplementary leaming
materials, reference materials, supplemental nutrition and health care
services


b) Responsibilities of Local Government Units. — Local government units (LGUs)

i

2 shall include allocations from their Special Education Fund (SEF) and Gender
3 and Development (GAD) Fund in addition to other local funds to be utilized for
4 the following purposes

6 1) Support the implementation of their ECCD Program;

Fy 2) Organize and support parent cooperatives to establish community-
9 based ECCD programs
10
mn 3) Provide counterpart funds for the continuing professional development
2 of their ECCD public service providers; and
13
14 4) Provide the facilities for the conduct of their ECCD Program.
13
16 ¢) Responsibilities of Families and Communities, - Families and communities

7 shall support the local ECCD programs by participating in various community-
based projects such as but not limited to health, nutrition, social development
and early childhood education projects for the overall development of their
children from age zero (0) to four (4) years;

SEC. 8. Strengthening the ECCD Council. - The ECCD Council shall be
strengthened to ensure the State's focus on building a strong foundation for the
34 development and learning of children during the early years from age zero (0) to four
25. (4) years. to support the full range of health, nutrition, early education and social
26 development programs for the child's holistic development and ensure sustained
27 inter-agency and multi-sectoral collaboration, The Council shall be attached to the

28 DepED.
4
30 SEC. 9. Organization of the ECCD Council. - The ECCD Council shall be

31 composed of the following
a) ECCD Goveming Board. - The ECCD Governing Board shall be composed of:

1

Secretary of the Department of Education, as ex-oficio chairperson:

2

Executive Director of the ECCD Council, as vice chairperson;

3)

Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. as.
member;

a2 4

Secretary of the Department of Health, as member;

4“ 5

Executive Director of the National Nutrition Council, as member:

6


6)

7)

President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines as member;
and

One (1) private individual who is an ECCD practitioner and expert shall be
appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Board as
member

8 The Board shall meet once a month or upan the call of the chairperson or
9 three (3) members of the Board.

YW b) Council Secretariat. - There shall be established an ECCD Council Secretariat
12 to be headed by an Executive Director. The Secretariat shall provide support

3 services for the coordination and monitoring of the implementation of policies

I4 and plans formulated by the Council subject to the Compensation and

15 Position Classification System and other existing civil service rules and

16 regulations.

18 SEC. 10. Functions of the ECCD Council. - The ECCD Council shall carry
19 gut the objectives of the National ECCD System by performing the following

a)

db:

¢)

4a)

€

functions:

Promulgate policies and implementing guidelines for ECCD programs in
consultation with stakeholders, including the regional level when
appropriate, consistent with the national policy and program frameworks.
as defined in this Act;

Establish ECCD program standards that reflect developmentally
appropriate practices for ECCD programs, which shall interface with the
kindergarten curriculum of the DepEd

Develop a national system for the recruitment, registration, accreditation,
continuing education and equivalency, and credential system of ECCD
service providers, supervisors and administrators to improve and
professionalize the ECCD sector and upgrade quality standards of public
and private ECCD programs:

Develop a national system of awards and recognition to deserving ECCD
program implementers and service providers;

Promote, encourage and coordinate the various ECCD programs of the
DepEd, the DSWD. the DOH and the NNC, and monitor the delivery of
services to the ECCD program beneficiaries nationwide:

Evaluate and assess the impact and outcome of various ECCD programs
nationwide through an effective information system:


government financial institutions to support the public programs including the
urban poor.

with accredited private providers at thé community levels. “~

¢) Fees and Contributions - Fees and contributions collected for both public and
private ECCD programs shall be monitored by the ECCD Council to ensure
that these are affordable and within reasonable limits. Families are
encouraged to contribute their time and services to support the ECCD
programs.

Sec. 13. Annual Report. - The ECCD Council shall, at the close of each
calendar year, submit an annual physical and financial reports to Congress. giving
a detailed account of its proceedings and accomplishments during the year, making
recommendations for the adoption of measures that will improve the National ECCD
System and ensuring achievement of universal coverage of ECCD benefits to all
children from age zero (0} to four (4) years. within a period of five (5) years.

SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Council, in
consultation with appropriate government agencies and non-government
organizations, shall formulate and issue the necessary rules and regulations within
sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 15. Repeating Clause. - Republic Act No. 8980, otherwise known as
“An Act Promulgating A Comprehensive Policy And A National System For Early
Childhood Care And Development (ECCD). Providing Funds Therefore And For
Other Purposes" is hereby repealed.

All laws, decrees, executive orders, presidential proclamations, rules and
regulations or parts thereof contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
are hereby repealed ar modified accordingly

SEC. 16. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any portion of this Act shall
be declared unconstitutional, other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected
shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 17. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of
general circulation

Approved.