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Republic of the Philippines (> RECEIVED %
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES © ovre, 01 JUL 2013

Batasan Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS,
First Regular Session

7 9
House Bill No. ©

Introduced by
ACT TEACHERS Party-List Representative Antonio L. Tinio

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Public school teachers are among the lowest paid professionals in our society. In spite of
this, they are often forced to pay for everyday classroom supplies out of their own pockets.

Traditionally, the government provides classroom teachers with an annual allowance for
classroom supplies, popularly known as a “chalk allowance.” In the Department of
Education budget for 2011, this cash allowance amounted to P700 per teacher per school
year, or P3.50 per school day (given 203 school days for SY 2010-2011). Beginning 2012, this
allowance was raised to P1,000 per teacher per school year, or P4.98 per school day (given
an average of 201 school days since SY 2011-2012). Such a meager amount is not enough to
cover the costs not only of chalk, but also of other supplies such as erasers, pens, pencils,
notebooks, class records, manila paper, cartolina, bond paper, art paper, and others, that
are essential for the daily functioning of teaching and learning in the classroom. With the
imposition of the insufficiently funded K to 12 Program, schools were not given enough
number of copies of teachers’ guides and learners’ materials to be used in the grade levels
adopting the new curriculum (Kindergarten and Grades 1 and 7 in SY 2011-2012 and Grades
2 and 8 in SY 2012-2013).

Hence, teachers must draw from their own finances to pay for these materials which, in the
first place, should be provided by the government.

This bill proposes to increase the annual allowance for classroom supplies from P1,000 to
2,000 (or P9.85 per day), thereby relieving teachers of this onerous financial burden.

Immediate approval of this bill is therefore sought.

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ANTONIO L. TINIO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

OnL
House Bill No.

Introduced by
ACT TEACHERS Party-List Representative Antonio L. Tinio

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A TEACHING SUPPLIES ALLOWANCE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known and cited as the “Teaching Supplies Allowance
Act of 2013.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. \t is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to
promote and improve the economic status of teachers and assist them in providing quality
education to their students.

SECTION 3. Teaching Supplies Allowance. The cash allowance to teachers for the purchase
of chalks, erasers, forms, and other classroom supplies and materials as provided in the
annual appropriations for the Department of Education shall henceforth be known as the
Teaching Supplies Allowance. The amount provided shall be increased from One Thousand
Pesos (P1,000.00) to Two Thousand Pesos (P2,000.00) per teacher per school year. Said
allowance shall be paid only to classroom teachers.

SECTION 4, Periodic Review for Increases. The Secretary of Education is hereby mandated
to conduct a periodic review of the Teaching Supplies Allowance, taking into account the
current prices of classroom supplies, and, if warranted, recommend the necessary increase
in the amount of the allowance. The amount required to cover the increase shall be
included in the Department's budget proposal for the next fiscal year.

SECTION 5. Appropriations. Such sums as may be necessary for the implementation of this
Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 6. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or one (1) newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,