Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
. . ,. 
~-· <1 0 '/ 
House Bill No. 10 -" a • 
Introduced by Representatives 
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS TO RETAIN HIGHLY 
QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES1 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article 2, Section 17, of the Constitution states: 
"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." 
Brain drain is a common phenomenon over the last several decades. It 
involves many of our teachers who go abroad to seek greener pastures. As a 
result, we continue to lose teachers in our schools and unnecessarily increase 
the burden of teaching the ever growing number of our students to the teachers 
that actually stay. 
However, this phenomenon does not only occur from our 
country to overseas. It is also happening from our rural schools to urban cities. 
Substandard facilities and even more substandard communities make for 
additional burdens to our teachers who teach in rural areas. 
Many of our teachers find it really hard to realistically make a career 
teaching in these communities much less thrive in them. As such there is little 
incentive for the highly qualified teachers t6 go and stay in rural schools. As 
1 This is a counterpart measure to S.B. No. 1635 which the Hon. Miriam Oefensot-Santiago filed during the First Regular 
Session of the present 15th Congress. 


legislators, we must acknowledge the higher level of challenge presented in 
those areas and provide better incentives to highly qualified teachers. It is not 
only our duty to provide education to our children in those areas. but also to 
provide high quality education, that they may be able to develop into good 
citizens that will help their communities and our country. 
Initially, we need to establish an incentive program that will entice our 
highly qualified teachers to stay. A competitive program of grants to qualified 
provinces will not only motivate the provinces to develop their programs for the 
rural community but likewise allow us to focus the limited resources to the 
provinces that is in the position to make use of the funds best. 
This bill seeks to establish a program that will provide financial assistance 
to qualified provinces in order to create an incentive system for highly qualified 
teachers who shall commit to stay and teach for at least three years. 
In view of the foregoing, we therefore enjoin our colleagues to ensure the 
immediate passage of this bill into law. 
OIOSOAOO ~AL ARROYO 
Second District, Camarines Sur 
GLO~ACAPAGALARROYO 
Second District, Pampanga 
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session 
Introduced by Representatives 
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS TO RETAIN HIGHLY 
QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Rural Teacher 
Retention Act of 2012." 
SECTION 2. Definition. - For purposes of this Act, the following terms 
shall mean: 
A. "Child with a disability" means a minor who has a physical, mental or 
medical 
impairment 
resulting 
from 
anatomical, 
physiological, 
or 
neurological conditions that prevent the exercise of a normal bodily 
function or that substantially impair cognitive function, and include but is 
not limited to, impairments requiring the use of an artificial device to move, 
walk, see, hear or breathe, such as a wheelchair, braces, crutches, 
respirator, or other supportive equipment, or use of a guide dog or other 
guiding device, and which renders such person incapable of adequately 
providing for his or her own health and personal care. 
B. "Department" means the Department of Education 
C. "Secretary" means the Secretary of Education 
SECTION 3. Grant. - The Secretary shall carry out a 5-year pilot program 
under which the Secretary awards grants, on a competitive basis, to not more 


than 10 different provinces, to enable them to award salary bonuses to highly 
qualified teachers or highly qualified special education teachers who teach, or 
commit to teach, for at least 3 academic years in such institution. 
SECTION 4. Basis. - The Secretary shall award grants under this section 
on the basis of the needs of rural local educational agencies within a province for 
recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers or highly qualified special 
education teachers. 
SECTION 5. Consideration of Needs. - In determining the needs of rural 
local educational agencies for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers 
and highly qualified special education teachers under Section 5, the Secretary 
shall consider 1 or more of the following: 
A The impact on a rural local educational agency of low-income students 
who are served by the rural local educational agency. 
B. The impact on a rural local educational agency of children with a 
disability who are served by the rural local educational agency. 
C. The long-term plans of a province to improve the recruitment and 
retention of highly qualified teachers and highly qualified special education 
teachers in rural local educational agencies within the province. 
SECTION 6. Application. -
A province that desires to receive a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
require. The application shall contain a plan for the proposed distribution and 
use of the grant funds among rural local educational agencies within the 
pr.ovince 
SECTION 7. Use of Funds.- Grant funds under this section shall be used 
to provide salary bonuses for highly qualified teachers or highly qualified special 
education teachers who teach, or comm it to teach, for at least 3 academic years, 
in an elementary school or secondary school served by the same rural local 
educational agency. 
SECTION 8. Study. - The Secretary shall carry out a study of each project 
that is funded under this Act. 
Thte study shall track and assess the 
implementation and effectiveness of each project. 
SECTION 9. Report. -
A ANNUAL REPORTS FROM PROVINCES - Each province receiving a 
grant under this Act shall submit an annual report to the Secretary 
regarding each project within the State that is funded under this Act. The 
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report shall contain such information as the Secretary determines 
necessary to evaluate the project. 
B. REPORT TO CONGRESS - The Secretary shall submit a report on the 
study described in Section 8 to the appropriate committees in the Senate 
and in the House of Representatives within 5 years from the effectivity of 
this Act which include: 
1. the number of rural local educational agencies assisted under 
this Act; 
2. the characteristics of such rural local educational agencies with 
respect to the considerations of needs described in section 4( c); 
3. the number and demographic characteristics of teachers 
receiving bonuses under this Act; 
4. the impact of the bonuses provided under this Act on the ability 
of rural local educational agencies assisted under this Act to recruit 
and retain highly qualified teachers and highly qualified special 
education teachers; and 
5. such other information and analysis as the Secretary determines 
necessary to evaluate the p·rojects. 
SECTION 10. Appropriations. -The amount necessary for the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the 
Department of Education under the current General Appropriations Act. 
Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its full implementation shall be 
included in the annual General Approp riations Act as a distinct and separate 
item. 
SECTION 11. 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 12. Repealing Clause. -
Any law, presidential decree or 
issuance, executive order, letter of in:Struction. administrative order, rule or 
regulation contrary to or is inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby 
repealed, modified, or amended accordi111gly. 
SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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