Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT  
TO PROVIDE FOR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA 
RESOURCES, TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENT, TRAINING, AND IMPROVEMENT 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This measure is proposed in recognition of the constitutional mandate of the State to protect and 
promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels. Consistent with this mandate, 
the State must take appropriate steps to make quality education accessible to all.  
This measure seeks to establish library media programs for public elementary and secondary 
schools which shall award grants for the acquisition of school library media resources for the use 
of students, library media specialists, and teachers. This measure likewise provides for the 
conduct of instructional innovation programs through partnerships between library media 
specialists and educators to develop units of instruction that will enable elementary and secondary 
school students to use a variety of information resources and expand student's information-
gathering abilities and cognitive skills of selection, analysis, evaluation, and application. 
This proposal would not only improve students’ access to library resources but would also better 
equip both students and educators, especially from rural areas, to better adapt to digital 
advancements in learning delivery.  
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the 
Filipino people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
September 9, 2022
4:04 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT  
TO PROVIDE FOR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA 
RESOURCES, TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENT, TRAINING, AND IMPROVEMENT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the " Public School Library Media Services 
Act."  
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is a policy of the State to 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. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the term: 
A. "Director" means the Director of the Division of Public School Library Media Services
established under this Act;
B. "Local Educational Agency" refers to a public board of education or other public authority
legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to
perform a service function for a public elementary or secondary school in a province, city,
or municipality;
C. "National Educational Agency" refers to the officer or agency primarily responsible for the
national supervision of public elementary and secondary schools;
D. "Secretary" refers to the Secretary of Education;
E. "Division of Public-School Library Media Services" refers to the Division established for this
Act under the Department of Education;
SEC. 4. Establishment and Functions of the Division of Public School Library Media 
Services.  
A. Division. – There is established within the Department of Education, a Division of Public
School Library Media Services, to be administered by a Director of such Division.
B. Functions. – The Division of Public School Library Media Services shall:
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1. Provide information and leadership to elementary and secondary, library media 
specialists, teachers, and school administrators to encourage the 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 
2. 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. 
SEC. 5. Public School Library Media Program. –  
A. Establishment of the Public School Library Media Resource Development Program. – The 
Director shall award grants from all allocations to provinces for the acquisition of school 
library media resources for the use of students, library media specialists, and teachers in 
public elementary and secondary schools. 
B. Allocation to Provinces. – From the amount appropriated in each fiscal year, the Director 
shall allocate to each province having an approved plan an amount which bears the same 
relationships to such funds as the amount such province received for educational 
purposes. 
C. Provincial Plans. – For a province to receive an allocation of funds under paragraph (B) 
for any fiscal year such province shall have in effect for such fiscal year a provincial plan. 
Such plan shall— 
 
1. Designate the national educational agency as the agency responsible for the 
administration and supervision of the program described in this section; and 
2. Set forth a program under which funds paid to the province from its allocation under 
paragraph (B) will be expended solely for- 
 
a. 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 
b. 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 shall not exceed five per 
centum (5%) of the amount allocated to the such province under paragraph (B), 
for the such fiscal year; and 
c. Set forth criteria to be used in allotting funds for school library media resources 
among the local educational agencies or the province, which allotment shall take 
into consideration the relative needs of the students, school media specialists and 
teachers to be served. 
 
D. Distribution of Allocation to Local Educational Agencies. –  
 
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 local educational agencies 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 local educational agencies that have the greatest 
number or percentages of students whose education imposes a higher than average 
cost per child, such as those students – 
 
a. Living in areas with high concentrations of low-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 based on the total number of students enrolled in 
public schools in the province. 
SEC. 6. Establishment of the School Library Media Specialist and Teacher Partnerships 
for Instructional Innovation Program. – The Director shall award grants to projects that – 
A. Encourage collaboration between public elementary and secondary school library media 
specialists and teachers to develop units of instruction that enable elementary and 
secondary school students to use a variety of information resources; and 
B. Expand students’ information-gathering abilities and cognitive skills of selection, analysis, 
evaluation, and application. 
SEC. 7. Establishment of the Use of Technology in the Classroom Program. – 
A. In General. – The Director shall award grants to encourage elementary and secondary 
school library media specialists and teacher programs assigned to – 
 
1. Expand the use of computers and computer networks in the curriculum; and 
2. Enable elementary and secondary school library media centers to access information 
from computerized databases. 
 
B. Operative Agreements. – The Director may enter into cooperative agreements with 
appropriate non-profit agencies and organizations in carrying out this Section. 
SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Secretary shall promulgate the 
necessary rules and regulations to assure the smooth and efficient implementation of the 
provisions of this Act.  
SEC. 9. Construction. – Nothing in this Act shall be construed to interfere with State and local 
initiative and responsibility in the conduct and support of school library media services, the 
administration of school library media centers, or the selection of personnel or library books and 
materials.  
SEC. 10. Supplementation. – Funds provided under this Act shall be used to supplement and 
not supplant other national or local funds available to carry out the activities and services assisted 
under this Act.  
SEC. 11. Appropriations. – To carry out the provisions of this Act, such sum as may be 
necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, the 


sum necessary for the continuous operation of the program shall be included in the annual 
appropriation of the Department of Education.  
SEC. 12. Separability Clause. – Should any provision of this Act be declared invalid or 
unconstitutional, the validity or constitutionality of the other provisions shall not be affected 
thereby. 
SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations, and 
other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.  
SEC. 14. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least 
two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,