THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF “3 REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPDES 
) 
THlRD REGULAR SESSION 
) 
S E N A T E  
p “/ 
F ’ D  
S.B. No. 
%..L 
~ 
Introduced by SENATOR LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Special schools and private academic institutions, both elementary and secondary, 
in which children of wealthy families study, undeniably provide the best quality of 
education available in the land. 
In fact, statistics shows that graduates of these institutions normally meet the 
admission requirements imposed by respected universities, obtain their undergraduate 
degrees with honors and end up as successfil career individuals. 
Further, and perhaps more relevantly, these children, given the wide range of 
academic and non-academic opportunities given them, are more secure, healthy and 
confident individuals than their counterparts from ordinary public schools or institutions 
of academic learning. 
There is a need to provide exceptionally brilliant or gifted students from poor 
families the same educational opportunities, which children from wealthier families have. 
Albeit special schools already offer existing scholarship programs to indigent students, 
these are usually sporadic and not institutionalized. 
The proposed measure seeks to provide educational opportunities for 
disadvantaged children by giving them the same choices among all elementary and 
secondary schools and other academic programs availed of by those of well-to-do 
families. Hopefilly, through this bill, these children shall end up as more productive and 
critical individuals than what they normally become under the present educational set up. 
Immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUISA 6 6 ~ o ~ 9 9  
4 EJERCITO ESTRADA 
Senator 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUSLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
THlRD REGULAR SESSION 
) 
S E N A T E  
Introduced by SENATOR LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISADVANTAGED 
CHILDREPI, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and Home of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the “Excellence through 
Choice to Elevate Learning Act.” 
SECTION 2. Purposes - The purposes of this Act are to-- 
give children from low-income families the same choices among all 
elementary and secondary schools and other academic programs as children 
from wealthier families already have; 
improve schools and other academic programs by giving parents in low- 
income families increased consumer power to choose the schools and 
programs that the parents determine best fit the needs of their children; and 
more klly engage parents in their children’s schooling; and 
gives parents in low-income families -- choice among public, private, and 
religious schools for their children; and 
access to the same academic 
options as parents in wealthy families have for their children. 
SECTION. 3. Program Authority - The Department of Education (hereinafter 
referred to as “department”) shall carry out educational choice programs that provide 


scholarships, in accordance with this Act, to five (5) deserving students from poor 
families per region of the country, to any private elementary or high school chosen by 
such students or their parents, provided that such students shall meet the requirements for 
admission in said school or institution. 
For purposes of this Act, the term “poor families” means families whose 
aggregate income per year is not more than P40,OOO.OO. 
SECTION 4. Scholarships - 
(a) 
INGENEXAL- 
(1) SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS- 
The department shall provide 
scholarships to the parents of eligible children, in accordance with 
subsections (b). The department shall ensure that the scholarships may 
be redeemed for elementary or secondary education for the children at 
any of a broad variety of public and private schools, including 
religious schools, in the country. 
(2) SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT- The amount of each scholarship shall 
be not less than P50,OOO.OO or equivalent to expenditure 
requirements set forth in a school of choice per year. 
Each 
selected student shall also be entitled to a stipend of P1,OOO.OO per 
month. 
* 
(3) TAX EXEMPTION- Scholarships awarded under this Act shall not 
be considered income of the parents for income tax purposes or 
for determining eligibility for any other program. 
(b) ELIGIBLE CHILDREN- To be eligible to receive a scholarship under this 
Act, a child shall be selected from a list of aspirants recommended or 
endorsed by the school such child is currently enrolled in. The Department 
shall come up with selection standards or criteria which include among 
others series of examinations and interviews. 


SECTION 5 .  Continuing Eligibiliq - The department shall shall provide a 
scholarship in each year of the program to each child who received a scholarship during 
the previous year of the program, unless-- 
(a) 
(b) 
(c) 
the child no longer attends school; 
the child's family income exceeds, by 50% percent or more; or 
the child is expelled for failure to meet the educational requirements 
imposed by the school or institution or convicted of a felony, including 
felonious drug possession, possession of a weapon on school grounds, or a 
violent act against an other student or a member of the school's faculty. 
SECTION 6. Uses of Funds - Any scholarship awarded under this Act for a year 
shall be used- 
first, for- 
(a) 
the payment of tuition and fees at the school selected by the parents of 
the child for whom the scholarship was provided; and 
(b) the reasonable costs of the child's transportation to the school, if the 
school is not the school to which the child would be assigned in the 
absence of a program under this Act; and 
for educational programs that help the eligible child achieve high levels of 
academic excellence in the school attended by the eligible child, if the 
eligible child chooses to attend a public school. 
SECTION 7. Funding Requirements - There shall be authorized to be 
appropriated, from resources allocated to the department, such sums as may be necessary 
to implement the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 8. Separability clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid 
or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law of the provision not otherwise affected shall 
remain valid and subsisting. 


SECTION 9 Repealing clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, 
or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
. 
SECTION 10. Effectivity clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,