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SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.B.NO.~17 
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Introduced by SENATOR FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. 
Explanatory Note 
The Constitution mandates that the State shall protect and promote 
the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels. and shall take 
appropriate steps to make such quality education accessible to all, and 
shall also establish. maintain. and support a complete. adequate. and 
integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and 
society. (Sections 1 and 2, Article XIV, 1987 Constitution) 
Likewise. the national policy expressed in Republic Act No. 9155 
that, "Schools shall have a single aim of providing the best possible basic 
education for all learners" (Section 2, R.A. No. 9155), cannot be 
understated. The Act further appropriately defines "quality education" as. 
"the appropriateness. relevance and excellence of the education given 
to meet the needs and aspirations of an individual and society." (Section 
4 (k), R.A. No. 9155) 
Pursuant to the constitutional and statutory mandates. the 
government should continuously improve and develop the quality of 
existing school systems in the country as to make them not only always 
attuned to the ever-rising global standards in the field of education, but 
also appropriate. relevan!. and always excellent to meet the needs of the 
students. 
However. 
this 
notwithstanding. the government should 
also 
acknOWledge and address the obvious differences' in the relative 
competencies of the students in the country. It cannot be disputed that in 
every competitive setting. whether in work. school. or play. there will 
always be some who distinctly stand out and perform better than the rest. 
This is all the more true in the school setting. 
Thus. the government should adopt measures to address the prolific 
aptitude and satiate the high educational demands of the best-
performing students in the country. The best-performing students need 
and deserve no less than the best of what our educational institutions 
have to offer. This proposed bill proposes to require government to train its 
sights on. and pour its resources more into. the best-performing public 
schools in country. and ultimately upgrade and develop them to become 
schools with specialized. high-level and first-class methods of instruction, 
equipment and facilities. 


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In identifying the best-performing schools in the country, data from 
the National Educational Testing and Research Center (NETRC) of the 
Department of Education (DepEd) may be credibly relied upon, The 
NETRC annually evaluates and assesses the overall performance' of the 
students in their respective schools in the country. Aside from measuring 
the students' individual aptitudes, the Center also is able to cull from these 
individual results the respective schools' overall performance, through 
their Mean Percentage Scores (MPS) or, simply, the Achievement Rate. 
Considering budgetary constraints, the government can prudently 
start the maiden school development program on a regional basis. 
Through data from the NETRC, the DepEd can already select and prioritize 
the worthy schools to be covered by this proposed bill by selecting the 
top-ranking school in each region, 
For the same reason, the best students should likewise have access 
to best libraries, Hence, as a coordinate measure after identifying the 
schools to be developed, the existing public libraries, in this case the 
"Library Hubs", which are being operated and managed by the DepEd, 
that are nearest and most physically and economically accessible to 
these schools by public transportation shall likewise be developed and 
upgraded into first-class public libraries. 
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By the passage of this bill, the State will not only begin to address 
the special and high demands of the best students in the country, in the 
short term; it will also gradually improve and upgrade the over-all quality 
of the public school system and libraries in the country in the long term. 
In view of thereof, the passage of this bill is earnestly requested. 
FERDINAND . MARCOS, JR 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
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SENATE BILL No.117 
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Introduced by Senator fERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL fiRST-CLASS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 
OF PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS 
AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND APPROPRIATING fUNDS THEREfOR, 
AND fOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of 
the Philippines in Congress Assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Tifle. - This Act shall be known as the "First-Class 
Public Schools and Libraries Act of 20 13. n 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The quality of education in the 
country shall be constantly upgraded. In the case of public schools, their 
educational systems and facilities and public libraries shall developed and 
upgraded regularly in order to be at par with global standards, and 
appropriate, relevant. and always responsive to the needs of the students. 
However, consistent also with the policy to meet the relative needs 
and aspirations of the students, the State shall convert best-performing 
public elementary and high schools into first-class educational institutions. 
In determining the model schools for the first-class development program, 
the achievement rate of the public schools shall primarily be considered. 
SECTION 3. National School Development Program. - Consistent 
with its statutory mandate, objectives, and functions, the Department of 
Education (DepEd) shall pursue a continuing development program of 
the school system of the country as to make it globally competitive, 
consistent with the rising global standards of education and the 
advancements in technology. 
SECTION 4. First-Class Public School Development Program. - There 
shall also be a first-class public school development program, whereby 
the best-performing public elementary and secondary school of each 
region of the country shall be upgraded and converted into first-class 
schools, with the best and most advanced methods of instruction, 
equipment and facilities. 


In the determination and selection of the model school for every . 
region to be made beneficiary of the regional first-class school 
development program, the average Mean Percentage Scores (MPS) or 
the "Achievement Rates" of the schools for the past five (5) years from 
effectivity of this Act, as computed by the National Educational Testing 
and Research Center (NETRC) of the DepEd, shall be exclusively used and 
considered as basis thereof. 
The development program shall address all crucial factors for 
overall improvement of the model schools, such as, but not limited to, 
curriculum development, curriculum delivery, methods of instructions, 
materials, equipment and facilities, values and ethics, sports and extra-
curricular activities development library, school management, teacher-
training and faculty development, school environment, parental and 
community involvement, public accountability, and such other criteria as 
may be agreed upon by the First-Class Public School Development 
Committee. 
SECTION 5. First-Class Public School Development Committee. - The 
DepEd is hereby mandated to form and convene a First-Class Public 
School Development Committee that shall undertake the following duties: 
1) Implement, manage, and administer the Program; 
2) Prepare a comprehensive and detailed plan for the overall 
I improvement and upgrading of the model schools into first-class 
public school; 
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3j Quality control over the procurement of materials and 
equipment, 
construction, 
and 
faculty 
and 
personnel 
employment of the first-class schools; 
4) Exercise control and supervision over the administrators, faculty, 
and non-teaching staff of the first-class schools; 
5) MOl)itor and evaluate the performance and consistency of the 
first-class. 
The Committee shall be composed of the following': the Secretary 
of Education, as the ex officio Chairman; one (1) representative each 
from the University of the Philippines-Integrated School, Ateneo de Manila 
University, De La Salle University-Greenhills, and University of Santo Tomas; 
and the Director of the National Library. 
SECTION 6. Development of the Nearest Library Hubs. - The DepEd 
Library Hub nearest and most physically and economically accessible by 
public transportation to the model school for every region shall also be 
simultaneously upgraded and converted into first-class public libraries, 
with the best and most advanced materials, equipment and facilities. 


SECTION 7. Time Frame. - The DepEd shall immediately commence 
the first-class school and library development and shall accomplish and 
complete the same within five (5) years from effectivity of this Act. 
Thereafter, the Committee is mandated to manage and maintain the 
model schools and libraries in the best shape and first-class condition, as 
provided in Section 5 hereof. 
SECTION 8. Continuing First-Class Development Program. - As far as 
practicable, the DepEd, through the Committee, may expand the 
program to cover other best-performing public schools in each region, in 
accordance with the provisions of this Act and its implementing rules and 
regulations. 
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SECTION 9. Funding Sources. - Sources of funding or appropriations 
for this Act shall include the following: 
a) 
Yearly appropriations of no less than One Hundred Million 
Pesos (PhP 1 00,000,000.00) in the General Appropriations Act; 
b) 
Yearly contribution in the amount of five percent (5%) of the 
annual revenue of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming 
Corporation (PAGCOR); 
c) 
Yearly contribution in the amount of five percent (5%) of the 
annual revenue of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office 
(PCSO); 
d) 
Gratuitous financial assistance and donations from legitimate 
sources from the private sector and from government 
corporations, which shall be exempt from the donor's tax and 
the same shall be considered as allowable deductions from 
the gross income of the donor, in accordance with the 
provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as 
amended: Provided, That the allowable deductions shall be 
equivalent to one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the value of 
such donation; and 
e) 
Other government funds not otherwise appropriated. 
SECTION 10. First-Class Schools Trust Fund. - The DepEd, through the 
Committee, shall put into and manage a First-Class Schools Trust Fund all 
of the funds and monies collected from all the authorized funding sources 
under this Act. which Fund shall exclusively be used to finance the 
purposes and objectives of this Act. 
SECTION 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within six (6) 
months from effectivity of this Act, the DepEd shall promulgate the 
necessary rules and regulations for its proper implementation. 
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SECTION 12. Separability Clause. - The provIsions of this Act are 
hereby declared to be separable and if any clause, sentence, provision 
or section of this Act or its application thereof to any person or 
circumstance should, for any reason, be held invalid or unconstitutional, 
such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect the other provisions or 
application of this Act which can be given force and effect. 
SECTION 13. 
Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, charters, 
executive 
orders, 
administrative 
orders, 
proclamations, 
rules 
and 
regulations, or parts thereof insofar as they are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SECTION 14. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after completion of publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper 
of general circulation. 
Approved,