j, ett u t\' 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
(l!}Htrr ~,f j~lJ: ~I'crl"'f.'lr~ 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'13 
nCT -3 P5 :23 
SENATE 
S. No. 1784 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANA TORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 14, Section 1, provides that the State shall protect and promote 
the right of all the citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to 
make such education accessible to all. 
In order to prepare our nation's youth for the challenges of the future, as well as to keep 
our nation competitive in a global economy, every public elementary and secondary school in the 
Philippines should be equipped with the best and most up-to-date library resources, certified 
library media specialists, access to advanced technology, and instruction on the use oflibrary and 
information resources. 
To comply with the constitutional mandate and to meet the challenges in education, this 
bill proposes to establish an Office of School Library Media Services that will provide 
information and leadership to school library media programs and personnel nationwide.' 
~\.. 4~ . 
.4.v-. .n~~ 
ptIf' MIRIAM DEl'GNSOR S'l~f'hIruv 
• This bill was originally filed during the Thirteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 
1 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S. No. 1784 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
§;" n "P' • I' 
... ~" 
,,~41, ,. 
(~Ih;' "f t~\· ;;,,,,, ,b,U 
'13 
OCT -3 P5 :23 
1 
AN ACT 
2 
TO PROVIDE FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA RESOURCES, TECHNOLOGY 
3 
ENHANCEMENT, TRAINING, AND IMPROVEMENT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
. 
. 
4 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "School Library Media 
5 
Services Act." 
6 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is a policy of the State to protect and promote the 
7 
right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such 
8 
education accessible to all. 
9 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. -As used in this Act, the term: 
10 
(A) 
"Director" means the Director of the Office of School Library Media Services 
11 
established under this Act; and 
12 
(B) 
"Secretary" refers to the Secretary of Education. 
13 
SECTION 4. Establishment and Functions of the Office of School Library Media 
14 
Services. -
15 
(A) 
Establishment. - There is established within the Department of Education an 
16 
Office of School Library Media Services, to be administered by a Director. 
17 
(B) 
Functions. - The Office of School Library Media Services shall -
18 
(1) 
Provide information and leadership to elementary and secondary school library 
19 
media specialists, teachers, and school administrators in order to encourage 
1 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
(2) 
improvement of educational programs, train library personnel, use advanced 
technology, and develop library resources, including resources that will encourage 
students to acquire skills in other languages; and 
Monitor and administer the grant programs for elementary and secondary school 
library media center resource development; elementary and secondary school 
library media specialist and teacher partnership grants for innovative education; 
and grants for uses of technology in the classroom that are linked to the library 
media center. 
SECTION 5. Elementary and Secondary School Library Media Program.-
(A) 
Establishment of the Elementary and Secondary School Library Media Resource 
11 
Development Program. - The Director shall award grants to provinces for the acquisition of 
12 
school library media resources for the use of students, library media specialists, and teachers in 
13 
public elementary and secondary schools. 
14 
(B) 
Allocation to Provinces. - From the amount appropriated in each fiscal year, the 
15 
Director shall allocate to each province having an approved plan an amount which bears the 
16 
same relationships to such funds as the amount such province received for educational purposes. . 
17 
(C) 
Provincial Plans. - In order for a province to receive an allocation of funds under 
18 
paragraph (B) for any fiscal year, such province shall have in effect for such fiscal year a 
19 
provincial plan. Such plan shall set forth a program under which funds paid to the province from 
20 
its allocation under paragraph (B) shall be expended solely for -
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
(\) 
(2) 
Acquisition of school library media resources, including foreign language 
resources, for the use of students, school library media specialists and 
teachers in elementary and secondary schools; and 
Administration of the provincial plan, including development and revision 
of standards relating to school library media resources, except that the 
amount used for administration of the provincial plan in any fiscal year 
2 


1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
(D) 
shall not exceed five per centum (5%) of the amount allocated to such 
province under paragraph (B) for such fiscal year; and 
(3) 
Set forth criteria to be used in allotting funds for school library media 
resources among the elementary and secondary schools in the province, 
which allotment shall take into consideration the relative need of the 
students, school media specialists, and teachers to be served. 
Distribution of Allocation to Elementary and Secondary Schools. -
(1) 
Distribution Rule. - From the funds allocated to a province under 
paragraph (B) in each fiscal year, such province shall distribute not less 
than ninety-five per centum (95%) of such funds in such fiscal year to 
elementary and secondary schools within such province according to the 
relative enrollment of students in public elementary and secondary schools 
within the school districts of such province, adjusted to provide higher per 
pupil allotments to schools that have the greatest number or percentages of 
students whose education imposes a higher than average costs per child, 
such as those students -
(a) 
Living in areas with high concentratiqns oflow-income families; 
(b) 
From low-income families; and 
(c) 
Living in sparsely populated areas. 
(2) 
Calculation of Enrollment. - The calculation of relative enrollments under 
subparagraph (1) shall be made on the basis of the total number of 
students enrolled in public schools in the province. 
23 
SECTION 6. Establishment of the School Library Media Specialist and Teacher 
24 
Partnerships for Instructional Innovation Program. - The Director shall award grants to projects 
25 
that -
3 


1 
(A) 
Encourage collaboration between public elementary and secondary school library 
2 
media specialists and teachers in order to develop units of instruction that enable elementary and 
3 
secondary school students to use a variety of information resources; and 
4 
(B) 
Expand student's information-gathering abilities and cognitive skills of selection, 
5 
analysis, evaluation, and application. 
6 
SECTION 7. Establishment of the Use of Technology in the Classroom Program. -
7 
(A) 
In General. - The Director shall award grants to encourage collaborative 
8 
elementary and secondary school library media specialist and teacher program assigned to -
9 
(1) 
Expand the use of computers and computer networks in the curriculum; 
10 
and 
11 
(2) 
Enable elementary and secondary school library media centers to access 
12 
information from computerized databases. 
13 
(B) 
Operative Agreement~. - The Director may enter into cooperative agreements with 
14 
appropriate non-profit agencies and organizations in carrying out this Section. 
15 
SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary shall promulgate the 
16 
necessary rules and regulations to assure the smooth and efficient implementation of the 
17 
provisions of this Act. 
--
18 
SECTION 9. Construction. - Nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with 
--
--
19 
national and local initiative and responsibility in the conduct and support of school library media 
c 
~ 
• 
20 
services, the administration of school library media centers, or the selection of personnel or 
21 
library books and materials. 
22 
SECTION 10. Supplementation. - Funds provided under this Act shall be used so as to 
23 
supplement and not supplant other national or local funds available to carry out the activities and 
24 
services assisted under this Act. 
4 


1 
SECTION 11. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such sum as may 
2 
be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, the 
3 
sum necessary for the continuous operation of the program shall be included in the annual 
4 
appropriation of the Department of Education. 
5 
SECTION 12. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part thereof is held invalid or 
6 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
7 
valid and subsisting. 
8 
SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
9 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
10 
with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
11 
SECTION 14. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
12 
publication in at least two (2) newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved, 
5