• 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
': • i ,r 
; t ,r ~ 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
, 
SENATE 
S. No. 1891 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Aliicle 14, Sections 1 and 2, para. 1 provides: 
SEC. 1. 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 
education accessible to all. 
SEC. 2:The State shall: 
(l) Establish, maintain, and suppOli a complete, adequate, and integrated 
system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society. 
The government of the United States has already recognized the imporlance of improving 
the quality of education in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 
There were numerous American studies showing that STEM-related innovations have increased 
more than half of the country's economic growth over the past half century. 
President Barack Obama has established the goal for the United States to have the 
highest propoltion of college graduates in the world by 2020, which will require the Federal 
• 
Government to work· with education partners to improve the quality of STEM education at all 
levels to help increase the number of well-prepared graduates with STEM degrees by one-third 
over the next 10 years, resulting in an additional one million graduates with STEM degrees. l 
Moreover, President Obama has calIed for recruiting more teachers and mentors in the 
STEM fields to better engage students, particularly young women and minorities, and encourage 
them to pursue degrees and careers in the STEM fields so the United States can maintain its 
competitiveness in (he global economy.2 
I http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkglBlLLS-113hr2587ih/pdf/BlLLS-l13hr2587ih.pdf. 
2Id. 
1 


The number of STEM-related jobs reportedly grew three times as fast as non-STEM-
related jobs in the Un\ted States dU,ring the past 10 years and is forecast to grow twice as fast 
over the next decade, 3 
I-Ience, with the help of the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Education, 
this bill seeks to provide some of the country's government agencies and employees with 
opportunities to support science, technology, engineering, and matbematics activities in 
elementary and secondary schools. It would be very beneficial for the students to start early in 
focusing on these very important subjects. 
~
-
4 
~ · 
, '.. 
~ 
f 
'\.. 
" 
.,.4rv---
. Vi 
. MIRIAM DEF~SOR S NT~ 
,tJI% 
• 
3Id. 
2 


, 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
) 
) 
First Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.No. 1891 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
1 
AN ACT 
2 
PROVIDING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND EMPLOYEES WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO 
3 
SUPPORT SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) 
, 
4 
ACTIVITIES IN CLASSROOMS 
• 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
5 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Planting STEM in the 
6 
Classroom Act." 
7 
SECTION 2. Providing Volunteer Opportunities for Government Employees Engaged In 
8 
STEM Activities. - The Civil Service Commission, in consultation with the Department of 
9 
Education, shall develop a policy to: 
10 
(I) 
increase volunteerism in STEM education activities by encouraging government 
111 
employees engaged in STEM activities, including scientists, engineers, and cybersecurity 
12 
specialists engaged in non-military activities, from government agencies and the government-
13 
funded research and development centers suppOlted by those agencies, to volunteer in STEM 
14 
education activities in elementary and secondary schools by providing administrative leave and 
• 
15 
support for such employee·s to engage ill such volunteerism; and 
16 
(2) 
support increased communication and partnerships between scientists and 
17 
engineers from government science agencies conducting non-military scientific research and 
18 
development, including 'scientists and engineers of the government-funded research and 
19 
development centers supported by those agencies, and elementary and secondary schools and 
20 
teachers through volunteerism in STEM education activities. 
• 
1 


1 
SECTION 3. Outreach to Underrepresented Communities. - Each government science 
2 
agency shall report to Congress the approaches that it yvill take to conduct outreach designed to 
3 
promote widespread public understanding of career opportunities in the STEM fields specific to 
4 
the workforce needs of that agency, including outreach to women, indigenous peoples, and 
. 5 
students from groups underrepresented in STEM fields. 
6 
SECTION 4. Annual Report. - Not later than 1 June 2014, and annually thereafter, the 
7 
Secretary of Education shall transmit a repoti to Congress detailing: 
8 
0) 
the number of volunteers and volunteer hours resulting from this Act; 
, 
9
1 
(2) 
the number of schools, teachers, and students engaged thereby; and 
10· 
(3) 
the methods of outreach used under this Act to serve underrepresented 
11 
communities. 
12 
SECTION 5. 'sepa;'ability Clause. - If any pro~ision or pmi thereof is held invalid or 
13 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
14 
valid and subsisting. 
15 
SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
• 16 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
, 
17 
with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
18 
SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
19 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
lildp 
2