FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago' 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 17 provides that: 
SEC. 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and 
technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and 
nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human 
liberation and development. 
Education is always a priority among the Filipino families. Major part of each families' 
budget go to education. However, with poverty, more and more children drop out from school 
and fail to gel the basic education that they need to do well in life. As a result, there is an 
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increasing concern about the growing number of illiterate Filipinos. 
To help solve this problem, there are many non-government organizations that offer their 
help in reaching out to our needy brethren and provide basic education to those who can afford it. 
Many of them have spearheaded invaluable initiatives to ensure that everyone will have the 
necessary skills to be productive members of our society. In order to maximize these efforts, we 
should establish a national coordinating organization that will allow sharing of knowledge, 
experience and resources among different organizations. 
This bill seeks to establish a National Institute of Literacy whose task include research 
and formulation and implementation of literacy programs that will ensure that the nationwide 
efforts are properly coordinated and the best practices are uniformly implemented.
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I This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress, Second Regular Session 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SENHf20 
S.No. ___ _ 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled: 
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SECTION I. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Institute for Literacy 
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Act." 
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SECTION 2. Purpose. - The purpose ofthis section is to establish a National Institute for 
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Literacy that-
lOA. provides national leadership regarding literacy; 
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B. coordinates literacy services and policy; and 
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C. serves as a national resource for literacy programs by-
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1. providing the best and most current infonnation available in the area of 
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phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension 
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to all educational institutions that provides literacy development program; and 
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2. supporting the creation of new ways to offer services of proven effectiveness. 
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SECTION 3. Establishment. - There is established the National Institute for Literacy (in 
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this section referred to as the "Institute"). 
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The Institute shall be administered under the tenus of an interagency agreement entered 
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into by the Secretary of Education with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Health (in 
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this section referred to as the "Interagency Group"). The Interagency Group may include in the 
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Institute any research and development center, institute, or clearinghouse established within the 
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Department of Education, the Department of Labor, or the Department of Health the purpose of 
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which is determined by the Interagency Group to be related to the purpose of the Institute. 
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SECTION 4. Offices. - The Institute shall have offices separate from the offices of the 
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Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health. 
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SECTION 5. Recommendations. -
The Interagency Group shall consider the 
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recommendations of the National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board (in this section referred 
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to as the "Board") established in this Act in planning the goals of the Institute and in the 
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implementation of any programs to achieve the goals. If the Board's recommendations are not 
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followed, the Interagency Group shall. provide a written explanation to the Board concerning 
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actions the Interagency Group takes that are inconsistent with the Board's recommendations, 
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including the reasons for not following the Board's recommendations with respect to the actions. 
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The Board may also request a meeting of the Interagency Group to discuss the Board's 
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recommendations. 
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SECTION 6. Daily Operations. -
The daily operations of the Institute shall be 
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administered by the Director of the Institute. 
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SECTION 7. Duties. - In order to provide leadership for the improvement and expansion 
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of the system for delivery of literacy services, the Institute is authorized--
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A. to establish a national electronic data base of information that disseminates 
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information to the broadest possible audience within the literacy and basic skills field, 
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and that includes-
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1. effective practices in the provision of literacy and basic skills instruction, 
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including instruction in phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and 
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reading comprehension, and the integration of literacy and basic skills 
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instruction with occ,llpational skills training; 
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2. public and private literacy and basic skills programs, and national, and local 
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policies, affecting the provision of literacy services at the national, and local 
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levels; 
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3. opportunities for technical assistance, meetings, conferences, and other 
opportunities that lead to the improvement of literacy and basic skills services; 
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4. a communication network for literacy programs, providers, social servIce 
agencies, and students; 
B. to coordinate support for the provision of literacy and basic skills services across 
government agencies and at the national and local levels; 
C. to coordinate the support of reliable and replicable research and development on 
literacy and basic skills in families across government agencies and to carry out basic 
and applied research and development on topics that are not being investigated by 
other organizations or agencies, such as the special literacy needs of individuals with 
learning disabilities; 
D. to collect and disseminate information on methods of advancing literacy that show 
great promise, including phonemic awareness, systematic phonics, fluency, and 
reading comprehension; 
E. to provide policy and technical assistance to national and local entities for the 
improvement of policy and programs relating to literacy; 
F. to fund a network of literacy resource centers to assist national and local public and 
private nonprofit efforts to improve literacy by-
1. encouraging the coordination of literacy services; 
2. enhancing the capa,city of national and local organizations to provide literacy 
services; and 
3. serving as a link between the Institute and providers of literacy activities for 
the purpose of sharing information, data, research, expertise, and literacy 
resources; 
G. to coordinate and share information with national organizations and associations that 
are interested in literacy and workforce investment activities; 
H. to advise the legislative and executive departments and agencies regarding the 
development of policy with respect to literacy and basic skills; and 
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L to undertake other activities that lead to the improvement of the country's literacy 
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delivery system and that complement other such efforts being undertaken by public 
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and private agencies and organizations. 
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SECTION 8. Priority. - The Institute shall give priority to adults and individuals with 
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disabilities in the performance of its duties as provided in this Act. 
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SECTION 9. Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. - The Institute may award 
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grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, individuals, public or private 
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institutions, agencies, organizations, or consortia of such institutions, agencies, or orgauizations 
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to carry out the activities of the Institute . 
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SECTION 10. Literacy Leadership. - The Institute, in consultation with the Board, may 
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award fellowships, with such stipends and allowances that the Director considers necessary, to 
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outstanding individuals pursuing careers in literacy in the areas of instruction, management, 
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research, or innovation. 
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Fellowships awarded under this section shall be used, under the auspices of the Institute, 
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to engage in research, education, training, technical assistance, or other activities to advance the 
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field of literacy, including the training of volunteer literacy providers at the national, or local 
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level. 
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SECTION 11. Interns and volunteers. - The Institute, in consultation with the Board, 
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may award paid and unpaid intemshiRs to individuals seeking to assist the Institute in carrying 
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out its mission. Subject to applicable labor laws, the Institute may accept and use voluntary and 
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uncompensated services as the Institute determines necessary. 
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SECTION 12. National Institut" for Literacy Advisory Boare). - There shall be a National 
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Institute for Literacy Advisory Board (in this section referred to as the "Board"), which shall 
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consist of 10 individuals appointed by the President with the advice and consent ofthe Senate. 
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SECTION 13. Composition. - The Board shall be comprised of individuals who are not 
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otherwise public officers or employees aud who are representative of entities such as-
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A. literacy organizations and providers of literacy services, including nonprofit 
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providers, providers of English literacy programs and services, social service 
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organizations, and eligible providers receiving assistance under this subtitle; 
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B. businesses that have demonstrated interest in literacy programs; 
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c. literacy students, including literacy students with disabilities; 
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D. experts in the area of literacy research; 
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E. local governments; and 
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F. representatives of employee~, including representatives of labor organizations. 
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SECTION 14. Duties o/the Board. - The Board shall-
lOA. make recommendations concerning the appointment of the Director and staff of the 
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Institute; 
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B. provide independent advice on the operation of the Institute; and 
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C. receive reports from the Interagency Group and the Director. 
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SECTION 15. Appointment oj Board Members. - Each member of the Board shall be 
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appointed for a term of 3 years, except that the initial terms for members may bel, 2, or 3 years 
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in order to establish a rotation in which one-third of the members are selected each year. Any 
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such member may be appointed for not more than 2 consecutive terms. 
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Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for 
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which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that 
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term. A member may serve after the expiration of that member's term until a successor has talcen 
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office. 
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SECTION 16. Quorum. - A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a 
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quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings. Any recommendation of the Board may be 
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passed only by a majority of the Board's members present. 
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SECTION 17. Election of Officers of the Board. - The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson 
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of the Board shall be elected by the members of the Board. The term of office of the Chairperson 
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and Vice Chairperson shall be 2 years. 
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SECTION 18. Meetings. - The Board shall meet at the call of the Chairperson Of a 
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majority of the members of the Board. 
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SECTION 19. Gifts, Bequests and Devices. - The Institute may accept, administer, and 
lOuse gifts or donations of services, money, or property, whether real or personal, tangible or 
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intangible. 
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The Board shall establish written rules setting forth the criteria to be used by the Institute 
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in determining whether the acceptance of contributions of services, money, or property whether 
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real or personal, tangible or intangible, would reflect lll1favorably upon the ability of the Institute 
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or any employee to carry out the responsibilities of the Institute or employee, or official duties, in 
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a fair and objective manner, or would compromise the integrity or the appearance of the 
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integrity of the Institute's programs or any official involved in those programs. 
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SECTION 20. Report. - The Institute shall submit a report annually to the appropriate 
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committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each report submitted under this 
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section shall include-
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A. a comprehensive and detailed description of the Institute's operations, activities, 
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financial condition, and accomplishments in the field of literacy for the period 
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covered by the report; 
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B. a description of how plans for the operation of the Institute for the succeeding fiscal 
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year will facilitate achievement of the goals of the Institute and the goals of the 
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literacy programs within the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and 
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the Department of Health; and 
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C. any additional minority, or dissenting views submitted by members ofthe Board. 
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SECTION 21. Appropriations. -The amount necessary for the initial implementation of 
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this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the Department of Education under the 
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current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its full 
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implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as a distinct and 
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separate item. 
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SECTION 22. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 23. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instmction, administrative order, mle or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
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with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 24. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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pUblication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
lap11l02192009 
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