FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article I1 provides: 
Section 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and 
technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism, nationalism, accelerate 
social progress, and promote total human liberation and development. 
The Administrative Code, P.D. No. 442, a.1c.a. the “Labor Code of the Philippines,” and 
R.A. No. 8187, a.k.a. “Paternity Leave Act of 1996,” provide for instances when an employee 
can officially take a leave of absence with pay. 
This bill seeks to allow employees to take a limited leave to participate in the academic 
school activities of their children or to participate in literacy training. This is in recognition of 
the fact that parents play a very important role in the advancement of their children’s education.* 
’ This hill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
First Regular Session 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
SENATE 
S.B.No. 1279 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO TAKE SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT LEAVE 
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL ACTIVITIES 
OF THEIR CHILDREN OR TO PARTICIPATE IN LITERACY TRAINING 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives ojthe Philippines in Congress 
assem bled: 
SECTION 1. SJiort Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Time for Schools Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to give priority to 
education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to promote total human liberation and 
development. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Tevms. -For purposes of this Act, the term: 
(A) “Family literacy program” means a program of services that are of sufficient 
intensity in terms of hours, and of sufficient duration, to make sustainable changes in 
a family and that integrate all of the following activities: 
(1) Interactive literacy activities between parents and their sons and daughters; 
(2) Training for parents on how to be the primary teacher for their sons and 
daughters and full partners in the education of their sons and daughters; 
(3) Parent literacy training; and 
(4) An age-appropriate education program for sons and daughters. 
(B) “Literacy”’ used with respect to an individual, means the ability of the individual to 
speak, read, and write English, and complete and solve problems, at levels of 
proficiency necessary - 
(1) To function on the job, in the family of the individual, and in society; 
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(2) To achieve the goals of the individual; and 
(3) To develop the knowledge potential of the individual. 
(C) “School” means an elementary school or secondary school, and a child care facility 
operated by a provider who meets the applicable State or local government licensing, 
certification, approval, or registration requirements, if any. 
SECTION 4. Entitlement to School Leave. - 
(A) In Geneval. - An eligible employee shall be entitled to a total of twenty-four (24) 
hours of leave during any twelve (12)-month period to participate in an academic activity of a 
school of a son or daughter of the employee, such as a parent-teacher conference or an interview 
for a school, or to participate in literacy training under a family literacy program. 
(B) Notice. - In any case in which the necessity for leave is foreseeable, the employee 
shall provide the employing agency with not less than seven (7) days’ notice, before the date of 
leave is to take effect, of the employee’s intention to take leave. If the necessity for the leave is 
not foreseeable, the employee shall provide such notice as is practicable. 
SECTION 5. Penalties. - Any person, corporation, trust, firm, partnership, association or 
entity found violating this Act or the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this Act shall 
be punished by a fine not exceeding Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (P25,OOO.OO) or imprisonment 
of not less than thirty (30) days or more than six (6) months. 
If the violation is committed by a corporation, trust or firm, partnership, association or 
any other entity, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on the entity’s responsible 
officers, including, but not limited to, the president, vice-president, chief executive officer, 
general manager, managing director or partner directly responsible for the same. 
SECTION 6. Nun-Diminution Clause. -Nothing in this Act shall be construed to reduce 
any existing benefits of any form granted under existing laws, decrees, executive orders, or any 
contract, agreement or policy between employer and employee. 
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SECTION 7. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instniction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent 
with, the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fiiteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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