ci NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
]
ir[% '
'22 JUL 13 A10 SO
SENATE 
S.B. No. 481
ffiC'-iv
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
AN ACT
CONVERTING THE HIBAO-AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BARANGAY 
HIBAO-AN SUR, MANDURRIAO DISTRICT, ILOILO CITY INTO AN 
INTEGRATED SCHOOL TO BE KNOWN AS THE HIBAO-AN INTEGRATED 
SCHOOL, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Under DepEd Order No. 40, series of 20141, the conversion of a school 
involves the process of changing, altering or transferring of the status, 
character of the curricular offerings or the administration, maintenance, 
supervision and conduct of a school from its present status, character, 
administration or management. A conversion into an integrated school, on 
the other hand, is the expansion of an elementary or secondary school, or the 
combination of existing elementaiy and secondary schools adjacent to each 
other into one (1) school to offer complete basic education. This is authorized 
when at least three (3) of the following conditions are met, whichever are 
applicable: a) That there are no schools offering complete basic education
1 Revised Guidelines on the Establishment, Merging, Conversion, and Naming/Renaming of 
Public Schools, and Separation of School Annexes in Basic Education
1


within the catchment area2; b) That the number of elementary graduates does 
not warrant the establishment of a separate secondary school; c) That there 
are not enough items for teachers and school heads that would justify the 
establishment of separate elementary and secondary schools; d) That there is 
difficulty in acquiring a school site of the secondary school; or e) That there 
are inadequate equipment and resources to support the operation of separate 
elementary and secondary schools.3
Although there is a pressing need for the establishment of new schools, 
the main consideration remains to be the budget. Despite being a top priority 
in the budget for Fiscal Year 20224, the Philippines is still underinvesting in 
the education sector. Since 1990, relative to the gross domestic product, the 
Philippines’ public spending in education had been at most 3.8% (1998), 
dipping to 2.8% in 2019. The country needs to quadruple its education 
spending in order to reach the average global reading proficiency in the 
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).5 The choice for an 
elementary or secondary school to convert into an integrated school, instead 
of establishing a new school, boils down to the consideration of the cost of 
establishing a new elementary or secondary school.
No school within Hibao-an Elementary School's catchment area 
provides learners with a complete basic education from Kindergarten to Grade 
10. The majority of students in the Mandurriao district attend Mandurriao
2 Area within a two-kilometer (2-km) radius and one-kilometer (1-km) radius from any 
existing public school in rural and urban areas, respectively.
3 Supra note 1.
4 By budget allocation, the education sector which includes the DepEd, SUCs and the CHED 
was given the highest allocation with P788.5 billion, higher by P36.8 billion or 4.9 percent 
compared to last year’s budget. (See https://www.dbm.aov.ph/index.php/secretaru-s- 
conier/ press-releases/ list-of-press-releases/2036-recoveru-Qro wth-and-sustainabilitu-
hiQhliahted-in-the-sianed-fu-2022-national-
budaet#:~:text-024%20trillion%20Fiscal%20Year%20(FY,than%20the%20FY%202021%20bud
get.)
5 PIDS Policy Notes
(See https://pidswebs.pids.gov.ph/CDN/PUBLICATIONS/pidspn2105.pdf]


National High School, the district's only national high school. This causes 
overcrowding in the school, and because the school is not easily accessible 
from the surrounding barangays of Hibao-an Elementary School, the rising 
expense of transportation fare stresses the families of the disadvantaged 
children. The school site can only accommodate an integrated school, but not 
a separate secondary school, and the conversion of Hibao-an Elementary 
School to an integrated school is justified by the increasing number of 
graduates and population in the neighboring areas. This bill thus seeks to 
convert Hibao-an Elementary School into an integrated school, in which the 
government will be able to give access to education despite the limited budget 
provided to the education sector.
In view of the foregoing, I earnestly seek the support of this Congress 
for the approval of this bill.


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
]
SENATE 
S.B. No. 481
of 
ftv.T-
72 JJL13 A10 50
Introduced by SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN
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AN ACT
CONVERTING THE HIBAO-AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BARANGAY 
HIBAO-AN SUR, MANDURRIAO DISTRICT, ILOILO CITY INTO AN 
INTEGRATED SCHOOL TO BE KNOWN AS THE HIBAO-AN INTEGRATED 
SCHOOL, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section 1. The Hibao-an Elementaiy School in Barangay Hibao-an Sur, 
Mandurriao District, Iloilo City is hereby converted into an integrated school 
to be known as the Hibao-an Integrated School.
Sec. 2. All personnel, assets, liabilities and records of the Hibao-an 
Elementary School are hereby transferred to and absorbed by the Hibao-an 
Integrated School.
Sec. 3. The Secretary of Education shall immediately include in the 
Department’s program the operationalization of the Hibao-an Integrated 
School, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act.


Sec. 4. Within sixty (60) days after the approval of this Act, the 
Secretary of Education shall promulgate the rules and regulations 
implementing the provisions of this Act.
Sec. 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,