Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

fe pate 07 JUL 2%

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
1" Regular Session

House Bill No. 1517

Introduced by Representatives ERIC GO YAP and EDVIC G. YAP

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The 1987 Constitution provides that the highest budgetary priority must be given to
education in recognition of the role of the youth and the significance of education to

nation building.

Teachers are soldiers in the implementation of education. As a matter of fact, during
the COVID-19 pandemic, they also serve as front-liners in order to efficiently deliver
their lessons to their students, at the cost of their own lives. Through their actions,
we were able to bridge and fill the gaps of emergency in our educational system as
they immediately heeded the call for help of our students and their co-faculty.

Needless to say, teachers play a significant role in the feasibility of distance learning

during the height of the pandemic. We have witnessed their undying dedication as
some teachers even walked past mountains or rivers just to make sure that their
students will be able to cope with the lessons in school, From the difficulty of
facilitating this mode of learning, which is also alien to them, to fulfilling the role of
being the second parents to their students, such acts must not only be appreciated
but also incentivized. After all, itis their lives they are risking for the development of

our youth.

Henceforth, this bill seeks to grant hardship allowance to teachers assigned in

remote areas, which includes providing measures for their protection. They go


through extreme lengths for their students, and it is only appropriate that we
establish necessary measures to recognize their heroic deeds.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sfught.

HON. ERIC GO YAP HON. BPVIC G. YAP


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

TWENTIETH CONGRESS,
1" Regular Session

House Bill No. 1517

Introduced by Representatives ERIC GO YAP and EDVIC G. YAP

AN ACT
GRANTING HARDSHIP ALLOWANCE TO TEACHERS ASSIGNED IN
REMOTE AREAS AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MEASURES FOR THEIR
PROTECTION

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 “Teachers for the
Barrios Act”.

SEC.2.

(a) All teachers assigned to far-flung areas shall be entitled to a monthly
hardship allowance equivalent to double the total expenses that said
teacher will incur every month in additional public transportation from
the nearest capital town or urban center of the school where he/she is
assigned, assuming that said teacher will go back and forth to said school
daily.

(b) For this purpose, Section 19 of Republic Act 4670 “Magna Carta for Public
School Teachers” is hereby amended to include teachers assigned to
far-flung areas or barrios as recipients of such hardship allowance.

SEC. 3. In the event teachers assigned to far-flung areas would need to stay in
a temporary house in the locality where they are teaching, the Barangay Captain of
the said locality is hereby mandated to secure a suitable and safe housing for said
teachers.

SEC. 4. The Department of Education (DepEd), in collaboration with the
Department of Interior and Local Government, shall issue the implementing rules
and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.


SEC. 5. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be
included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into
law and thereafter.

SEC. 6. All laws, orders, issuance rules and regulations or parts thereof
inconsistent with any provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or
amended accordingly.

SEC. 7. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,